Archidamus II of Sparta
Archidamus II of Sparta was a key figure in Spartan history, likely ascending to the throne around 469 B.C.E. He was a member of the Eurypontid royal line and faced significant challenges during his reign, including a devastating earthquake that struck Sparta five years after he became king, leading to a revolt by the helots, who were state-owned serfs. Archidamus successfully rallied Spartan forces to quell this rebellion after a prolonged struggle. As tensions escalated with Athens in the lead-up to the Peloponnesian War, he advocated for a more measured approach to war, urging a delay until Sparta was better prepared. However, he eventually led multiple invasions of Attica from 431 to 428 B.C.E., which caused substantial damage but did not achieve decisive victories. His efforts highlighted the limitations of Spartan siege warfare and revealed a need for strategic adaptation. Despite his inability to defeat Athens during his lifetime, Archidamus's approaches laid important groundwork for eventual Spartan success in the conflict, with his name becoming associated with the initial phase of the war, known as the Archidamian War.
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Archidamus II of Sparta
Related civilization: Classical Greece
Major role/position: King, military leader
Life
A member of the Eurypontid royal line, Archidamus II (ahr-kuh-DAY-muhs) of Sparta probably became king in 469 b.c.e. When a great earthquake leveled the city of Sparta five years later, igniting a revolt by Sparta’s helots (state-owned serfs), Archidamus rallied the surviving Spartans and defeated the rebels after a lengthy struggle.
When tensions with Athens mounted in 432 b.c.e., Archidamus unsuccessfully urged a delay in declaring war until Sparta was better prepared. He led the first three invasions of Attica in 431, 430, and 428 b.c.e. during the Peloponnesian War (431-404 b.c.e.), doing considerable damage to the Athenian countryside. This strategy proved ineffective, as he had feared, and he could neither lure the Athenian army into battle nor storm Athens’s walls. His unsuccessful assaults of Oenoe (431 b.c.e.) and Plataea (429 b.c.e.) demonstrated Sparta’s lack of skill in siege warfare. His strategy of seeking Persian assistance and preparing a fleet eventually proved successful but failed to achieve anything before, or long after, his death.
Influence
Archidamus preserved Spartan power but failed to defeat Athens, though he showed the way to ultimate success in the Peloponnesian War. His name became attached to the first part of that conflict, called the Archidamian War.
Bibliography
Powell, Anton. Athens and Sparta. New York: Routledge, 1996.
Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. In The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War, edited by Robert B. Strassler. New York: Free Press, 1996.