Philopoemen
Philopoemen was a prominent general of the Achaean League during the Hellenistic period, known for his military prowess and strategic leadership. He began his career as a mercenary captain in Crete and gained significant recognition for his role in the Battle of Sellasia in 222 BCE, where he showcased his tactical skills against Sparta. The Achaean League aimed for the unification of the Peloponnesian region, which was often hindered by Spartan resistance. Philopoemen's military career included notable victories, such as defeating the Spartan tyrant Machanidas at Mantinea in 207 BCE and later confronting the tyrant Nabis.
A key aspect of Philopoemen's legacy was his determination to integrate Sparta into the Achaean League while maintaining the league's autonomy from Roman influence. His efforts to secure Spartan membership were significant, particularly after Nabis's assassination in 193 BCE. Philopoemen ultimately met his end in 182 BCE as a captive of rebellious forces in Messene. Revered by contemporaries and later historians, he is often celebrated as "the last of the Greeks," with his contributions to Achaean independence and unity remembered as a pinnacle of Hellenistic military leadership.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Philopoemen
- Born: c. 253 b.c.e.
- Birthplace: Megalopolis in Arcadia (region of central Peloponnese)
- Died: 182 b.c.e.
- Place of death: Messenia
Full name: Philopoemen, son of Craugis
Principal war: Cleomenic War
Principal battles: Sellasia (222 b.c.e.), Mantinea (207 b.c.e.)
Military significance: Philopoemen was instrumental in the Macedonian defeat of the Spartan King Cleomenes III at Sellasia. He instituted military reforms to the Achaean League, strengthening the league’s position in Greece and, for a time, in relation to Rome.
Many-time general of the Achaean League, Philopoemen gained military experience as mercenary captain in Crete, and early in his career, he demonstrated his military talents at the Battle of Sellasia (222 b.c.e.).
The goal of the Achaean League was Peloponnesian unification; Sparta continually frustrated those intentions. Following his heroic exploits against Cleomenes at Sellasia, Philopoemen worked throughout his career to force recalcitrant Sparta into the confederacy. In 207 b.c.e., he defeated the Spartan tyrant Machanidas at Mantinea. At the beginning of the second century b.c.e., he fought against the Spartan tyrant Nabis. After the latter’s assassination in 193, Philopoemen brought Sparta into the Achaean League, regardless of Spartan traditions and the Spartan exiles. He died as a war captive of rebellious Messene in 182.
Philopoemen’s two main policies were Spartan membership in the Achaean League and preservation of Achaean independence from Rome for as long as possible. In his drive for Achaean independence, Philopoemen realized the vision of the league’s founder, Aratus of Sicyon; his military competence ensured success for his program. He is hailed as “the last of the Greeks,” and the Achaean historian Polybius eulogized him.
Bibliography
Errington, R. M. Philopoemen. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1969.
Gruen, Erich S. The Hellenistic World and the Coming of Rome. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984.
Larsen, J. A. O. Greek Federal States. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1968.