Battle of Mantinea
The Battle of Mantinea, fought in 362 BC, was a crucial confrontation in ancient Greek military history involving the cities of Mantinea and Tegea, which were embroiled in a dispute that led to the formation of rival coalitions. Sparta and Athens allied with Mantinea, while Thebes and its Boeotian allies supported Tegea. Under the command of Epaminondas, the Theban forces aimed to capture Mantinea but encountered Spartan resistance led by King Agesilaus II. The battle commenced with a strategic deception by Epaminondas, who initially gave the impression that he would not engage, only to launch a surprise attack with a heavily laden left wing that overwhelmed the Spartans. Despite securing a tactical victory, Epaminondas was mortally wounded during the fight, which led to a loss of momentum for the Thebans as they chose not to pursue their fleeing enemies. The outcome of the battle underscored Epaminondas's military genius but also marked a turning point for Thebes, leading to its decline in influence within Greek affairs. This battle remains significant for its demonstration of shifting power dynamics in classical Greece.
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Battle of Mantinea
Type of action: Ground battle in the war between Tegea and Mantinea
Date: 362 b.c.e.
Location: Mantinea, Northern Peloponnese (Greece)
Combatants: 23,000 Spartans, Athenians, Mantineans and allies vs. 33,000 Thebans and allies
Principal commanders:Spartan, King Agesilaus II (c. 444-360 b.c.e.); Theban, Epaminondas (410-362 b.c.e.)
Result: Theban victory eclipsed when Epaminondas died of his wounds after the battle
When a dispute arose between the Peloponnese cities of Tegea and Mantinea, two rival coalitions were formed. Sparta and Athens joined the Mantineans, and Thebes and its Boeotian allies came to the assistance of Tegea. After failing to capture Sparta by surprise, Epaminondas, at the command of the Boeotian force, marched on Mantinea. The road to the city was blocked by an allied force under King Agesilaus II of Sparta. Agesilaus had assembled his troops across a mile-long plain flanked by steep ridges on both sides. When Epaminondas came upon this force, he ordered his men to march across the front and ground arms, giving the impression that he would not present battle that day. Suddenly, however, the Boeotian force attacked, with the phalanx advancing in oblique formation. Epaminondas’s loaded left wing (fifty ranks deep) crashed against the enemy right (twelve ranks deep), and Theban cavalry and peltasts (light troops) pinned down the enemy left and exposed the right flank. The Mantineans and their allies fled, but Epaminondas was mortally wounded. As news of Epaminondas’s death spread through the battlefield, the Thebans abandoned the pursuit of the enemy, thus failing to consolidate their victory.
Significance
Epaminondas’s victory at Mantinea confirmed his military genius, but his death demoralized the Thebans who, without a capable leader, soon lost their commanding position in Greek affairs. Ironically, Epaminondas’s brilliant victory at Mantinea marked the beginning of his city’s military and political decline.
Bibliography
Buckley, John. The Theban Hegemony. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1980.
Hanson, U. D. The Soul of Battle: From Ancient Times to the Present Day. New York: Free Press, 1999.
Warry, John. Warfare in the Classical World. New York: Salamander Books, 1993.