Sepeia (494 BC)

Cleomenes I of Sparta, inspired by the words of the oracle at Delphi that he would take Argos, marched into Argive territory. It was here that the Argive army took up a defensive position. The Argive generals wanted to be …

-494

603

Cleomenes I of Sparta, inspired by the words of the oracle at Delphi that he would take Argos, marched into Argive territory. It was here that the Argive army took up a defensive position. The Argive generals wanted to be forewarned of any Spartan attack, so they instructed their herald to listen to orders issued by the Spartan herald and then to repeat them to the Argive camp. Cleomenes realized what was happening and ordered his army to ignore the next meal call and charge the enemy instead. The Argives were taken by surprise and those who were not killed in the assault fled to the Sacred Grove. The Spartan army then marched to Argos, but a female poet named Fetesilla rallied the women and children to defend the city walls. After an initial attack the Spartans withdrew, as there was no honor in defeating women.

Argolis, Greece

At the Battle of Sepeia, the Spartan forces of Cleomenes I defeated the Argives, fully establishing Spartan dominance in the Peloponnese. The Battle of Sepeia is infamous for holding the highest number of casualties within a battle during the classical Greek period

Wikipedia: Battle of Sepeia

Argive

Spartan

Greek City State Battles