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Title
Lechaeum (391 BC)
Description
The Spartan commander at Lechaeum, honoring the tradition of the Amyclaeans in his army to return to their city of Amyclae to celebrate a religious festival, marched an escort force of Hoplites and cavalry past Corinth. After successfully leading his …
Subject
Source
Publisher
Date
-391
Scenario#
621
Scenario Description
The Spartan commander at Lechaeum, honoring the tradition of the Amyclaeans in his army to return to their city of Amyclae to celebrate a religious festival, marched an escort force of Hoplites and cavalry past Corinth. After successfully leading his force well past the city of Corinth, the Spartan commander ordered his Hoplites to return to Lechaeum, while the cavalry continued on with the Amyclaeans. Iphicrates, who commanded the light troops in Corinth, seeing that the Spartan Hoplite force was unprotected by light infantry or cavalry, decided to attack the Spartans as they marched past the city. The Spartan commander ordered some of his men to charge the Athenians, but the slow heavily-armed Hoplites could not make contact. When the Spartans turned to return to their lines, the Athenian lights fell upon them again flinging spears, and inflicting casualties. This process was repeated several times, with similar results. Unable to drive off the Athenians, the Spartans were forced back to the hills which proved to be a bitter blow to Spartan pride.
Location
Lechaaeum, Greece
Battle Name
Battle Narrative
The Battle of Lechaeum was an Athenian victory in the Corinthian War. In the battle, the Athenian general Iphicrates took advantage of the fact that a Spartan hoplite regiment operating near Corinth was moving in the open without the protection of any missile throwing troops. He decided to ambush it with his force of javelin throwers, or peltasts. By launching repeated hit-and-run attacks against the Spartan formation, Iphicrates and his men were able to wear the Spartans down, eventually routing them and killing just under half. This marked one of the first occasions in Greek military history on which a force of peltasts had defeated a force of hoplites.
Narrative Source
Wikipedia: Battle of Lechaeum
Scenario Link
External Link
Combatants
Athenian
Spartan
Additional Information
The Spartan Hegemony