The Siege of Mantinea refers to the military operation undertaken by the Spartan state against the Arcadian city‑state of Mantinea in 385 BC, during the period of Spartan hegemony following the Peloponnesian War. The siege resulted in the capture of Mantinea, the dissolution of its democracy, and its incorporation into the Spartan‑controlled Peloponnesian League.
Background
After the defeat of Athens in the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), Sparta emerged as the dominant power in Greece. In the early 4th century BC, Mantinea allied itself with Thebes, which was attempting to curb Spartan influence in the Peloponnese. The Spartan king Agesilaus II and his successors regarded Mantinea’s pro‑Theban orientation as a threat to their hegemony and as a violation of the terms of the peace settlement that required city‑states to remain neutral in inter‑Greek conflicts.
Course of the siege
The primary contemporary account of the siege is found in Xenophon’s Hellenica (Book 6, chapters 4‑5). According to Xenophon, Sparta assembled a force of approximately 6,000 hoplites and a contingent of cavalry, laying siege to Mantinea’s fortifications in the spring of 385 BC. The Spartans employed standard Hellenic siege tactics, including:
- Encirclement of the city to cut off supply lines.
- Construction of siege works and deployment of battering rams against the walls.
- Negotiations aimed at coaxing the Mantineans to surrender, which were initially rejected.
The siege lasted several months. Mantinea’s defenders, unable to secure external aid and suffering from dwindling provisions, eventually capitulated. Spartan forces entered the city, dismantled its defensive walls, and imposed a garrison.
Aftermath
Following the capture, Sparta abolished Mantinea’s democratic institutions and replaced them with an oligarchic government loyal to Sparta. The city was compelled to contribute troops and tribute to the Spartan‑controlled Peloponnesian League. The loss of Mantinea weakened Theban influence in the region and reinforced Spartan dominance until the rise of Thebes after the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC.
Historical significance
The siege illustrates the methods by which Sparta enforced its hegemony in the post‑Peloponnesian War era, combining military pressure with political reorganization of conquered cities. It also highlights the shifting alliances among Greek city‑states during the early classical period, a time marked by frequent conflict between Sparta and Thebes for control of the Greek mainland.
Primary sources
- Xenophon, Hellenica, 6.4‑5 (Greek, translated editions available).
Modern scholarship
- G. L. Cawkwell, The Greek Wars: The Rise of Macedonia (Oxford University Press, 2004) – discusses Spartan policy in the Peloponnese after 404 BC.
- J. B. Bury, A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great (Macmillan, 1905) – provides an overview of the 385 BC siege.
See also
- Mantinea (city)
- Spartan hegemony
- Theban–Spartan rivalry
Categories: 4th-century BC conflicts; Ancient Greek sieges; Spartan military campaigns.