Battle of Sepeia

The Battle of Sepeia was a military clash of the two leading powers Doric Sparta and Argos to the local hegemony in the Peloponnese. It took place during the campaign season of the year 494 BC. Main source of the events is the presentation of Herodotus (6, 76-80 ).

The Spartan army under King Cleomenes I. bypassed in an amphibious action, the fixed position of the Argives and forced them near the town of Sepeia south of Argos for battle. The Argives seem to be, however, fled before the collision, and to have been hiding in a wooded area, which was surrounded and set on fire by the Spartans. Apparently thousands of Argive hoplites have come in this way killed.

Cleomenes retired after the attack on the city of Argos, in view of occupied walls back because he wanted to take no siege. According to Herodotus, the walls, however, were exclusively occupied by old men, children and women in particular, but the Spartans apparently could not recognize.

Sparta had once more shown that it was the stronger of the counterparty, and remained in the possession of the disputed landscape Thyreatis. In Argos, a coup took place that brought so far under-privileged sections of the population to power, which could be revised a few years later at the Battle fallen at least partially by the sons. The two cities remained hostile and Argos took no part in the Persian Wars.

• Battle ( Ancient Greece )
• 494 BC