Wars of the Achaean League

B.C. 226 to 146
Achaean League — versus — Sparta

Aratus vs. Cleomenes III — 226-222 B.C.     Philopoemen vs. Nabis — 209-192 B.C.     
Achaeans vs. Romans — 146 B.C.    

Achaeans (Aratus) vs. Sparta (Cleomenes III) : B.C. 226-222

LAST DAYS OF CORINTH

The Achaean League was originally formed in the 5th century BC as a confederation of city states in the North of the Peloponnesian peninsula, bordering on the Gulf of Corinth. It was revived in the 3rd century BC, by Aratus of Sicyon, who expanded the league to include most of the northern states of the Peloponnese, and moved its capital to Megalopolis in Arcadia. Meanwhile, Sparta, which had been laid low since their signal defeat to the Macedonians in 331 BC, was undergoing a revival under Cleomenes III. In a few years time he had re-instituted traditional Spartan customs, redistributed land, banished luxuries, and reformed the Spartan military. Several of the members of the Achaean League deserted to ally themselves with Sparta. After winning several victories against the Achaean league, and destroying their headquarters at Megalopolis, Sparta once again, reigned supreme in the Peloponnese. But the success of Sparta aroused jealousies, and the Achaean league, still under Aratus, allied itself with Macedonia to crush Sparta. Cleomenes III met with Antigonus III at the battle of Sellasia, and, outnumbered three-to-one, was utterly routed.

Date	Battle Summary
226 BC	Battle of Megalopolis (Wars of Aratus ) Spartans victory Fought B.C. 226, between the Spartans, under Cleomenes, and the forces of the Achaean League, under Aratus. The Achaeans early gained an advantage, and the Spartans fled, pursued by the light troops. These, however, being unsupported, the Spartans turned and routed them, and then over-whelmed the Achaean hoplites in their turn with enormous slaughter.
222 BC	Battle of Sellasia (Wars of Aratus ) Achaeans victory Fought B.C. 221, between 10,000 Spartans, led by Cleomenes III and 30,000 Macedonians and Achaeans, lead by Antigonus III Doson. The Spartans were arrayed on two hills, but were overcome by the vastly superior allied forces. Of the 6000 Spartan infantry present, it was said that only 200 returned.

Commander	Short Biography
Agis IV	King who tried to reform Sparta and return to laws of Lycurgus. Killed for his efforts.
Cleomenes III	Successfully implemented many reforms in Sparta, but was resisted by Achaean League.
Aratus	Leader of Achaean League; First resisted Macedonia, then forced an alliance to defeat Sparta.
Antigonus III Doson	King of Macedon who helped Aratus defeat Cleomenes III at Sellasia.

Story Links	Book Links
Up the Scaling-Ladders  in	Tales of the Greeks: The Children's Plutarch  by  F. J. Gould
Achæan League  in	The Story of the Greeks  by  H. A. Guerber
Death of Agis  in	The Story of the Greeks  by  H. A. Guerber
Cleomenes III  in	Famous Men of Greece  by  John H. Haaren and A. B. Poland
Aratus  in	Our Young Folks' Plutarch  by  Rosalie Kaufman
Agis  in	Our Young Folks' Plutarch  by  Rosalie Kaufman
Cleomenes  in	Our Young Folks' Plutarch  by  Rosalie Kaufman

Achaeans (Philopoemen) vs. Sparta (Nabis) : B.C. 209-192

The defeat of Sparta at Sellasia set the stage for the Achaean League to re-assume their dominant position, under Philopoemen, who was effective as both a statesman and a military leader. Philopoemen defeated Sparta and their allies, brought all of the Peloponnese under his sway, and for many years successfully maintained peace with both Macedonia and Rome. Shortly after the Second Macedonian War, however, Nabis, a brutal tyrant arose in Sparta. Again the Achaean league turned to an outside power, this time Rome. At the Battle of Argos, Nabis was defeated and forced to give up all of his territory outside Sparta, and a few years later, Philopoemen destroyed the remaining Spartan army, at the Battle of Barbosthenian Mountains.

Date	Battle Summary
209 BC	Battle of the Larissus (Wars of Philopoemen ) Achaeans victory Fought B.C. 209, between the Achaeans, under Philopoemen, and the Aetolians and EIeans. The allies were defeated and cut to pieces, the Elean general being among the slain.
208 BC	Battle of Mantinea (Wars of Philopoemen ) Achaeans victory Fought B.C. 208, between the Achaeans, under Philopoemen, and the Spartans, under Machanidas. The Achaeans drove the Spartans into a ravine in great disorder, and routed them with a loss of 4,000 killed, amongst whom was Machanidas.
195 BC	Battle of Argos (Wars of Philopoemen ) Romans victory Fought B.C. 195, between Nabis of Sparta, with 15,000 men, and 50,000 Romans and Macedonians under Flaminius. Nabis was totally defeated, and though allowed to retain Sparta, was compelled to restore to the Achaean league all his foreign possessions.
192 BC	Battle of Barbosthenian Mountains (Wars of Philopoemen ) Achaeans victory Fought 192 B.C. between the Spartans under Narbis, and the Achaean League under Philopoemen. Nabis was totally routed, with the loss of three-fourths of his troops.

Commander	Short Biography
Philopoemen	Lead the Achaean League. Tried to unite Greeks, shortly before Greece fell to Rome.
Nabis	Tyrant of Sparta who ruled after the fall of Cleomenes III. Raised a large army against the Achaean League.
Flamininus	Led Rome against Philip V in second Macedonian War.

Story Links	Book Links
Last of the Greeks  in	Tales of the Greeks: The Children's Plutarch  by  F. J. Gould
War of the Two Leagues  in	The Story of the Greeks  by  H. A. Guerber
Last of the Greeks  in	The Story of the Greeks  by  H. A. Guerber
Philopoemen  in	Our Young Folks' Plutarch  by  Rosalie Kaufman
Philopoemen and the Fall of Sparta  in	Historical Tales: Greek  by  Charles Morris

Achaeans vs. Romans : B.C. 146

A CORINTHIAN NOBELMAN BEING SOLD AS A SLAVE IN THE MARKETPLACE

During his life, Philopoemen tried hard to keep good relations with Rome, but after his death anti-Rome feeling arose to the point that the Achaean League considered aligning themselves with Macedonia, during the Third Macedonian War. To prevent this, the Romans took hundreds of well-born hostages to Rome, including the Historian Polybius, and kept them there for seventeen years. When they returned, anti-Rome sentiment erupted into open revolt, and the Achaeans were crushed at the battles of Leucopetra and Scarpheia. Shortly afterward the Roman troops razed Corinth, the most prosperous trading city in Greece, to the the ground, and sold its inhabitants as slaves. Greece was now thoroughly under the heel of their Roman Lords.

Date	Battle Summary
146 BC	Battle of Leucopetra (Wars against Rome ) Romans victory Fought 146 B.C., between a Roman Consular Army, under Lucius Mummius, and the forces of the Achaean League, under Diacus. The Greeks, who were only half as strong as their opponents, were routed, and all resistance came to an end, the Greek cities, one after another, opening their gates to the Romans.
146 BC	Battle of Scarpheia (Wars against Rome ) Romans victory Fought B.C. 146, between the Romans, under Matellus, and the Acheans, under Critolaus. The Greeks were totally defeated with heavy loss, Critolaus being killed.

Commander	Short Biography
Mummius	Roman General in command during the wars with the Achaean League. Destroyed Corinth on orders from Rome.

Story Links	Book Links
Mummius in	Lords of the World  by  Alfred J. Church
Fall of Greece  in	Famous Men of Greece  by  John H. Haaren and A. B. Poland
Death-Struggle of Greece  in	Historical Tales: Greek  by  Charles Morris

Image Links
The Roman Envoys to Corinth are Compelled to Leave the Amphitheatre  in Lords of the World	A Corinthian Nobelman being sold as a slave in the Marketplace  in Lords of the World	Last Days of Corinth, Robert-Fleury  in Famous Men of Greece