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The Battle of Nemea in 394, also known in ancient Athens as the Battle
of Corinth, was a battle in the Corinthian War, between Sparta and the allied
cities of Argos, Athens, Corinth, and Thebes. The battle was fought in
Corinthian territory, at the dry bed of the Nemea River. The battle was a
decisive Spartan victory, which, coupled with the Battle of Coronea later in
the same year, gave Sparta the advantage in the early fighting on the Greek
mainland.
Opponents:
Sparta versus Thebes, Argos, Athens, Corinth
Commanders and leaders:
Sparta - Aristodemus
Allies - Unknown
Strength:
Sparta - 18,000 hoplites
Allies - 24,000 hoplites 600 cavalrymen
Casualties and losses:
Sparta - 1,100 dead or wounded
Allies -2,800 dead or wounded
Hostilities in the Corinthian War began in 395 with raiding in northwestern
Greece, eventually leading to a clash between Sparta and Thebes at the Battle
of Haliartus, a Theban victory. In the wake
of this battle, Athens, Thebes, Corinth, and Argos joined together to form an
anti-Spartan alliance, with its forces commanded by a council at Corinth. In
394, the council gathered together its forces at Corinth. A Spartan army under
Aristodemus, the guardian of the boy king Agesipolis, was sent north from
Sparta to challenge the allies. The allied army, meanwhile, waited at Corinth,
while the council debated over who should command it. Before a decision was
reached, the Spartan army entered Corinthian territory, burning and plundering
along the way. The allies marched out to meet the Spartans, and the two armies
met each other near the dry bed of the Nemea river.
The battle:
The Spartan army was composed of some 18,000-19,000 hoplites, with associated
light troops. Of the hoplites, 6,000 were Spartan, with the remainder coming
from the other states of the Peloponnesian League: 3,000 from the Eleans,
Triphylians, Acrorians, and Lasionians; 1,500 from Sicyon; and at least 3,000
from Epidaurus, Troezen, Hermione, and Halieis. There was also a cavalry force
of about 600, about 300 Cretan archers, and at least 400 Marganian, Letrinian,
and Amphidolian slingers.
Opposing the Spartans, the allied side consisted of about 24,000 hoplites, with
associated light troops. Thebes, Athens, and Argos each provided about one
quarter of the allied hoplites: 6,000 hoplites from Athens, about 7,000 from
Argos, 5,000 from the Boeotians, 3,000 from Corinth, and 3,000 from Euboea. Of
the allied cavalry, 800 were Boeotian, 600 were Athenian, about 100 from
Chalcis in Euboea, and about 50 from the Ozolian Locrians.
The Spartans and their allies lined up for battle with the Spartans on the
right and the allies on the left. The opposing coalition was divided over how
to arrange themselves; the Athenians wanted to line up on the right, but
ultimately had acceded to the demand of the Boeotians that they take the left,
while the Boeotians took the right. This meant that the Athenians were opposite
the Spartans, while the Boeotians and other allies faced the Spartans' allies.
As the two phalanxes closed for battle, both shifted to the right (This was a
common occurrence in hoplite battles—hoplites carried their shield on
their left arm, so men would shift to the right to gain the protection of their
neighbor's shield as well as their own.). This shift meant that, by the time
the armies met, both of them extended past their opponents' left flank.
Consequently, the right flanks of both armies were victorious, while the left
flanks of both were defeated. The Spartans then turned from their defeat of the
Athenians to face the soldiers from the allied right wing who were returning
from their pursuit of the Spartans' allies. The Spartan phalanx took first the
Argives, then the Corinthians, and then the Boeotians in the side, inflicting
heavy losses on all three. At the end of the day, the Spartans had inflicted
2,800 casualties, while suffering only 1,100.
Aftermath:
Although the Spartans held the field at the end of the battle, they were unable
to force their way past Corinth and enter central Greece. Accordingly, they
returned home. The allied army, after several months of inactivity, saw action
in a second major battle at Coronea later in the same year. These two battles
marked the only traditional large-scale land fighting that would take place in
the war, which lasted until 386.
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