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The battle of Lechaeum or Corinth in 390 was a rare defeat for Spartan
hoplites at the hands of light troops, commanded by the Athenian Iphicrates during the
Corinthian War. In 390 Agesilaus II of Sparta
led an invasion of Corinthian territory, operating in the area to the
north-east of the city. This coincided with the biannual Hyacinthia festival at
Amycles, and so Agesilaus left all of his Amyclaean troops at Lechaeum, the
port of Corinth captured earlier in the war), so they could begin the journey
home. The general in command of the Spartan garrison at Lechaeum decided to
escort the Amyclaeans west towards friendly territory at Sicyon. He left his
allied troops to guard the port, and used his 600 Spartan hoplites and a force
of cavalry as the escort. He accompanied the Amyclaeans to within three miles
of Sicyon and then decided to divide his forces. The cavalry was ordered to
escort the Amyclaeans as far as they required, while the 600 infantry turned
back and marched towards Lechaeum. This attracted the attention of the Athenian
commanders in Corinth, Callias son of Hipponicus (and grandson of the diplomant
famous for the peace of Callias), commanded the Athenian hoplites and
Iphicrates commanded a force of light peltasts. They decided that the peltasts
would be able to defeat the slower moving hoplites, attacking them from their
vulnerable (unshielded) right side as they marched along the coastal road. The
Athenians deployed their hoplites outside Corinth to act as a reserve and sent
the peltasts to attack the Spartans. They advanced to within javelin range, and
started to wound a handful of Spartans. The wounded were sent ahead into
Lechaeum.
The Spartan commander decided to deal with the threat by sending some of his
younger men to attack the peltasts, a tactic known as 'running out'. The first
Spartan attack used the ten-years service men (aged between 18 and 28). The
peltasts retreated as the hoplites approached, and then attacked when the
hoplites began to withdraw, with their formation broken by the charge. Nine or
ten Spartans were killed in this first attack. The peltasts continued to harass
the Spartan lines, and once again the commander ordered an attack, this time
with the fifteen years service men (aged 28-33). Once again this ended in
failure, this time with heavier losses. At this point the Spartan cavalry
returned, but the Spartans failed to take advantage of them. Instead of using
the cavalry to charge the peltasts, an attack that would probably have
succeeded, the horsemen were used to accompany the hoplites. This attack also
ended in failure and the Spartans were forced onto a small hill where they
prepared for a last stand. At this point the Athenian hoplites advanced, and
the Spartan survivors broke and fled. Some ran to nearby sea, while a few made
it safely back into Lechaeum. The ones who went to the sea appear to have been
rescued by boat. Even so the Spartans lost 250 dead in this fight, or nearly
half of the mora. This defeat forced Agesilaus to temporarily abandon his
campaign and return to Corinth to recover the bodies. This turned out to be
unnecessary and he returned to the attack. However the news of the defeat
altered the attitude of a Boeotian delegation that had been discussing peace
terms, and the war continued. Agesilaus soon ended his campaign to the
north-east of Corinth and returned home. Iphicrates went on to recapture a
number of positions previously taken by the Spartans, including Sidus, Crommyon
and Oenoe. Although the defeat shocked the Spartans, it had little impact on
the war. The Spartans continued to hold on to Lechaeum, but were still unable
to threaten Corinth itself. It did mark the end of significant campaigning on
the Corinth front, but the fighting continued elsewhere.
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