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The battle occurred during the
Cleomenean War.
The Battle of Sellasia took place during the summer of 222 between Macedon and
the Achaean League, led by Antigonus III Doson, and Sparta under the command of
King Cleomenes III. The battle was fought at Sellasia on the northern frontier
of Laconia and ended in a Macedonian-Achaean victory. In 229, Cleomenes
initiated hostilities against the Achaean League, the dominant power of the
Peloponnese. In a series of campaigns, Cleomenes was successful in defeating
the Achaeans, making Sparta the main regional power. This prompted the chief
figure of the Achaean League, Aratus of
Sicyon, to approach the King of Macedon, Antigonus III Doson, for military
assistance. The Macedonians acquiesced on the terms that the Achaean surrender
the formidable fortress of Acrocorinth to them. The Macedonians invaded the
Peloponnese in 224 at the head of a Greek alliance and by 222 managed to hem
Cleomenes in Laconia. In the summer of 222, the Macedonian and Achaean army
advanced to Sellasia on the northern border of Laconia, where they encountered
the awaiting army of Cleomenes. After a brief impasse, Antigonus launched an
offensive against the Spartan positions on the fortified mountains of Olympus
and Evas. While the Macedonian right flank routed the Spartan left wing on
Evas, the battle on the other flank was heavily contested.
After initially pushing back the Macedonian phalanx, the Spartans were driven
from the field by the superior numbers of the Macedonians. Cleomenes was
compelled to leave for exile in Alexandria and Antigonus became the first
non-Spartan general to occupy Sparta.
Opponents: Macedon versus Achaean League + Sparta
Commanders and leaders:
Macedon - Antigonus III Doson Demetrius of Pharos
Sparta - Cleomenes III Eucleidas †
Strength:
Macedon - 28,000 infantry, 1,200 cavalry
Sparta - About 20,000 infantry, 650 cavalry
Casualties and losses:
Macedon - Substantial
Sparta - Heavy 5,800 Spartans dead
Background:
The seizure of numerous important Arcadian cities by the King of Sparta,
Cleomenes III, prompted the dominant state of the Peloponnese, the Achaean
League to declare war on Sparta. The Achaean attempts to recaptured these
cities, led by the strategos, Aratus of Sicyon,
largely failed as Sparta consolidated its position. Subsequent Achaean
offensives in 226 were crushingly defeated at the Battle of Mount Lycaeum and
the Battle of Ladoceia. The Achaean position was additionally weakened when
their erstwhile ally, Ptolemy III of Egypt, shifted his financial backing to
Sparta. Ptolemy had been subsidising the campaign of the Achaeans against
Macedon and now determined that Sparta would be a more effective ally to offset
Macedonian power.
This was compounded by the resounding Spartan victory over the Achaean army at
the Battle of Dyme, leading the League to seek peace with Cleomenes. When the
peace talks failed, Aratus sent envoys to the Macedonian King, Antigonus III
Doson, seeking military assistance. Antigonus pledged to give aid on the term
that the formidable citadel, Acrocorinth was ceded to Macedon. This conditions
elicited a furious response from many Achaeans and Cleomenes used this to his
advantage by occupying the major cities of Corinth and Argos and many smaller
settlements. Aratus accepted the terms proposed by the Macedonians and
additionally surrendered the cities of Orchomenus and Heraia to Macedon.
Subsequently, Antigonus mustered his army for the invasion of the Peloponnese.
Prelude:
Antigonus marched towards the Peloponnese with a large army of 20,000 infantry
and 1,300 cavalry via the island of Euboea. They resorted to this after having
their passage blocked by the hostile Aetolian League, who threatened to block
their march if they went further south. After reaching the Isthmus of Corinth,
the Macedonian army found their march halted by a series of fortifications that
Cleomenes had erected across the Isthmus. Several attempts to breach the
fortifications were repulsed with considerable losses.
Argos, however, revolted against Sparta and expelled their garrison with the
help of some Macedonian soldiers. This defeat forced Cleomenes to abandon his
position on the Isthmus and to retreat back to Arcadia.
Meanwhile, Antigonus revived the Hellenic League of Philip II of Macedon under
the name of the "League of Leagues" and managed to incorporate most
of the Greek city-states in this League. Antigonus proceeded to capture several
cities in Arcadia that had sided with Cleomenes. He returned to Achaea before
dismissing his Macedonian troops so that they could winter at home. Around this
time, Ptolemy of Egypt stopped paying subsidies to Cleomenes, which left
Cleomenes without money with which to pay for his mercenaries. In order to
obtain money, Cleomenes began to sell helots their freedom in exchange for a
sum of money. Cleomenes became aware of the fact that Antigonus had dismissed
all of his Macedonian troops and decided to launch a raid on the Achaean
League. He gave the impression that he was going to raid the territory of Argos
but instead switched directions and attacked Megalopolis. The Spartans managed
to overrun a weak section of the fortifications and began to take over the
city.
The citizens of Megalopolis were not aware that the Spartans were in the city
until dawn after which a rearguard action by some of the citizens allowed most
of the Megalopolitans to escape. Cleomenes sent the Megalopolitans a message
offering back their city if they joined his alliance but when this offer was
refused, Cleomenes ordered that the city be sacked and razed. The sack of
Megalopolis came as a big shock for the Achaean League. Cleomenes followed this
success up by raiding the territory of Argos, as he knew Antigonus could not
resist him due to a lack of men. Cleomenes had also hoped that a raid on Argive
territory would make the Argives lose faith in Antigonus because of his failure
to protect their land.
Walbank assess this raid as being "an impressive demonstration, but it had
no effect other than to make it even more clear that Cleomenes had to be
defeated in a pitched battle."
Battle:
The initial positions of the Battle of Sellasia
Opposing armies Antigonus responded to this raid by recalling his army from
Macedon. The Macedonian levy marching on Laconia was augmented by the
contingents from allies, who had mustered in the Peloponnese. Polybius
describes the amassed army as consisting of 29,200 men. The Macedonian
contribution to this force was 10,000 phalangists, 3,000 peltasts, and 300
cavalry, a figure supplemented by the addition of 1,000 Agrianes, 1,600
Illyrians commanded by Demetrius of Pharos, and 1,000 Galatians, as well as
3,000 other mercenary infantry and 300 cavalry.
The size of army was greatly increased by the contingents of the Greek allies.
The Achaeans supplied 3,000 infantry and 300 cavalry, the Arcadians 1,000
infantry from Megalopolis commanded by Cercidas, the Boeotians 2,000 infantry
and 200 cavalry, the Acarnanians 1,000 infantry and 50 cavalry, and the
Epirotes 1,000 infantry and 50 cavalry. To counter the Macedonian invasion,
Cleomenes moved to raise the largest force that he was able. He was able to
muster an army of 20,650 men. This consisted of the Spartan levy of hoplites,
possibly 2,000 Lacedaimonians armed in the fashion of Macedonian phalangists,
contingents of perioeci, and mercenaries with 650 cavalry. Cleomenes managed to
fortify the passes leading into Laconia with a series of barricades and
trenches before moving with his army to assume a position at the pass at
Sellasia on the northern frontier of Laconia.
The battle:
When Antigonus and his army arrived at Sellasia, they found the Spartan army
occupying strong positions on the hills, Olympus and Euas, with the Oenous
River running between them. Eucleidas with the perioeci and the allies were
stationed on Euas, while Cleomenes held Olympus with the Spartans and
mercenaries. On the flat ground between the hills, Cleomenes deployed his
cavalry and the remainder of his mercenaries. The strength of the Spartan
deployment prompted the Macedonians to not launch an immediate assault against
the Lacedaemonians. Antigonus placed his phalanxes facing the Lacedaemonian
infantry which was arrayed at the top of the two hills, with the order to
advance and take the heights. His cavalry of Macedonians, Achaeans, Boeotians,
and mercenaries under the command of Alexander, were arrayed in front of the
enemy cavalry in the centre. The allied right wing advanced against the
Lacedaemonians on Euas, but was attacked in the flank by enemy infantry that
was initially arrayed with the cavalry.
Without cover from their heavy infantry, the advancing allies were hard pressed
by the Spartans from the rear and the front, until the Arcadian cavalryman
Philopoemen, disregarding the orders, charged with the men who would follow.
This timely initiative saved the light infantry on Euas from annihilation and
paved the way to victory, as the Illyrians and other light infantry soon drove
the Spartans from the hill and killed Eucleidas.
After the battle, Antigonus praised Philopoemen's initiative and reproved his
own commander Alexander. The battle on Olympus between the two phalanxes lasted
longer, but when the allied reinforcements from Euas took the enemy in the
flank, the Spartans fought almost to the last man, until their king fled the
field with a handful of companions. According to Plutarch, out of 6,000
Spartiates, only 200 survived, the others preferring honourable death to
disgrace. Accompanied by his closest friends, Cleomenes took a ship in Gythium
to reach his mother and sons in Alexandria where he stayed in exile until his
death three years later.
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