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Classical Phlius:
Phlius remained as a stalwart ally of Sparta during the Peloponnesian War,
although it refrained from sending out large detachments of men from its
otherwise limited population of around 5,000 male citizens. This pro-Spartan
alliance was largely a result of Phliousian fears of Argive expansion, as Argos
sought to assert itself in the Peloponnesus. It is likely that despite its
alliance with Sparta, Phlius was a democratic state at the turn of the 4th
century, although this later changed following episodes of stasis in the city.
Like many other cities of ancient Greece, Phlius fell into civil strife between
a democratic and an oligarchic faction during the 4th century. Before 393 a
change seems to have taken place in the government, for in that year we find
some of the citizens in exile who professed to be the friends of the
Lacedaemonians.
The Phliasians, however, still continued faithful to Sparta and suffered a
severe defeat from the Athenian General Iphicrates that same year. The citizens
were seized by panic following this defeat and requested a Lacedaemonian
garrison within their walls, which they had been unwilling to do before, lest
their allies should restore the exiles. But the Lacedaemonians did not betray
the confidence placed in them, and quitted the city without making any change
in the government. Ten years later in 383 the exiles induced the Spartan
government to support their cause; and following the recent destruction of
Mantineia, the Phliasians thought it more prudent to comply with the request of
the Spartans, and received the exiles. But disputes arising between returned
exiles and those who were in possession of the government, the former again
appealed to Sparta, and Agesilaus was sent with an army in 380 to reduce the
city. At this period Phlius contained 5000 citizens. Agesilaus laid siege to
the city, which held out for a year and eight months. It was at length obliged
to surrender through the exhaustion of provisions in 379; and Agesilaus
appointed a council of 100 members (half from the exiles and half from friends
of the exiles which had remained in the city), with powers of life and death
over the citizens, and authorized. them to frame a new constitution. From this
time the Phliasians remained faithful to Sparta throughout the whole of the
Theban War, though they had to suffer much from the devastation of their
territory by their hostile neighbors. Later, the Argives occupied and fortified
Tricaranum above Phlius, and the Sicyonians Thyamia on the Sicyonian frontier.
In 368 the city was nearly taken by the exiles, who no doubt belonged to the
democratic party that had been driven into exile after the capture of the city
by Agesilaus. In this year a body of Arcadians and Eleians, who were marching
through Nemea to join Epaminondas at the Isthmus, were persuaded by the
Phliasian exiles to assist them in capturing the city. During the night the
exiles stole to the foot of the acropolis; and in the morning when the scouts
stationed by the citizens on the hill Tricaranum announced that the enemy were
in sight, the exiles seized the opportunity to scale the acropolis, of which
they obtained possession. They were, however, repulsed in their attempt to
force their way into the town, and were eventually obliged to abandon the
citadel also. The Arcadians and Argives were at the same time repulsed from the
walls. In the following year Phlius was exposed to a still more formidable
attack from the Theban commander at Sicyon, assisted by Euphron, tyrant of that
city. The main body of the army descended from Tricaranum to the Heraeum which
stood at the foot of the mountain, in order to ravage the Phliasian plain. At
the same time a detachment of Sicyonians and Pellenians were posted northeast
of the acropolis before the Corinthian gate to hinder the Phliasians from
attacking them in their rear. But the main body of the troops was repulsed; and
being unable to join the detachment of Sicyonians and Pellenians in consequence
of a ravine, the Phliasians attacked and defeated them with loss.
After the death of Alexander the Great, Phlius, like many of the other
Peloponnesian cities, became subject to tyrants; but upon the organisation of
the Achaean League by Aratus of Sicyon, Cleonymus, who was then tyrant of
Phlius, voluntarily resigned his power, and the city joined the league. Phlius
is celebrated in the history of literature as the birthplace of Pratinas, the
inventor of the Satyric drama, and who contended with Aeschylus for the prize
at Athens. In the agora of Phlius was the tomb of Aristias, the son of
Pratinas. It was also the hometown of Plato's female student Axiothea of
Phlius. Pausanias, who visited in the 2nd century, says that on the acropolis
of Phlius was a temple of Hebe or Ganymeda, in a cypress grove, which enjoyed
the right of asylum. There was also a temple of Demeter on the acropolis. On
descending from the citadel there stood on the right a temple of Asclepius, and
below it the theatre and another temple of Demeter. In the agora there were
also other public buildings. The site of ancient Phlius is located near the
modern Nemea.
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