First Olynthian War

The First Olynthian War 382-379 BC. War of Sparta, Macedonia and their allies against the cities of the Chalcidian League, led by Olynthus.

The reasons were, firstly, the strengthening of the Chalcidian League led by Olynthus, which created a threat to Macedonia, and secondly, the desire of Sparta to establish its dominance in Northern Greece.

Background
In 393/392 BC. Macedonia was invaded by the Illyrians, who defeated Amyntas III and drove him out of the country. Trying to enlist the help of Olynthus, Aminta transferred part of the border territory to this policy. However, there is no information that Olynthus provided the overthrown king with any assistance. Amyntas is believed to have fled from Macedonia to Thessaly, where he had supporters who soon helped him return to the throne.

Some time later (probably c. 391 BC), a 50-year treaty was concluded between Macedonia and the Chalcisian League. Part of the text of this treaty was found on a stone at Olynthus. There is talk of a military alliance, and rules are established for the export of timber, a strategic raw material, the export of which was previously under the control of Macedonia. From now on, the Chalcidians were allowed to freely export resin and wood to build ships. Only to export spruce it was necessary to obtain permission from the king and pay duties. In the political part of the agreement, the parties agreed not to conclude, except by common consent, treaties of friendship with Amphipolis, Akanthos, and Bottieya.

The main points of the treaty were in the interests of Olynthus, who, in addition to unheard of trade privileges, achieved the isolation of his rivals in the region. Over the next few years, the economic and political position of the Chalcidian League continued to strengthen, while Macedonia remained very vulnerable.

In the mid-380s. BC. The Illyrians again intensified their pressure on their neighbors: in 385/384 BC. At the instigation of the Syracusan tyrant Dionysius the Elder they attacked the Epirus Kingdom to restore the exiled king Alcetes to the throne. About 15 thousand Molossians died in the battle, and then the Spartans sent army to Epirus to drive out the barbarians.

Based on the story Diodorus it is assumed that the Illyrians in 383/382 BC made a new invasion of Macedonia, and this prompted King Amyntas to make additional concessions to the Chalcidians. However, it is more likely that Diodorus simply duplicated the report of the 393/392 BC invasion.

However, Macedonia was still weakened, and when Amyntas asked to return the lands ceded to the Chalcidians, he was refused. Moreover, according to Xenophon, Olynthos continued his expansion, “taking possession of many other Macedonian cities, including even Pella, the largest city in Macedonia”. Amyntas's domain was as a result reduced, it is believed, to the borders of the ancestral domain of the Argead dynasty - the region of Pieria around Aegae (Macedonia).

Embassies to Sparta
Aminta decided to turn for help to the strongest Greek power - Sparta, which, after the conclusion of the Peace of Antalcidas, had a free hand for active action in Greece. The cities of Apollonia and Akanthos, which the Olynthians forced to join the Chalcidian League, also turned to Sparta with requests for help against Olynthus. The ambassadors of these cities most of all emphasized that Olynthus was negotiating with the enemies of the Lacedaemonians - Athenians and Thebans, and if measures are not taken, then the Spartans may soon face a powerful coalition.

Start of war
The Spartans decided to equip 10,000 troops against the Chalcidian army. Since it took time to gather it, in the spring of 382 BC. 2,000 were sent to Chalkidiki. A detachment of Neodamodes and perieks under the command of Eudàmides. Arriving at the place, Eudamidas placed garrisons in the cities that asked for it, occupied Potidea, recently included in the Chalcisian League, and established his base there. He had few troops for offensive operations, so the Spartan commander limited himself to the defense of the possessions of the allies.

The Thebans did not dare to oppose Sparta, but took a hostile position, forbidding their citizens to participate in the campaign against Olynthus.

In the summer of 382 BC. The Spartans sent reinforcements to Eudamidas under the command of his brother Phoebids. He, passing by Thebes, supported the oligarchic coup that brought the pro-Spartan party to power in the city. A Spartan garrison.

The Spartans then sent the rest of the army to Chalkidice, led by harmostom Teleutius, brother of king Agesilaus II. This army was joined by contingents from the allied cities, Thebes also fielded hoplitess and cavalry.

First battle of Olynthus
Arriving in Chalkidiki in the late summer of 382 BC. Teleutius linked up with a small Macedonian army, which Amyntas was able to recruit, as well as with a selected detachment of 400 horsemen, who were brought by Derda II, the ruler of Elymyotis in Western Macedonia. The combined forces of the Spartans and their allies exceeded 10,000 people. Having marched with these forces to Olynthos, Teleutius defeated the Chalcidians under the walls of the city, after which he devastated the surrounding area. Derda's cavalry especially distinguished itself in the battle, whose attack, in fact, decided the outcome of the battle. The Olynthian infantry, however, did not suffer significant losses, since they promptly took refuge behind the city walls.

The Olynthians themselves carried out successful raids on cities allied with the Spartans until Derda in the spring of 381 BC. Did not defeat the cavalry detachment that invaded the lands of Apollonia.

Second Battle of Olynthus
In May 381 BC. Teleutius again approached Olynthos. The Olynthian cavalry crossed the river that flowed near the city in order to secretly get close to the Spartan formations, but were noticed, and Teleutius ordered the chief of the peltasts Tlepolid to attack the horsemen. They did not engage in battle, and went back across the river, and when the peltasts who rushed in pursuit crossed the river and went ashore, the cavalry turned around and attacked the infantrymen who did not have time to line up for battle. Tlepolis and a hundred of his warriors were killed.

Teleutius, according to Xenophon, flew into a rage and ordered his troops to pursue the enemy to the very city walls. This was a mistake, as the Spartans, who came too close to the walls, were showered with a hail of stones and other projectiles, and were forced to retreat in disarray from the fire zone. The Olynthians took advantage of their confusion and made a sortie with all their might. Teleutius died in battle, and his army completely fled and took refuge in the allied cities. According to Diodorus, Spartan losses exceeded 1,200 people

End of the war
The Spartans equipped a new army led by King Agesipolis. He approached Olynthos, but since the enemy did not come out to fight this time, the Spartans began to devastate the area. Toroni, allied to the Olynthians, was taken. Summer 380 B. Agesipolis died of fever, and the harmost Polybiades. He blockaded Olynthos and starved the city into capitulation (Autumn 379 BC)

The Chalcidian Union was dissolved, Olynthus became a satellite of Sparta, and the lands both ceded to the Olynthians and captured by them were returned to Macedonia.

Result
The defeat of the Chalcidian League and the subjugation of Thebes significantly strengthened the Spartan hegemony, which had been shaken during the Corinthian War. However, it turned out that this victory was the last for Sparta. The rude and cynical policy of the Spartans, who did not care about the interests of other states, caused a response, and the last straw that broke the patience of the Greeks was the entry of the Spartan garrison into Cadmea.

The Spartans liquidated the Chalcidian League on the basis of the provisions of the Peace of Antalcis, which asserted the independence of individual policies and prohibited hegemonic alliances. They hoped that politically fragmented Greece would not be able to get out of their influence. However, in accordance with this treaty, the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta was also subject to dissolution; however, it never occurred to the Spartans that anyone could seriously demand this.

But the following year, the democratic coup took place in Thebes, and the Athenians began the formation of the anti-Spartan League, the constitution of which corresponded to the conditions of the Royal Peace. The days of Spartan hegemony were numbered.