| rdfs:comment | - In 229 BC, the Spartan king, Cleomenes III, captured the strategically important Arcadian cities of Tegea, Mantinea, Caphyae and Orchomenus, which had aligned themselves with the powerful Achaean League, a state in Central Greece. Historians Polybius and Sir William Smith claim that Cleomenes seized the cities by treachery; however, Richard Talbert, who translated Plutarch's account of Sparta, and historian Nicholas G. L. Hammond say Cleomenes took them at their own request. Later in the year, at the behest of the ephors, Cleomenes captured the Athenaeum, which was close to Belbina. Belbina was one of the entry points in Laconia and was at the time disputed by Sparta and the city of Megalopolis.
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| abstract | - In 229 BC, the Spartan king, Cleomenes III, captured the strategically important Arcadian cities of Tegea, Mantinea, Caphyae and Orchomenus, which had aligned themselves with the powerful Achaean League, a state in Central Greece. Historians Polybius and Sir William Smith claim that Cleomenes seized the cities by treachery; however, Richard Talbert, who translated Plutarch's account of Sparta, and historian Nicholas G. L. Hammond say Cleomenes took them at their own request. Later in the year, at the behest of the ephors, Cleomenes captured the Athenaeum, which was close to Belbina. Belbina was one of the entry points in Laconia and was at the time disputed by Sparta and the city of Megalopolis. The seizure of these cities, caused the Achaean League, a state that possessed a large area of the Peloponnese, to declare war on Sparta. Attacks by the Achaean strategos, Aratus of Sicyon, to take Tegea and Orchomenus by using night attacks failed and forced Aratus to retreat. The Spartan army of 5,000, under the command of Cleomenes, marched into Arcadia and ravaged Achaean territory before forcing a much larger Achaean army to withdraw. Meanwhile, Ptolemy III of Egypt, who had been subsidising the Achaean League in their struggle against Macedon, decided to shift his financial support to Sparta as he saw a resurgent Sparta as a bigger threat to Macedon than a failing Achaean League. In May 227 BC, Aratus attacked the city state of Elis, which appealed to Sparta for military support. As the Achaean army was returning from Elis, they were attacked and routed by Cleomenes. Having bribed the ephors into allowing him to continue his campaign, Cleomenes invaded Megalopolitan territory, where he was confronted by an Achaean army. After a minor setback, the Spartans rallied and destroyed the Achaean army. The demoralised Achaean League made no further efforts to attack Sparta in that year. Cleomenes was now confident enough of his strong position to start plotting against the ephors. After recruiting a few followers, he returned to Sparta with a group of mercenaries and killed all of the ephors except one, who managed to gain sanctuary in a temple. With the ephors vanquished, Cleomenes was able to initiate his social, economical and military reforms, which included land reforms, cancellation of debts and the conversion of the Spartan military into a Macedonian-styled army. In 226 BC, Mantinea, which had been captured by the Achaeans, appealed to Cleomenes for assistance in expelling the Achaean garrison. After he removed the Achaean garrison from the city, Cleomenes move his army into Achaea in hope of drawing the Achaean army into a pitched battle. At Dyme, the Spartan army met the entire Achaean army and routed the Achaean phalanx. This crushing defeat forced the Achaeans to negotiate and Cleomenes demanded that the League be surrendered to him. However, before terms could be reached, Cleomenes became stricken by an illness and was forced to return to Sparta. Taking advantage of the lull in the negotiations, Aratus began to negotiate with King Antigonus III Doson of Macedon. However, the majority of the League was against negotiating with the Macedonians so Aratus's plans were quashed for the time being. In a quick campaign, Cleomenes managed to capture the cities of Cleonae, Argos, Corinth, Hermione, Troezen and Epidaurus. This latest disaster forced the Achaeans to conclude an alliance with Antigonus, under which they were to give him the Acrocorinth, as well as the cities of Orchomenus and Heraea in return for his assistance against Cleomenes.
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