Second Sacred War

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The Second Sacred War was a 4th-century BCE conflict in ancient Greece centered on control of the Delphic sanctuary and its political influence within the Greek world.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Phocian control of Delphi 1

Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient Greek war
sacred war
allyOf Athens
Sparta
associatedInstitution Amphictyonic League
surface form: Delphic Amphictyonic League
AthenianObjective to restore Phocian control over Delphi
belligerent Athens
Delphi
Phocis
Sparta
chronologicalPosition second of the major Sacred Wars involving Delphi
commandedBy Pericles
surface form: Athenian statesman Pericles

Spartan king Pleistoanax
conflictOver political control of the Delphic Amphictyony
religious authority at the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi
conflictType inter‑Greek conflict
endTime circa 448 BCE
era Classical period of ancient Greece
followedBy Third Sacred War
hasCause Second Sacred War self-linksurface differs
surface form: Phocian control of Delphi

Spartan intervention to restore Delphic independence
dispute over control of the Delphic sanctuary
historicalSource Plutarch
Thucydides
impact heightened tensions between Athens and Sparta before the Peloponnesian War
languageContext Ancient Greek world
locatedIn ancient Greece
mainTheater Delphi
Locris
Phocis
militaryAction Athenian expedition to re‑install Phocian control
Spartan occupation of Delphi
partOf classical Greek interstate rivalries
politicalSignificance contest between Sparta and Athens for influence in central Greece
precededBy First Sacred War
primarySanctuary Panhellenic sanctuary of Delphi
surface form: Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi
relatedTo First Sacred War
Third Sacred War
religiousContext Panhellenic sanctuary of Delphi
religiousSignificance assertion of control over the oracle of Apollo at Delphi
result restoration of Phocian control over Delphi by Athens
reversal of Spartan settlement at Delphi
strengthening of Athenian influence in central Greece
SpartanObjective to separate Delphi from Phocian control
startTime circa 449 BCE

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Phocian League conflict Second Sacred War
Second Sacred War hasCause Second Sacred War self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Phocian control of Delphi
Delphi involvedIn Second Sacred War
Amphictyonic League notableEvent Second Sacred War
First Sacred War relatedEvent Second Sacred War