Battle of Lechaeum

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The Battle of Lechaeum was a notable engagement of the Corinthian War (390 BC) in which a smaller Athenian force under Iphicrates used peltasts to decisively defeat a Spartan mora near Corinth.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf battle
military engagement
belligerent Athenian peltasts
Spartan heavy infantry
campaign operations around Corinth in the Corinthian War
casualtiesSide heavy Spartan casualties
light Athenian casualties
chronology occurred after the Battle of Nemea
occurred before the end of the Corinthian War
combatant Athenian forces
Spartan forces
commandedBySide Athenian forces were commanded by Iphicrates
commander Iphicrates
conflict Corinthian War
date 390 BC
era Classical Greece
geographicalContext near the port of Corinth on the Corinthian Gulf
hasParticipant Athens
Sparta
historicalPeriod 4th century BC
involvedAlliance Athenian allies in the Corinthian War
involvedCityState Corinth
largerForce Spartan mora
location Lechaeum
near Corinth
militaryInnovation systematic use of peltasts in skirmishing tactics
notableFor decisive defeat of a Spartan mora
effective use of peltasts against hoplites
opposingCommander Spartan mora commander
opposingUnitType Spartan hoplites
Spartan mora
opposingWeaponType hoplite shields
spears
partOf Corinthian War
primarySource Xenophon's Hellenica
surface form: Xenophon’s Hellenica
relatedTo Iphicratean reforms
Peloponnesian military tactics
result Athenian victory
smallerForce Athenian force
strategicOutcome weakened Spartan land dominance
tacticalSignificance demonstrated vulnerability of hoplites to light infantry
showed effectiveness of hit-and-run tactics
terrain open ground near the road between Corinth and Lechaeum
typeOfWarfare land battle
usedMilitaryUnitType light infantry
peltasts
weaponTypeUsed javelins
shields

Referenced by (2)

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

Athenian army foughtIn Battle of Lechaeum
Corinthian War notableBattle Battle of Lechaeum