Portal:Military of Greece/Selected article/10

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The Cleomenean War (229 BC/228 BC – 222 BC) was fought between Sparta and their ally Elis against the Achaean League and Macedon. The war ended in a Macedonian and Achaean victory.

In 235 BC, Cleomenes III ascended the throne of Sparta and began an ambitious program of reform to restore the old Spartan discipline and depose the ephors. When the ephors sent Cleomenes to seize a town on the border with Megalopolis, the Achaeans declared war in 229 BC. Cleomenes responded by ravaging Achaea; he defeated an army under Aratus sent to attack Elis at Mount Lycaeum, and second army near Megalopolis. He also ordered that the ephors be killed.

In quick succession, Cleomenes cleared the cities of Arcadia of their Achaean garrisons before crushing another Achaean force at Dyme. Facing Spartan domination of the League, Aratus was forced to turn to Antigonus III Doson of Macedon to help the Achaeans defeat the Spartans. In return for Macedonian assistance, the Achaeans had to surrender Acrocorinth to Antigonus. Cleomenes invaded Achaea and took control of both Corinth and Argos, but, when Antigonus arrived in the Peloponnese, Cleomenes was forced to retreat to Laconia. He fought the Achaeans and the Macedonians at Sellasia, but the Spartans were routed. He fled to the court of his ally, Ptolemy III of Egypt, where he eventually committed suicide after a failed revolt. (Read more...)