Struggles for Power Flashcards
Who was Xenophon?
general and historian – after the Persian King Darius II’s death, his son Cyrus the Younger raised an army of Greek mercenaries to overthrow his older brother Artaxerxes II. Xenophon was part of this army, which won at Cunaxa in 401 BC. Cyrus died, however, leaving the Greeks stranded in Persia. Artaxerxes tricked the Greek generals into a meeting where they were killed, and Xenophon was selected as a new general. He led the remaining Greeks home through Persian territories, writing about this March of the Ten Thousand in his Anabasis.
What is the Corinthian War?
Sparta soon lost favor with its allies and Persia following the Peloponnesian War, being too aggressive. Thebes, Corinth, Athens, and Argos declared war on Sparta at Persia’s suggestion. A stalemate ensued on land, but Persia annihilated Sparta’s navy. Athens used this as an opportunity to reclaim Ionian cities from Sparta, which Persia disliked, so Persia switched to support Sparta. Losing their financial support, the allies asked for peace with Sparta. Several new tactics were experimented with, as Iphicrates of Athens defeated a force of hoplites with the lightly-armored peltasts.
What was the Kings’s Peace?
387 BC, ended the Corinthian War. Named King’s Peace because the Great King of Persia dictated the terms. Alternatively called the Peace of Antalcidas, the Spartan diplomat. Persia claimed all of Ionia as a result of this.
Who was Epaminondas?
Theban general who led Thebes during its hegemony (supremacy), along with the lesser Pelopidas. Pioneered the use of the staggered and unbalanced phalanx, overwhelming one side of the enemy’s forces first, then wrapping around them with the first side as the second side finally hit the enemy’s second side.
What was Leuctra?
371 BC; Epaminondas’s greatest victory, which secured Theban hegemony over Sparta.
What was Mantinea?
362 BC; Another victory for Thebes, but Epaminondas dies, telling Pelopidas to make peace, since Thebes would lose without Epaminondas’s command.
