The Peleponnesian War - A Campaign Report

by Darryl Miller.

			      
 I am more afraid of our mistakes than our enemies' designs.
	- Pericles, speech to the Athenians, 432 BC.

     The City State of Corinth convinced the states north of
the Peloponnese that the time was right to throw off the
Lacedaemonian yoke. A coalition of Corinth, Athens, Argos,
and Thebes decided to gather at Corinth and then march into
the Peloponnese.
     The Oligarchy of Thebes, cautious as ever sent tribute
to the Oracle at Delphi and received the following reply "
The tunics and Armour of the Lacedaemonians shall be soaked
in blood ".
     The Athenians struck and draw first blood by
slaughtering a small column of Spartans. This action focused
the Spartan leadership and they prepared for war by ordering
their allies to gather at Mantinea.
     While the forces mobilised and moved to their
respective gathering points, the Corinthians decided to even
some old scores and moved off without waiting. So when the
other coalition partners arrived at Corinth they where
amazed to find that the Corinthian army had not waited.
     The Corinthian line of march, by a lucky coincidence,
discovered the route by which the Lacedaemonians intended to
advance on Corinth. Corinth, out numbered 4 to 1, rapidly
retreated. The rapid movement of the rest of the coalition
forces towards Mantinea cause the Lacedaemonians to reverse
their march  and the stage is set for a decisive battle.
     The coalition forces where dominated by the Theban and
Athenian commanders. They failed to heed the advice of the
Agrives and the portents of the Gods and allowed the Thebans
to take up the position of honour on their armies right. The
Spartiates and the Lacedaemonians take up the position of
honour on their armies right. Thus the Theban formation, 50
deep, is opposed by Elis, inferior Lacedaemonian allies
while the best troops on the field, the Spartiates, were
opposite the Agrives.
     The outcome of  the battle was a forgone conclusion.
The Thebans crushed the Lacedaemonian allies and pursued
them from the field. But the elation the Thebans felt soon
evaporated when they turned and discovered the Agrives were
in flight and the Athenians, being charged in the flank,
were beginning to break. As the Athenian general died he
thought to himself , " I wonder where the Corinthians got
to. They would have made the difference."

     The campaign reflected the historical situation when
the Corinthian War broke out in 394 BC. The original
conflict was resolved when the forces met in the vicinity of
the river Nemea. This was approximately twenty miles north
of where the refight occurred. Most of the participants had
not fought many ancient battles and so I was pleased that
the results were an accurate reflection of history. (ie an
exact replay ).
     I feel the rules that I have developed went a long way
to facilitate this result.