Sparta Timeline

Definition

Sparta was one of the most important city-states in ancient Greece and was famous for its military prowess. The professional and well-trained Spartan hoplites with their distinctive red cloaks and long hair were probably the best and most feared fighters in Greece, fighting with distinction at key battles against the Persian army at Thermopylae and Plataea in the 5th century BCE.

More about: Sparta

Timeline

c. 900 BCE
Sparta is founded.
706 BCE
Sparta founds the colony of Tarentum in Magna Graecia.
c. 700 BCE
Sparta, Argos and Paros hold the first documented musical competitions in Greece.
c. 650 BCE
Sparta crushes Messenian revolt.
c. 550 BCE - c. 366 BCE
Peloponnesian League alliance between Sparta, Corinth, Elis and Tegea which establishes Spartan hegemony over the Peloponnese.
c. 545 BCE
Sparta takes control of Thyrea from Argos.
525 BCE
Sparta and Corinth unsuccessfully attack Polycrates of Samos.
494 BCE - 493 BCE
Spartan forces under Cleomenes I attack the city of Argos.
494 BCE - 493 BCE
Telesilla of Argos defends her city against the Spartan forces with an army of women.
c. 490 BCE
Leonidas beomes one of Sparta's two kings.
480 BCE
Pausanias is made regent of Sparta for his young cousin Pleistarchus.
Aug 480 BCE
Battle of Thermopylae. 300 Spartans under King Leonidas and other Greek allies hold back the Persians led by Xerxes I for three days but are defeated.
479 BCE
Xerxes' Persian forces are defeated by Greek forces at Plataea effectively ending Persia's imperial ambitions in Greece.
478 BCE
Sparta withdraws from alliance against Persia.
c. 475 BCE
Athenian general Cimon defeats Spartan general Pausanias and takes Byzantium.
c. 471 BCE
Spartan general Pausanias is put on trial for the second time with a charge of treason but is acquitted for a second time.
464 BCE - 463 BCE
Earthquake in Sparta, followed by slave revolt. Surrender of Thasos.
460 BCE - 445 BCE
First Peloponnesian War.
457 BCE
Sparta wins the battle of Tanagra during the 1st Peloponnesian War with Athens.
451 BCE
Sparta and Argos sign a peace treaty which endures for the next 30 years.
432 BCE
Sparta declares that Athens has broken the Thirty Year Peace and prepares for war.
431 BCE - 404 BCE
The 2nd Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta (the Delian League and the Peloponnesian League) which involved all of Greece.
431 BCE - 404 BCE
Thebes sides with Sparta against Athens in the Peloponnesian War.
430 BCE - c. 354 BCE
Life of Xenophon of Athens.
429 BCE
Peloponnesian forces led by Sparta begin the siege of Plataea.
429 BCE
Following attacks by Sparta, fortifications at the port of Piraeus are extended to reduce the width of the harbour entrances.
427 BCE
Plataea finally falls to the Spartans after a two year siege.
425 BCE
Pylos campaign, under Cleon and Demosthenes' command Athens defeats Sparta at Pylos.
424 BCE - 420 BCE
The Nike of Paionios is erected at Olympia to commemorate the Messenian and Naupaktian victory over Sparta at the battle of Sphakteria.
424 BCE
Spartan Brasidas' campaign in Thrace.
424 BCE
Spartan general Brasidas takes Amphipolis, Thucydides failed to prevent this and is exiled.
424 BCE
A force of Athenian peltasts defeat Spartan hoplites on Sphaktria in the Peloponnese.
422 BCE
Spartan general Brasidas dies of his wounds at Amphipolis.
422 BCE
Spartan general Brasidas employs Myrkinian and Chalkidian peltasts to defeat a force of Athenian hoplites at Amphipolis.
421 BCE
Spartan soldiers return from campaigning Thrace, some as Neodamodeis.
420 BCE
Sparta is excluded from the Olympic Games for breaking the ekecheiria or sacred truce.
418 BCE
Sparta, led by Agis II, defeats Argos and her allies at the battle of Mantinaea.
413 BCE
On the advice of Alcibiades the Spartans take over the Athenian-held fort of Dekeleia.
412 BCE
The Spartan general Astyochus sacks Kos.
c. 412 BCE
Rhodes revolts against Athens and supports Sparta in the Peloponnesian War.
412 BCE
Sparta allies with Persia.
410 BCE
Alcibiades leads the Athenian fleet to victory over Sparta at Cyzicus.
c. 408 BCE
Lysander is first made an admiral of the Spartan fleet.
c. 407 BCE
The Athenian fleet is defeated by Lysander of Sparta at Notium.
404 BCE
Spartan general Lysander attacks the Athenian port of Piraeus destroying parts of the Long Wall fortifications.
404 BCE
End of the Peloponnesian war, Athens defeated By Sparta at Aigospotamoi, Rule of the Thirty Tyrants in Athens.
c. 398 BCE
Xenophon works as mercenary for Sparta.
396 BCE
Spartan Agesilaus II's campaign into Ionia.
395 BCE - 386 BCE
The Corinthian Wars between Sparta and an alliance of Athens, Corinth, Argos, Boeotia and Thebes.
395 BCE
Spartan general Lysander is killed by Theban forces at the Battle of Hallartos.
390 BCE
Athenian leader Iphikrates employs peltasts to defeat Spartan hoplites at Lechaion near Corinth.
387 BCE
Sparta attacks the Athenian port of Piraeus.
382 BCE - 379 BCE
Sparta establishes a garrison at Thebes.
c. 379 BCE
Pelopidas removes the Spartan garrison from the Theban acropolis.
378 BCE - 377 BCE
Spartan king Agesilaus II campaigns in Boeotia.
377 BCE - 355 BCE
The Cycladic city states join Athens in the Second Athenian League against Sparta .
375 BCE
Thebes defeats Sparta at the Battle of Tegyra.
371 BCE
Thebes, led by Epaminondas, defeats Sparta in the Battle of Leuctra.
367 BCE
Celtic mercenaries fight with the Spartans against Thebes.
362 BCE
Indecisive Battle of Matinea where Thebes fought against Sparta and Athens. Theban general Epaminondas is killed.
295 BCE
Demetrius I campaigns in central Greece, removes the tyrant Lachares from Athens and defeats Sparta.
273 BCE
Pyrrhus of Epirus attacks Macedon and Sparta.
222 BCE
The Achaean League and Antigonos III of Macedon defeat Sparta at Sellasia.
267 CE
The Goths sack Athens, Corinth, Sparta, and Argos.
396 CE
Sparta is sacked by the Visigoths led by Alaric.