Peloponnesian League

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Peloponnesian League is the modern name for the alliance system ( Symmachie ) Sparta , which was established in ancient Greece in the middle of the 6th century BC. BC and was established until the 60s of the 4th century BC. Chr. Had existed. The historical name was "The Lacedaemonians and their comrades-in-arms" ( ancient Greek οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι καὶ οἱ σύμμαχοι hoi Lakedaimónioi kai hoi sýmmachoi ). The alliance comprised several Greek poleis on the Peloponnese and beyond, at times also states from other regions, including Boiotia , and even Athens in the wake of the Peloponnesian War .

The early Peloponnesian League of the 6th century BC Chr. Had little in common with symmachy as we know it from the writings of Thucydides and Xenophon , but consisted only of defensive alliances. The individual contracts from the early days of the Confederation were primarily aimed at warding off the dangers posed to Sparta by the Messenian Helots, who were permanently prone to rebellion . In the time before the Persian Wars , foreign campaigns were still led by the Spartans alone.

The Lacedaemonians and their comrades-in-arms remained much more loosely bound together with the federal structures established later than, for example, the Attic League . The form of the federal “constitution” is controversial. Each member retained their autonomy. It is generally believed that Sparta intervened less than Athens in the internal affairs of its allies. Nevertheless, interventions sometimes took place. The federal members were allowed to form closer regional alliances among themselves. Sparta has always been the leading power of the Federation. The other allies pledged to have the same friends and enemies, to make Sparta military victories and not to wage war or make peace on their own initiative. In principle, the Spartans also had to submit to majority resolutions, but the vote in the Federal Assembly was often preceded by an internal Spartan vote, which the allies then followed. Due to the dependence of the small states on Sparta, they could be influenced politically and thus central powers such as Corinth , Tegea or Mantineia could be outvoted. On its own, Sparta could only dispose of the troops of the allies if an attack from outside or an overthrow had to be fought off - states repeatedly refused to participate in such cases.

After the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), Sparta increasingly showed imperialist tendencies in dealing with its allies, which is said to have contributed to the decline of the league. With the defeat against the Boioter in the battle of Leuktra in the year 371 BC. Sparta lost its leading position in the Greek world. At the same time, the federal government lost its raison d'etre due to the elimination of the danger of helots as a result of the establishment of a free Messenian state . The Peloponnesian League dissolved in 365 BC. When some member states (including Corinth) allied with the Boiotern.

literature

Essays
Books
  • Ernst Baltrusch : Symmachie and Spondai. Studies on Greek international law of the archaic and classical period (8th – 5th centuries BC) (= studies on ancient literature and history. Volume 43). De Gruyter, Berlin 1994, ISBN 3-11-013745-3 (plus habilitation, University of TU Berlin 1991).
  • Ernst Baltrusch: Foreign policy, leagues and empire formation in antiquity (= encyclopedia of Greco-Roman antiquity. Volume 7). Oldenbourg, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-486-58401-1 .
  • Georg Busolt : The Lacedaemonians and their allies. Volume 1: Until the establishment of the Athenian sea hegemony. Scientia-Verlag, Aalen 1980, ISBN 3-511-09133-0 (unchanged reprint of the Leipzig edition 1878).
  • James Alexander Caprio: An Allied History of the Peloponnesian League. Elis, Tegea, and Mantineia. Pro Quest Publ., Ann Arbor, Mich. 2006, ISBN 0-612-99449-X (also dissertation, University of British Columbia 2005)
  • Fritz Gschnitzer : A new Spartan State Treaty and the Constitution of the Peloponnesian Confederation (= Contributions to Classical Philology. Volume 93). Hain Verlag, Meisenheim / Glan 1993, ISBN 3-445-01618-6 .
  • Konrad Wickert : The Peloponnesian League. From its creation to the end of the Archidamian War . Dissertation . University of Erlangen, 1964.

Remarks

  1. ↑ George L. Cawkwell: Sparta and Her Allies in the Sixth Century. In: The Classical Quarterly . Volume 43, 1993, pp. 364-376.
  2. ↑ Ernst Baltrusch : Myth or Reality? The danger of helots and the Peloponnesian League. In: Historical magazine . Volume 272, 2001, pp. 1-24.
  3. ↑ See Larsen 1933/34, Ernst Baltrusch: Symmachie und Spondai. Studies on Greek international law of the archaic and classical period (8th – 5th centuries BC) (= studies on ancient literature and history. Volume 43). De Gruyter, Berlin 1994 and the same: Foreign policy, leagues and empire building in antiquity (= encyclopedia of Greco-Roman antiquity. Volume 7). Oldenbourg, Munich 2008 as well as the references by Peter John Rhodes : Peloponnesischer Bund. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 9, Metzler, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-476-01479-7 , column 500 f ..
  4. ↑ Cf. for example Ernst Baltrusch: Myth or Reality? The danger of helots and the Peloponnesian League. In: Historical magazine. Volume 272, 2001, p. 20 f.
  5. ↑ See Peter John Rhodes : Peloponnesian League. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 9, Metzler, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-476-01479-7 , column 500 f.
  6. ↑ See George L. Cawkwell: Sparta and Her Allies in the Sixth Century. In: The Classical Quarterly . Volume 43, 1993, p. 364.
  7. ↑ See on the problem: Jakob Larsen : The Constitution of the Peloponnesian League. In: Classical Philology. Volume 28, 1933, pp. 257–276, here: pp. 268–270 (against Georg Busolt : The Lakedaimonians and their allies. Volume 1: Until the establishment of the Athenian Seehegemonie. Scientia-Verlag, Aalen 1980, ISBN 3-511 -09133-0 [unchanged reprint of the Leipzig 1878 edition]), and Sarah Bolmarcich: Thucydides 1.19.1 and the Peloponnesian League. In: Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies. Volume 45, 2005, pp. 5-34, here: pp. 28-33.
  8. ↑ See e.g. BHW Parke: The Development of the Second Spartan Empire (405-371 BC). In: The Journal of Hellenic Studies . Volume 50, 1930, pp. 37-79, here: p. 71, and Jakob Larsen: The Constitution of the Peloponnesian League. In: Classical Philology. Volume 29 1934, pp. 1-19, here: p. 10.