Alexander's relationship with the spartans

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What was Alexander's relationship like with the Spartans?

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2004

Answers

There used to be an Ancient Spartan military tradition which dictated that the Spartans should never become part of an alliance if they were not leading that alliance.

The Spartans promised to assist the united Athenian & Theban troops against Macedonia, but when the time of battle arrived at Chaeronia, the Spartans behaved the same way they did when the Athenians fought the Persians in Marathon: They conveniently "forgot" to present themselves in the battlefield...

...And the Macedonians had a narrow win, which has been attributed equally to Phillips' tactics and Alexaders' bravery. After that, the Macedonians offerred to the Greek cities to retain their right to manage their own internal policies, but to cease fighting each other and follow him to a war against the Persians. All except the Spartans agreed to it, the latter because of their tradition as mentioned above.

The Spartans attempted to overthrow the Macedonian domination upon the Greek city-states while Alexander was away, but they failed. They were already decimated after the battle at Leuktra against the Thebans, long before the Macedonians entered to the politics of the Greek world. They did never recover, although they kept producing great militiamen.

A Spartan assassined Harpalus, the childhood friend of Alexander the Great who betrayed him and fled with the royal treasury, in Crete.

-- Anonymous, November 02, 2004


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