Everything about The Peloponnesian League totally explained
The
Peloponnesian League was an alliance of states in the
Peloponnese in the
6th and
5th centuries BC.
By the end of the 6th century,
Sparta had become the most powerful state in the Peloponnese, and was the political and military
hegemon over
Argos, the next most powerful state. Sparta acquired two powerful allies,
Corinth and
Elis, by ridding Corinth of
tyranny, and helping Elis secure control of the
Olympic Games. Sparta continued strategies like this to gain other allies in their league. Sparta defeated
Tegea in a frontier war and offered them a permanent defensive alliance; this was the turning point for Spartan
foreign policy.
Many other states in the central and northern Peloponnese joined the league, which eventually included all Peloponnesian states except Argos and
Achaea. Spartan superiority was guaranteed when Sparta defeated
Argos in battle in
546.
The league was organized with Sparta as the hegemon, and was controlled by the council of allies which was composed of two bodies. The first body was the assembly of Spartiates, and the Congress of Allies in which each allied state had one vote regardless of that state's size or geopolitical power. No tribute was paid except in times of war, when one third of the military of a state could be requested. Only Sparta could call a congress of the League. All alliances were made with Sparta only, so the member states had to form their own alliances with each other. And although each state had one vote, Sparta wasn't compelled to abide by any resolutions the League might come to. Thus the Peloponnesian League wasn't an "alliance" in the strictest sense of the word (nor was it wholly Peloponnesian for the entirety of its existence).
The league provided protection and security to its members, and most importantly to Sparta. It was a very stable alliance which supported
Oligarchies and opposed tyrannies.
After the
Persian Wars the League was expanded into the
Hellenic League, including
Athens and other states. The Hellenic League was led by
Pausanias, but after he was recalled it was led by
Cimon of Athens. Sparta withdrew and the Peloponnesian League was refounded with Sparta's original allies, while the Hellenic League turned into the Athenian-led
Delian League. This might have been caused by Sparta and its allies' jealousy of the Athenians, who wanted to spread their rule. The two Leagues eventually came into conflict with each other in the
Peloponnesian War.
In the 360s BC the League went to war against
Thebes and eventually was defeated. Thebes forced Corinth and other city states to separate from the Spartans subsequently disbanding the Peloponnesian League.
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