Late Classical Period, Spartan Hegemony: Sparta’s Expeditions to Asia Minor, Thibron

Sparta’s Expeditions to Asia Minor (400-394 BC)

After Cunaxa, Tissaphernes was sent to Asia Minor, not only as satrap of both Lydia and Caria, but also of the Ionian cities that had previously belonged to Cyrus. When he demanded the immediate submission of these cities to his authority, they naturally turned to Cyrus’ allies the Spartans for help.

• Thibron (d.391 BC)

In autumn 400 BC the Spartans sent out Thibron with a force of one thousand neodamodes (freed helots) armed as hoplites with four thousand spearmen drawn from their Peloponnesian allies and three hundred horsemen provided by Athens to protect the Greek cities from Tissaphernes. He occupied the unfortified city of Magnesia on the Meander, but failed to capture Tralles. Returning to Magnesia he transferred its citizens to a nearby mountain for security reasons. Later he strengthened his army by enlisting the Ten Thousand (the ‘Cyreans’, as they came to be known). In 399 BC he received the adherence of Pergamon and some minor cities in Aeolis. He took several more by storm before settling in to besiege Larissa. Larissa resisted for a long time and he received orders to raise the siege and invade Caria. While he was preparing in Ephesus, he was replaced by Dercylidas.