Editing Spartan hegemony (section)

==Agesilaus and his campaigns==
[[File:CUH Agesilaus and Pharnabazus.jpg|thumb|Meeting between Spartan king [[Agesilaus]] (left) and [[Pharnabazus II]] (right).]]
[[Agesilaus II]] was one of the two kings of Sparta during Sparta's hegemony. Plutarch later wrote that Agesilaus was a king of the traditional Spartan ideals, often seen wearing his traditional cloak which was threadbare.<ref name="Plutarch">Plutarch.  "Agesilaus." ''Lives of Plutarch.'' Trns. Bernadotte Perrin. Vol. 4. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1959–67</ref>   He began his kingship after the end of the Peloponnesian war after his brother [[Agis II]] died and was left without an heir (Agis’ son Leotychidas was rumored to be the illegitimate son of the Athenian [[Alcibiades]]<ref name="Melanie, 2003"/>{{better source needed|date=December 2023}}).  One of Agesilaus’ biggest supporters was the famous Spartan naval commander Lysander, who was previously Agesilaus’ ''erastēs'', or mentor.

;The Campaigns
Agesilaus’ first campaign was one which trekked into the eastern Aegean and Persian territories via the [[Hellespont]]. He first descended upon the [[Phrygians]] and their leader [[Tissaphernes]] who had broken a “solemn league” with the Greeks and had earned the “downright contempt of the gods.” He followed Tissaphernes into Persian territory. The Persian king, fearing further plundering of his country ordered Tissaphernes beheaded. He then attempted to bribe Agesilaus with money to leave [[Asia Minor]].<ref name="Plutarch"/>

Remaining true to the Spartan ideals of austere living practices, Agesilaus rejected the gold saying “he would rather see it in his soldier’s hands than his own.<ref name="Plutarch"/>”  Agesilaus did, however, remove his army into Phrygia, grateful for the death of Tissaphernes.

[[File:Grave_relief_of_Dexileos,_son_of_Lysanias,_of_Thorikos_(Ca._390_BC)_(4454389225).jpg|thumb|Athenian cavalryman Dexileos fighting a naked [[Peloponnesia]]n hoplite in the [[Corinthian War]].<ref name="GH">{{cite book |last1=Hutchinson |first1=Godfrey |title=Sparta: Unfit for Empire |date=2014 |publisher=Frontline Books |isbn=9781848322226 |page=43 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hPm4BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA43 |language=en}}</ref> Dexileos was killed in action near [[Corinth]] in the summer of 394 BC, probably in the [[Battle of Nemea]],<ref name="GH"/> or in a proximate engagement.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lambert |first1=Stephen |last2=Schuddeboom |first2=Feyo |last3=Osborne |first3=Robin |title=Epitaph of Dexileos, cavalryman killed in Corinthian war (394 BC) |url=https://www.atticinscriptions.com/inscription/IGII2/6217 |website=Attic Inscriptions Online |access-date=31 December 2023|language=en}}</ref> [[Grave Stele of Dexileos]], 394–393 BC.]]
Agesilaus soon began another campaign into the western regions of the [[Persian Empire]]. Plutarch states that he wished to march his armies all the way to the Persian capital of [[Susa]]. He was unfortunately deterred by unpleasant news from Epicydidas that the mainland Greek poleis were starting war once again.<ref name="Plutarch"/>   This would later become known as the [[Corinthian War]] (395–387 BC) and featured an alliance between the [[Argives]], [[Corinth]]ians, Athenians and [[Thebans]] against Sparta. The Corinthian war took place between 395 and 386 BC.<ref>Kagan, Donald.  "Corinthian Politics and the Revolution of 392 B.C."  ''Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte.'' 11.4 (October 1962): 447–457.</ref>

In Greece, the Spartans under Agesilaus met the numerous rebelling poleis.  Among the most important battles that the Spartans fought in this war was that of [[Battle of Coronea (394 BC)|Coronea]], which was fought against a coalition of Greeks but especially the Thebans. The Spartans sought the aid of the Persians, asking them to cut off their support of the Thebans, Corinthians and Athenians. The resulting [[Peace of Antalcidas]], named for the Spartan who negotiated it, was established in 386 BC and resulted in Sparta's loss of its Asian territories.<ref>Xenophon.  ''Hellenica.''  New York: Penguin Books, 1978.</ref>