Editing Artaxerxes II (section)

===Conflict against Sparta (396-387 BC)===
[[File:Altikulac Sarcophagus Dynast of Hellespontine Phrygia attacking a Greek psiloi early 4th century BCE.jpg|thumb|Armoured cavalry of Achaemenid [[Hellespontine Phrygia]] attacking a Greek [[psiloi]] at the time of Artaxerxes II and his Satrap [[Pharnabazus II]], [[Altıkulaç Sarcophagus]], early fourth century BC]]
{{main|Corinthian War}}
Artaxerxes became involved in a war with Persia's erstwhile allies, the Spartans, during the [[Corinthian War]] (395-387 BC). The Spartans under their king [[Agesilaus II]] had started by invading Asia Minor in 396–395 BC. To redirect the Spartans' attention to Greek affairs, Artaxerxes subsidized their enemies through his envoy [[Timocrates of Rhodes]]; in particular, the [[Athens|Athenians]], [[Thebes, Greece|Thebans]], and [[Corinth]]ians received massives subsidies. Tens of thousands of [[darics]], the main currency in [[Achaemenid coinage]], were used to bribe the Greek states to start a war against Sparta.<ref name="CC">{{cite book | last1=Snodgrass | first1=Mary Ellen | title=Coins and Currency: An Historical Encyclopedia | date=2015 | publisher=McFarland | isbn=978-1-4766-1120-4 | page=125 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8xSBCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA125 | language=en}}</ref> These subsidies helped to engage the Spartans in what would become known as the Corinthian War. According to [[Plutarch]], Agesilaus said upon leaving Asia Minor, "I have been driven out by 10,000 Persian archers", a reference to "Archers" (''[[Toxotai]]'') the Greek nickname for the darics from their obverse design, because that much money had been paid to politicians in Athens and Thebes  to start a war against Sparta.<ref>"Persian coins were stamped with the figure of an archer, and Agesilaus said, as he was breaking camp, that the King was driving him out of Asia with ten thousand "archers"; for so much money had been sent to Athens and Thebes and distributed among the popular leaders there, and as a consequence those people made war upon the Spartans" Plutarch 15-1-6 in {{cite book | title=Delphi Complete Works of Plutarch (Illustrated) | date=2013 | publisher=Delphi Classics | isbn=978-1-909496-62-0 | pages=1031, Plutarch 15-1-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dmYbAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT1031 | language=en}}</ref><ref name="CC"/><ref>{{cite book | last1=Schwartzwald | first1=Jack L. | title=The Ancient Near East, Greece and Rome: A Brief History | date=2014 | publisher=McFarland | isbn=978-1-4766-1307-9 | page=73 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sIcOAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA73 | language=en}}</ref>

The Achaemenids, allied with Athens, managed to utterly destroy the Spartan fleet at the [[Battle of Cnidus]] (394 BC). After that, the Achaemenid satrap of [[Hellespontine Phrygia]], [[Pharnabazus II]], together with former Athenian admiral [[Conon]], raided the coasts of [[Peloponnesia]], putting increased pressure on the Spartans. This encouraged the resurgence of Athens, which started to bring back under her control the Greek cities of Asia Minor, thus worrying Artaxerxes II that his Athenian allies were becoming too powerful.

====Final agreement with Sparta (387 BC)====
[[File:King's Peace 387 BC.jpg|thumb|The [[Peace of Antalcidas|King's Peace]], promulgated by Artaxerxes II in 387 BC, put an end to the [[Corinthian War]] under the guarantee of the Achaemenid Empire.]]
In 386 BC, Artaxerxes II betrayed his allies and came to an arrangement with Sparta, and in the [[Treaty of Antalcidas]], he forced his erstwhile allies to come to terms. This treaty restored control of the Greek cities of [[Ionia]] and [[Aeolis]] on the Anatolian coast to the Persians, while giving Sparta dominance on the Greek mainland. In 385 BC, he [[Artaxerxes' II Cadusian Campaign|campaigned against the Cadusians]].