Battle of Olpae facts for kids

The Battle of Olpae was an important fight during the Peloponnesian War. It happened in 426 BC. This battle was between armies led by Athens and Sparta. It showed how clever military leaders could win even when outnumbered.

What Was the Peloponnesian War?

The Peloponnesian War was a huge conflict in ancient Greece. It lasted for many years. The main sides were Athens and its allies against Sparta and its allies. These two powerful city-states fought for control of Greece. Many smaller cities and regions got involved too.

How the Battle of Olpae Started

In 426 BC, about 3,000 soldiers from a city called Ambracia invaded a region called Amphilochian Argos. This area was in Acarnania, near the Ionian Sea. The Ambracian soldiers took over a fort named Olpae.

The people of Acarnania quickly asked for help. They reached out to the Athenian general Demosthenes. They also asked for help from 20 Athenian ships nearby. These ships were led by Aristotle and Hierophon.

Meanwhile, the Ambraciots asked for help from Eurylochus of Sparta. Eurylochus was a Spartan commander. He managed to march his army past the Acarnanians without being seen.

Demosthenes Arrives and Plans

Soon after, Demosthenes arrived at the gulf near Olpae. He brought his ships, 200 hoplites (heavy infantry soldiers), and 60 archers. He joined forces with the Acarnanian army. They set up their camp in a deep valley across from Eurylochus's army.

Both sides spent five days getting ready for battle. The Ambracian and Peloponnesian army was larger than Demosthenes's forces. To make up for this, Demosthenes came up with a clever plan. He set up an ambush with 400 Acarnanian hoplites. These hidden soldiers would attack when the main battle began.

The Main Battle Begins

Demosthenes arranged his army carefully. He put Athenian and Messenian troops on the right side. The Acarnanians and Amphilochians formed the middle and left sides.

Eurylochus placed his army's left side directly opposite Demosthenes. The Ambraciots and Mantineans made up the rest of his battle line.

When the fight started, Eurylochus quickly tried to surround Demosthenes. He was close to outflanking him. But then, Demosthenes's hidden Acarnanian soldiers launched their ambush. This surprise attack caused a lot of confusion and fear among Eurylochus's troops. Eurylochus himself was killed during this chaos.

The Ambraciots fought hard and defeated the left side of Demosthenes's army. They chased the Acarnanians and Amphilochians back to Argos. However, when the Ambraciots returned, the rest of the Acarnanian army defeated them. Demosthenes lost about 300 men in total. But he won the battle, which ended later that night.

After the Battle of Olpae

The next day, Menedaius took command of the Spartan forces. He tried to make a truce with Demosthenes. Demosthenes agreed to let only the enemy leaders escape safely. This was a smart move by Demosthenes. He wanted to make the Spartans look bad to other Greek cities. He wanted them to seem like they abandoned their allies.

However, some Ambraciot soldiers tried to escape with Menedaius and the other commanders. The Acarnanians chased them. They let Menedaius escape as agreed. But they killed about 200 Ambraciots who tried to flee.

A Second Surprise Attack

While this was happening, Demosthenes learned about another Ambracian army. This new army was marching towards Olpae. These Ambraciots camped on the road to the fort at Idomene. They did not know that their first army had been defeated the day before.

Demosthenes decided to surprise them at night. He pretended his army was the other Ambracian army. This trick worked, and he attacked them by surprise. Most of the new Ambracian soldiers were killed. The rest ran away into the hills or jumped into the sea. The 20 Athenian ships captured those who fled into the water.

Overall, the Ambraciots lost about 1,000 men over these two days of fighting.

Peace and Its Outcome

Demosthenes could have easily captured the city of Ambracia after these victories. However, he did not. His allies, the Acarnanians, were worried. They feared that if Athens became too strong in their region, it might threaten them.

Because of this, the Acarnanians and Ambraciots signed a peace treaty. This treaty was meant to last for 100 years. This battle was a big win for Athens and its allies.