Battle of Hysiae (417 BC)

The Battle of Hysiae was a battle that took place in 417 BC during the Peloponnesian War, directly following the decisive Argive/Athenian defeat in the Battle of Mantinea the year before.

Battle
Agis II invaded the Argive territory in 417 BC due the fall of a Pro-Spartan faction at Argos due to intervention by Athenians under Alcibiades, who had them removed from the city of Argos after being dispatched by Athens to establish Democracy with 20 ships. Agis did not manage to take the city of Argos but destroyed the set of walls that the Argives had begun to extend towards the sea, he then took Hysiae and had the male population executed.

It is described by the historians Thucydides (5.83.2), who actually fought in the war, and Diodorus (12.81.1), who wrote in the 1st century BCE, over two hundred years later. Thucydides says that the Spartans marched against Argos in the winter of 418-417 BCE with all their allies, but failed to take the city of Argos. The Spartans did, however, capture the Argive town of Hysiae, taking all the male citizens as hostages. The hostages were subsequently killed.

Aftermath
With Hysiae destroyed, the Spartans left a garrison in Orneae as a stronghold against Argolis and left the territory. Athens, dispatched to the Argives a force of 40 triremes and 1200 hoplites to use in the Battle of Orneae to remove the garrison and take the city.