Battle of Lyncestis

Battle of Lyncestis
Map of Lyncestis, between southern Illyria upper Macedonia
Date 423 BC Location Lyncestis Result Spartan escape & Macedonian retreat
Belligerents
Illyrians Lyncestians	Spartans Macedonians Chalcidians Acanthians Babarians
Commanders and leaders
Arrabaeus	Brasidas, Perdiccas
Strength
Not known	3,000 Hellenic hoplites 1,000 Chalcidians Macedonian cavalry

The Battle of Lyncestis/Lynkestis/Lyncus took place in 423 BC between the allied forces of the Lyncestians and Illyrians against those of the Spartans and Macedonians. The battle was part of the wider Peloponnesian Wars. Before Athens suffered defeat at Delium in 424 BC, Sparta had sent an expedition under Brasidas to assist Perdiccas of Macedonia and other opponents of Athens. At first Sparta avoided involvement in Macedon's war with Arrhabaeus, but in 423 BC they joined an expedition which ended with retreat by the Macedonians and a brilliantly contrived escape of the Spartans.

After the initial joint Illyrian and Lyncestian attack was repulsed, they pursued the Macedonians and blocked Brasidas' route at a pass, forcing his army up the surrounding hill and into Macedonia. This brought to a head the quarrel between Brasidas and Perdiccas.

Arrhabaeus, the rebellious king of Lyncestis (Lyncus), was subject to Perdiccas, whom Perdiccas at the time wanted to subordinate to Argead control. Much of what is known about the Macedonian kings before Alexander I relates to their struggles against Illyrian incursions. These Illyrian raids penetrated western Macedonia and threatened te Argead territory in the central plain. A century later the Illyrians continued to press their claim by joing Arrhabaeus. In 423 BC Sirras married the daughter of Arrhabaeus. Some claim that the Illyrians were under Sirras when the battle took place but this is not supported in historiography (Thucydides incidentally never makes any mention of Sirras). If the Illyrians were indeed under the rule of Sirras during the events of the battle, then they were either the Taulantii or Encheleii, depending on the affiliation of Sirras with either tribe and the exact location of his kingdom.

Perdiccas II was allied to the Spartans and, in 424 BC, helped the Spartan Brasidas to take Amphipolis from the Athenians, one of her most important colonies, mainly for its ready access to timber for her fleets. This was a severe blow to Athens, and would tie them to Macedonian timber for years to come, which strengthened Macedonia’s bargaining power considerably. In return for this, an after initial avoidment, the Spartans helped Perdiccas secure his borders, by leading an assault on King Arrhabaeus, with the promise of support from the Illyrians.

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