Dr. Roel Konijnendijk

At this point, they become not just an independent state, but of course, an independent state that has every interest in keeping Sparta weak.

They never want to see Sparta resurge.

So that is the first move they make.

And then the other move is that they set up the Arcadians in a great new established city, which they call Megalopolis, very imaginative.

Megalopolis.

Big city.

They set up this new city, which is drawing together a number of Acadian communities, but also Perioicoic communities.

So these places that used to be subject to Sparta, puts them together in a new big sort of established polis, which allows them to also make a sort of stronger stand united against Sparta.

So they sort of hem Sparta in.

What's left of Sparta now is sort of surrounded by states that are sort of

Putting out fires.

But I mean, I think it's important to start with Sparta never gives up, right?

They never stopped seeing themselves as this hegemonic power.

Even when at this point they've been humiliated, their power has been drastically reduced.

Their sway in the Greek world is now relatively marginal compared to other states that have ascended.

Thebes, Athens is back on its feet.

You know, other states are really rising.

Sparta is nowhere near that and cannot manage to assert itself, but it never stops trying.

And so throughout the 360s, you have these sort of attempts to try and push back against those boundaries that are the walls that are moving in.

You know, they tried to sort of push that back out.