Battle of Idomene

{{Short description|Battle during the Peloponnesian War (426 BC)}} {{no footnotes|date=September 2014}} {{Infobox military conflict | image = | caption = | conflict = Battle of Idomene | partof = the [[Peloponnesian War]] | date = 426 BC | place = [[Idomene (Ambracia)|Idomene]] | result = [[Classical Athens|Athenian]] victory | combatant1 = [[Classical Athens|Athens]]<br>[[Amphilochia]]<br>[[Acarnanian League]] | combatant2 = [[Ambracia]] | commander1 = [[Demosthenes (general)|Demosthenes]] | commander2 = Unknown | strength1 = 7,000 | strength2 = 6,000 | casualties1 = 400 | casualties2 = 1,000| }} {{Campaignbox Peloponnesian War}}

The '''Battle of Idomene''' took place during the [[Peloponnesian War]] in 426 BC, between the [[Athens|Athenians]] and the [[Ambracia]]ns.

The Ambracians, who were allies of the [[History of Sparta|Spartans]], had sent a relief force to help the army that had invaded [[Amphilochia]] previously. Unbeknownst to the Ambracians, the first army had been defeated, surrounded and scattered by the allied Athenians, Amphilochians and [[Acarnania]]ns the day before. The Ambracians, unaware of the incoming Athenian army, camped on the lower of two steep hills. [[Demosthenes (general)|Demosthenes]], the Athenian commander, occupied the higher hill, obtaining a strategic advantage. Before dawn, while the Ambracians were still asleep, they were attacked and destroyed by the Athenians.

Overall, the Ambraciots lost about 1,000 men over the two battles. [[Thucydides]] describes this disaster: "Indeed, this was by far the greatest disaster that befell any one Hellenic city in an equal number of days during this war; and I have not set down the number of the dead, because the amount stated seems so out of proportion to the size of the city as to be incredible".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, Book 3, chapter 113, section 6 |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0200:book=3:chapter=113:section=6 |access-date=2023-08-05 |website=www.perseus.tufts.edu}}</ref>

==References== Kagan, Donald. ''The Peloponnesian War''. Penguin Books, 2003. {{ISBN|0-670-03211-5}}

Thucydides. The Peloponnesian War. London, J. M. Dent; New York, E. P. Dutton. 1910. {{Reflist}}

[[Category:Battles of the Peloponnesian War|Idomene]] [[Category:426 BC]] [[Category:420s BC conflicts]] [[Category:Battles involving ancient Athens|Idomene]] [[Category:Ancient Acarnania]]