Basically, the growing use of mercenaries by Greek poleis in the 4th century BCE came about because of the destruction caused by the Peloponnesian War.
The Peloponessian War ended up weakening Sparta and Athens, but not enough to make them stop fighting one another. They were (along with Thebes) still strong enough to fight, but not strong enough to be as dominant as they once had been. This led to a situation in the 4th century in which there was a great deal of fighting. The fact that these wars were so numerous and so long-lasting made it necessary for Greek poleis to employ mercenaries to fight for them.
We’ll help your grades soar
Start your 48-hour free trial and unlock all the summaries, Q&A, and analyses you need to get better grades now.
- 30,000+ book summaries
- 20% study tools discount
- Ad-free content
- PDF downloads
- 300,000+ answers
- 5-star customer support
Already a member? Log in here.
Are you a teacher? Sign up now