The Spartan victory at the Great Foss, secured through bribery of an Arcadian ally, was a decisive engagement of the Second Messenian War.
Key Facts
- Date
- 682 BC
- Conflict
- Second Messenian War (685–668 BC)
- Betrayer
- Aristocrates of Orchomenus, Arcadian king
- Betrayal method
- Spartans bribed Aristocrates to withdraw his troops
- Fate of Aristocrates
- Stoned to death by Arcadians for treachery
- Name origin
- "Foss" from Latin fossa, meaning ditch or trench
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the Second Messenian War, Sparta faced a coalition that included Arcadian allies fighting alongside the Messenians. Seeking an advantage, the Spartans bribed Aristocrates, king of Orchomenus and leader of the Arcadian contingent, to betray his allies at a critical moment in the coming engagement.
At the Battle of the Great Foss in 682 BC, as combat commenced, Aristocrates abruptly withdrew the Arcadian forces from the field. This sudden abandonment left the Messenians exposed and outmatched, and according to Pausanias the resulting engagement became a slaughter of the Messenian troops.
The Messenian defeat at the Great Foss significantly advanced Spartan dominance over Messenia during the Second Messenian War. Aristocrates paid a severe personal price for his treachery: upon learning of his bribery, the Arcadians stoned him to death, demonstrating that betrayal of allies carried grave consequences even for kings.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
2 belligerents
Aristocrates of Orchomenus.