Siege of Sparta

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Siege of Sparta
partof=Pyrrhus' invasion of the Peloponnese


caption=Pyrrhus of Epirus
date=Spring 272 BC
place=Sparta]
result=Spartan-Macedonian victory
combatant1=Epirus
combatant2=Sparta
Macedon
commander1=Pyrrhus
commander2= Areus I
Acrocratus
strength1=26,000 men,
24 elephants
strength2=2,000 +
casualties1= -
casualties2= -

The Siege of Sparta was a battle fought between Epirus under their King Pyrrhus and an alliance consisting of Sparta -under the command of King Areus I and Acrocratus- and Macedon. The battle ended in a Spartan-Macedonian victory after reinforcements arrived to relief the city.

Background

In 281 BC, at the request of the Greek city of Tarentum, Pyrrhus went with an army of 25,500 men and 20 elephants to Italy to help fight the Romans. The Romans had succeeeded in conquering most of Italy were now moving in to take the Greek cities in Magna Graecia. Pyrrhus defeated a Roman army at the Battle of Heraclea in 280 BC before defating another Roman army at the Battle of Asculum the next year.