Battle of Sellasia

The Achaean League was upset because after the Second Macedonian War, Argos, one of its members, remained under Spartan occupation, and for this reason urged the Roman Republic to reconsider the decision that allowed Sparta to keep the territories it had seized. The Romans accepted the Achaeans' proposal because they did not want a strong and reorganized Sparta that would cause problems once they had to leave Greece. After unsuccessfully besieging the city, they headed towards Sparta.

Nabis recruited 10,000 citizens for his army and additionally hired 3,000 mercenaries. His Cretan allies, who benefited from the naval bases they had established in their territory, contributed 1,000 specially selected warriors, adding to the 1,000 they had already sent. Nabis, fearing that the Roman advance would encourage his subjects to revolt, decided to intimidate them by ordering the death penalty for eighty prominent citizens.

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