ORDER OF BATTLE // -423 BCE
Battle of Delium
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 36,500 estimated
Athens
18,000
Medium-confidence figure
Boeotia
18,500
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Delium, fought in 424 BC during the Peloponnesian War, was an engagement between Athens and Boeotia, the latter fighting as a Spartan ally. The battle resulted in Athenian casualties of 1,200 from a force of 18,000, with the Boeotian force of 18,500 under Pagondas facing an Athenian army under Hippocrates. The engagement did not conclude the contest immediately; it was followed in the subsequent weeks by the siege of Delium itself, indicating that the battle opened rather than closed operations in the area. The defeat represented a significant reverse for Athens against a Spartan allied state, reinforcing Boeotian military standing within the broader Peloponnesian War coalition.
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