The Battle of Tanagra was a battle in the Peloponnesian War in 426 BC between

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

and

Tanagra Tanagra ( el, Τανάγρα) is a town and a municipality north of Athens in Boeotia, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Schimatari. It is not far from Thebes, and it was noted in antiquity for the figurines named after it. The ...

and Thebes.

Thucydides Thucydides (; grc, , }; BC) was an Athenian historian and general. His ''History of the Peloponnesian War'' recounts the fifth-century BC war between Sparta and Athens until the year 411 BC. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of "scientifi ...

3.91 In 426 Athens sent a fleet to the island of Melos consisting of 60 ships and 2,000 hoplites under the command of

Nicias Nicias (; Νικίας ''Nikias''; c. 470–413 BC) was an Athenian politician and general during the period of the Peloponnesian War. Nicias was a member of the Athenian aristocracy and had inherited a large fortune from his father, which was inve ...

. Melos had refused to join the Delian League, and still refused to do so even when the Athenians plundered the island. The Athenians, however, did not conquer the island, but instead sailed to

Oropus Oropus or Oropos ( grc, ὁ Ὠρωπός, or rarely ἡ Ὠρωπός) was a town on the borders of ancient Attica and Boeotia, and the capital of a district, called after it Oropia (ἡ Ὠρωπία.) This district is a maritime plain, through ...

on the coast of

Boeotia Boeotia ( ), sometimes Latinized as Boiotia or Beotia ( el, Βοιωτία; modern: ; ancient: ), formerly known as Cadmeis, is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. Its capital is Livadeia, and its ...

. The hoplites landed on shore and marched towards Tanagra, where they were joined by the main Athenian army that had been marching from Athens under Hipponicus and Eurymedon. They plundered the countryside, and the next day defeated a combined Tanagran and Theban army, but returned to Athens after the victory.

References

426 BC 420s BC conflicts Tanagra 426 BC Tanagra 426 BC Ancient Boeotia Tanagra 426 {{AncientGreece-battle-stub