Battle of Nemea The Battle of Nemea ( 394 BC ) was a battle in the Corinthian War , between Sparta and the allied cities of Argos , Athens , Corinth , and Thebes . The battle was fought in Corinthian territory , at the dry bed of the Nemea River . The battle was a decisive Spartan victory , which , coupled with the Battle of Coronea later in the same year , gave Sparta the advantage in the early fighting on the Greek mainland . Prelude . Hostilities in the Corinthian War began in 395 BC with raiding in northwestern Greece , eventually leading to a clash between Sparta and Thebes at the Battle of Haliartus , a Theban victory . In the wake of this battle , Athens , Thebes , Corinth , and Argos joined together to form an anti - Spartan alliance , with its forces commanded by a council at Corinth . In 394 BC , the council gathered together its forces at Corinth . A Spartan army under Aristodemus , the guardian of the boy king Agesipolis , was sent north from Sparta to challenge the allies . The allied army , meanwhile , waited at Corinth , while the council debated over who should command it . Before a decision was reached , the Spartan army entered Corinthian territory , burning and plundering along the way . The allies marched out to meet the Spartans , and the two armies met each other near the dry bed of the Nemea river . The battle . The Spartan army was composed of some 18 , 000 - 19 , 000 hoplites , with associated light troops ; of the hoplites , 6 , 000 were Spartan , with the remainder coming from the other states of the Peloponnesian League . Specifically , 3 , 000 from the Eleans , Triphylians , Acrorians and Lasionians ; 1 , 500 from Sicyon , and at least 3 , 000 from Epidaurus , Troezen , Hermione and Halieis . There was also a cavalry force of about 600 , about 300 Cretan archers , and at least 400 Marganian , Letrinian and Amphidolian slingers . On the allied side were about 24 , 000 hoplites , and the associated light troops ; Thebes , Athens , and Argos each provided about one quarter of the troops . Specifically , 6 , 000 hoplites from Athens , about 7 , 000 from Argos , 5 , 000 from the Boeotians , 3 , 000 from Corinth , and 3 , 000 from Euboea . Also for cavalry , 800 from Boeotians , 600 from Athens , about 100 from Chalcis in Euboea , and about 50 from the Ozolian Locrians . The Spartans and their allies lined up for battle with the Spartans on the right and the allies on the left . The opposing coalition was divided over how to arrange themselves ; the Athenians wanted to line up on the right , but ultimately had acceded to the demand of the Boeotians that they take the left , while the Boeotians took the right . This meant that the Athenians were opposite the Spartans , while the Boeotians and other allies faced the Spartans ' allies . As the two phalanx es closed for battle , both shifted to the right . ( This was a common occurrence in hoplite battles — hoplites carried their shield on their left arm , so men would shift to the right to gain the protection of their neighbor ' s shield as well as their own . ) This shift meant that , by the time the armies met , both of them extended past their opponents ' left flank . Consequently , the right flanks of both armies were victorious , while the left flanks of both were defeated . The Spartans then turned from their defeat of the Athenians to face the soldiers from the allied right wing who were returning from their pursuit of the Spartans ' allies . The Spartan phalanx took first the Argives , then the Corinthians , and then the Boeotians in the side , inflicting heavy losses on all three . At the end of the day , the Spartans had inflicted 2 , 800 casualties , while suffering only 1 , 100 . Aftermath . Although the Spartans held the field at the end of the battle , they were unable to force their way past Corinth and enter central Greece . Accordingly , they returned home . The allied army , after several months of inactivity , saw action in a second major battle at Coronea later in the same year . These two battles marked the only traditional large - scale land fighting that would take place in the war , which lasted until 386 BC .