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Spartan was the victor of the Peloponnesian War and by 400 BCE it was the greatest power in the Greek world and a major player in the eastern Mediterranean. However, by 377 BCE the Spartans had been defeated in battle for the first time and it lost the leadership of Greece. The decline in Spartan power was due to military, social and cultural factors that allowed other states to challenge its preeminent position in the Greek world. Among the longer-term trends that undermine Sparta was the decline in the numbers of citizens and since they formed the backbone of the army, this greatly weakened Spartan power. The premium placed on stability and order meant that the Spartans distrusted change and this conservatism meant that Sparta could not change to meet the challenges that it faced. Then the Peloponnesian War produced tensions in society and the increasing wealth as a result of war-booty, created growing inequality between the citizens.

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