Which Spartan king invaded Persia’s empire in Asia Minor in 396 BCE?

Agesilaus II invaded the Persian Empire in Asia Minor in 396 BCE.

Sparta sent Agesilaus to lead an expedition against Persian-controlled territories after the Peloponnesian War. He operated in western Anatolia, where Greek cities had long contested Persian authority and influence.

Agesilaus presented the campaign in ideological terms, including the image of following the path associated with the earlier Greek victory over Persia. He won engagements and planned further operations, but Persian diplomacy helped create a new Greek coalition against Sparta.

The outbreak of the Corinthian War forced Agesilaus to return to mainland Greece. His expedition showed that Sparta could challenge Persia militarily, but it also helped provoke pressures that limited Spartan power.