Between their defeat of Athens at the end of the Peloponnesian War in 404 BCE and their defeat at the hands of Epaminondas in 371 BCE, the Spartans, at the end of the Peloponnesian League, dominated the Greek political scene. The Spartans, known for their hoplites, finally introduced a cavalry component to their military during the Peloponnesian War, but it was never significant and their role was primarily to guard the flanks of the formation, or to drive of skirmishing peltasts. With him is a Macedonian hoplite and a Cretan mercenary. The Spartans were allied with the Macedonians for a time in the period of their dominance, sending a force north to assist in repelling the invasion by the Olynthians in 382 BCE. Not being known for their skill with ranged weaponry, the Spartans made use of Cretan mercenary archers to bolster the ranged skill of their army.