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Alcibiades Cleiniou Scambonides (also Alkibiades) (Greek: Αλκιβιάδης Κλεινίου Σκαμβωνίδης)¹ (c. 450 BC–404 BC) was an Athenian general and politician. The last known member of his family, which fell from prominence after the Peloponnesian war, he played a great role in the second half of the conflict by means of strategical advice, military tactics, and supposed political influence. Likely owing to his youth, he proved to be reckless and unable to win the consistent support of the democracy which was needed to carry out a coherent strategy against Sparta. This coupled with direct opposition from within the city eventually caused him to betray his homeland, though later actions suggest he felt some affinity for Athens for the rest of his life. There can be no doubt that his advice to Sparta in connection with Syracuse and the fortification of Decelea was the real cause of his country's downfall (in addition to plague and Persian intervention), though it is only fair to him to add that had he been allowed to continue in command of the Sicilian expedition he would undoubtedly have overruled the fatal policy of Nicias and prevented the catastrophe of 413 BC. His belated attempt to repair his treachery only exposed the essential selfishness of his character. Though he must have known that his influence over the Persian satrap was slender in the extreme, he used it with the most flagrant dishonesty as a bait first to Sparta, then to the Athenian oligarchs, and finally to the democracy. Superficial and opportunistic to the last, he owed the successes of his meteoric career purely to personal magnetism and an almost incredible capacity for deception.

Early Career

Alcibiades was born in Athens, the son of Cleinias and Deinomache, the latter of whom belonged to the family of the Alcmaeonidae. He was a close relative of Pericles, who, after the death of Cleinias at the Battle of Coronea (447 BC), became his guardian. Alcibiades had a number of famous teachers such as Socrates, and was well trained in the art of rhetoric; he was, however, noted for his unruly behavior.

In Plutarch's Lives, he describes how Alcibiades "gave a box on the ear to Hipponicus, whose birth and wealth made him a person of great influence." This action received much disapproval, since it was "unprovoked by any passion of quarrel between them, but only because, in frolic, he had agreed with his companions to do it." To smooth the incident over, Alcibiades went to Hipponicus' house and, after stripping naked, "desired him to scourge and chastise him as he pleased". The wealthy Hipponicus forgot all about his resentment and eventually not only pardoned him but also bestowed upon him the hand of his daughter.

He took part in the Battle of Potidaea in 432, where his life was saved by Socrates, a service which he repaid at the Battle of Delium in 424 BC. Alcibiades had great admiration for Socrates; he once said of him: “His nature is so beautiful, golden, divine, and wonderful within that everything he commands surely must be obeyed, even like the voice of a god.”

An example of his bold, flamboyant nature occurred during the Olympic games of 416 where “he entered seven teams in the chariot race, more than any private citizen had ever put forward, and three of them came in first, second, and fourth”.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 250

Alcibiades first rose to prominence when he began advocating aggressive Athenian action after the signing of the Peace of Nicias. This uneasy truce between Sparta and Athens, signed midway through the Peloponnesian War, came at the end of seven years of fighting in which neither side had gained a decisive advantage. Disputes over the interpretation of the treaty led the Spartans to dispatch ambassadors with “full powers to arrange all matters in dispute the Peace of Nicias upon fair and equal terms.” Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades The Athenian council initially received these ambassadors well, but Alcibiades met with them in secret before they were to speak to the larger assembly and informed them that the Athenian “people are full of ambition and great designs” and that a more prudent course of action would be to “quit…this indiscreet simplicity, if you expect to obtain equal terms from the Athenians…”.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades He urged them to renounce their diplomatic authority to represent Sparta, and instead allow him to assist them through his influence in Athenian politics.Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War 5.45Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 213 The representatives agreed and were all the more impressed with Alcibiades foresight, but unwittingly they had alienated themselves from Nicias, who was sympathetic to their wishes and sincerely wanted to reach an agreement with the Spartans.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades The next day during the assembly Alcibiades asked them what powers Sparta had granted them to negotiate and they replied, as agreed, that they did not come as plenipotentiaries. This was in direct contradiction to what they had said the day before and Alcibiades seized on this opportunity to denounce their character, cast suspicion on their aims, and to destroy their credibility. Having succeeded in this ploy, Alcibiades increased his standing at the expense of Nicias and he was subsequently appointed general. He took advantage of this leadership role to orchestrate the creation of an alliance between, Argos, Mantinea, Elis and other states in the Peloponnese, threatening Sparta's dominance in the region. This alliance, however, would ultimately be defeated at the Battle of Mantinea, forcing Alcibiades to turn his attention elsewhere.

Sicilian Expedition

In 415 BC, delegates from the Sicilian city of Segesta arrived at Athens to plead for the support of the Athenians in their war against Syracuse. During the debates on the undertaking, Nicias was vehemently opposed to Athenian intervention, explaining that the campaign would be very costly and attacking the character and motives of Alcibiades, who had emerged as the supporter of the expedition. Using his unparalleled skills as an orator, Alcibiades argued that this new theatre would bring riches to the city and expand their empire just as had happened in the aftermath of the Persian wars. In his speech Alcibiades appears overconfident with regard to how easily they would be able to recruit allies in the region and how easily the people would adopt Athenian rule (Thucydides). Still it was Nicias who, through a “failed rhetorical trick,” turned “a modest undertaking…into a massive campaign that made the conquest of Sicily seem possible and safe”.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 322 It was at his suggestion that the size of the fleet was increased from 60 ships to “140 galleys, 5,100 men at arms, and about 1300 archers, slingers, and light armed men”.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 128 (page number from print edition) Almost certainly his intention was to hint at the scale of forces necessary to invade Sicily, but rather than dissuade his fellow citizens it made them all the more eager. Against his will Nicias was appointed general along with Alcibiades and Lamachus who were given full powers to do what was in the best interests of Athens while in Sicily.Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, 511 (page number from print edition)

One night during preparations for the expedition the hermai statues throughout Athens were destroyed. These were monuments to the god Hermes, who represented fertility, luck, roads, and boarders. This was a serious crime in ancient Greece and was seen as a bad omen for the mission. Plutarch explains that “Androcles, one of the demagogues, produced certain slaves and strangers…who accused Alcibiades and some of his friends of defacing other images in the same manner”.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 127 (page number from print edition) Later his opponents, chief among them being Androcles and Thessalus, enlisted “other orators, who did not appear to be enemies to Alcibiades, but really hated him as much as those who avowed it” to argue that Alcibiades should set sail as planned and stand trial on his return from the campaign.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 127 (page number from print edition) He was suspicious of their intentions and asked to be allowed to stand trail immediately, under penalty of death, in order to clear his name.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 128 (page number from print edition) This was not allowed however and the fleet set sail soon after, with the charge still over him.Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, 517 (page number from print edition)

As he suspected, his absence only served to embolden his enemies. They began to accuse him of other sacrilegious actions and speech and even alleged that these actions were connected with a “plot against the democracy”.Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, 525 (page number from print edition) When Alcibiades arrived in Catana they found “the state trireme Salaminia waiting to bring Alcibiades and the others indicted for the mutilating the Hermae or profaning the * mysteries back to Athens to stand trial”.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 273 In Thurii he escaped with his crew in his own ship and in Athens “he was convicted in absentia…condemned to death, his property was confiscated and a reward of a talent was promised to whoever succeeded in killing any who had fled”.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 273 Meanwhile the Athenian force in Sicily scored a few victories and then moved against Messina, where they expected their secret allies within the city to betray it to them. Thucydides explains the futility of this plan as “Alcibiades…foreseeing that he would be outlawed, gave information to the friends of the Syracusans in Messina, who had at once put to death its authors…and succeeded in preventing the admission of the Athenians”. Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, 525 (page number from print edition) With his betrayal and the death of Lamachus in battle some time later, the Sicilian Expedition was in the hands of Nicias who didn't have the capacity to manage and lead such a force. This coupled with further treachery by Alcibiades ultimately doomed the Sicilian Expedition.

Defection to Sparta

After his disappearance at Thurii he quickly contacted the Spartans “desiring safe conduct, and assuring them that he would make them amends by his future services for all the mischief he had done them while he was their enemy”.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 131 (page number from print edition) When envoys from Corinth and Syracuse arrived in Sparta to argue for Spartan assistance, they found Alcibiades already there. When they were unable to secure a force to come to the relief of Syracuse, Alcibiades spoke and instilled fear of Athenian ambition into the Spartan ephors by informing them of their desire to conquer Sicily, Italy, and even Carthage.Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, 533 (page number from print edition) Although he said such things principally to motivate the Spartans, Kagan claims that much of this was a lie. In contrast to Thucydides who seems to assume what Alcibiades said was fact and that he himself believed it, Kagan says he knowingly exaggerated the plans of the Athenians to convince them “of the benefit they stood to gain from his advice and help”.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 283 According to him, this was prior to Alcibiades' "legendary" reputation and the Spartans saw before them instead “a defeated and hunted man” whose policies “produced strategic failures” and brought “no decisive result” (282-283). This assessment is plausible enough and if true underscores one of Alcibiades greatest talents, his shrewd political prowess. Indeed we cannot help but “marvel at his boldness and imagination and at the enormity of his bluff”.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 283 After making the threat seem imminent, he advised them to send troops and most importantly, a Spartan commander to discipline and aid the Syracusians.Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, 533 (page number from print edition)

Next Alcibiades advised them to build a permanent fort in Decelea, an area just over 10 miles from Athens and within sight of the city. The purpose was to “cut them off entirely from their homes and crops and the silver mines of Sunium”.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 282 This was part of his plan to renew the war with Athens in Attica. This move was devastating to Athens and forced the citizens into the long walls of the city year round, fostering the plague and making them entirely dependant on their naval supremacy. A consequence of this would be the revolt of Delian League members as they saw that the war was going badly for Athens and that they were occupied on two fronts. To disrupt the Athenian's source of income Alcibiades “went instantly to sea, procuring the immediate revolt of almost all Ionia”.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 133 (page number from print edition)Thucydides 567 Despite his help to the Spartan cause it was around this time it was discovered Alcibiades was having an affair with the wife of the Spartan king, Agis II. Not only did she admit the affair herself, she ultimately bore him a son. With his treachery discovered and the retirement of the ephor most friendly to him, Alcibiades knew his time in Sparta was limited. The King sentenced him to death when he learned of his wife's infidelity but Alcibiades received warning of this order and escaped over to the Persian satrap Tissaphernes who had been supporting the Peloponnesian forces financially in 412 BC.

In Asia Minor

On his arrival in the Persian court he won the trust of the powerful satrap and made several policy suggestions which were well received. Firstly he had the payments to the Peloponnesian fleet reduced and made irregularly.Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, 575 (page number from print edition) Next he told him to bribe the generals of the cities to gain valuable intelligence on their activities. Lastly, and most importantly, he told Tissaphernes to be in no hurry to bring the Persian fleet into the conflict, as the longer the war dragged out the more exhausted the combatants would become.Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War This would allow the Persians to more easily conquer the region in the aftermath of the fighting. Although Alcibiades' advice helped the Persians, it was merely a means to an end. Thucydides tells us that his real motives were, true to his character, to use his influence or at least what looked like his influence with the Persians to “effect his restoration to his country”.Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, 575 (page number from print edition)Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 348

During all this he sent to the Athenian leaders at Samos and suggested that if they could install an oligarchy friendly to him he would return to Athens and bring with him Persian money and possibly the Persian fleet of 147 triremes.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 134-135 (page number from print edition)Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 402 Although there had been talk of the Phoenician fleet coming to the aid of Sparta and now to Athens, it was yet another monumental bluff. As Kagan points out, Tissaphernes was a prudent leader and had recognized the advantages of wearing each side out without direct persian involvement. In truth there was no such fleet in the region and probably no likelyhood one would ever arrive. Moreover Kagan criticizes Thucydides sweeping generalization that all the trierarchs and generals at Samos were receptive to Alcibiades proposal to change the government, citing Thrasybulus as a leader who remained loyal to the democracy and would later become a hero for overthrowing the thirty tyrants who ruled Athens briefly after their loss.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 365 Still the prospect of breaking the Persian alliance with Sparta and bringing them to their cause proved irresistible and they soon sent a delegation to Tissaphernes to negotiate with him through Alcibiades.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 366 If Thucydides was wrong about the sentiment towards the democracy at Samos he was certainly right about the intentions of Alcibiades and Tissaphernes during the ensuing meeting. He asserts that Tissaphernes would not make an agreement with the Athenians on any terms, wanting to follow his policy of neutrality. Alcibiades realized this and attempted with success to make them “think not that he was unable to persuade Tissaphernes, but that after * had been persuaded and was willing to join them, they had not conceded enough to him”.Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, 578 (page number from print edition) Although they were angered at the audacity of the persian demands, they nevertheless departed with the impression that Alcibiades could have brought about an agreement among the powers if he had chosen to do so.Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, 578 (page number from print edition)Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 374

Reinstatement as an Athenian General

Meanwhile news that the democracy had been overthrown in favor of the government of the four hundred reached the democratic fleet at Samos. Here Plutarch claims that they sent for Alcibiades so as to use his help in putting down the tyrants in Athens.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 136 (page number from print edition) During his speech upon his arrival he does have harsh words for the oligarchy in Athens, but the primary motives of his speech were to “increase his credit with the army at Samos and to prejudice the enemy (Sparta) as strongly as possible against Tissaphernes” and to reach this goal he “extravagantly magnified his own influence” with the Persians.Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, 584 (page number from print edition) Kagan offers a more immediate reason for his restoration, that being “revolts and a Spartan fleet in the Straits threatened the Athenian grain supply and consequently its ability to stay in the war”.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 388 Whatever the reason the fleet recalled him, upon hearing his speech they immediately elected him general based on the false hopes he instilled in them. In fact, he roused them so much that they “proposed to attack at once the Piraeus and the oligarchs in Athens”.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 390 It was primarily Alcibiades, along with Thrasybulus, who calmed the mob and showed them the folly of this proposal, as it would have sparked civil war and led to the immediate defeat of Athens.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 136-137 (page number from print edition)

Presently he sailed to Tissaphernes with a detachment of ships. According to Plutarch the supposed purpose was to stop the Persian fleet from coming to the aid of the Peloponnesians, but as we have seen it is doubtful that a fleet was ever coming anyway.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 137 (page number from print edition) Thucydides is in agreement with Plutarch that the Persian fleet was at Aspendus and that he told them he would bring the fleet to their side or prevent it from coming at all, but Thucydides further speculates that the real reason was to flaunt his new position to Tissaphernes and try to gain some real influence over him.Thucdides, The Peloponnesian War, 584-585 If true, we see Alcibiades as a master of trickery once more, using supposed influence with one party to increase his own standing and power with the other. The stakes were very high because although he had just been elected general, his position with the Athenians was precarious at best. Kagan reveals that this was not the glorious return to Athens which he had hoped for but rather he owed his reinstatement to Thrasybulus a close friend and leader of “only one faction of democrats”.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 389 Moreover he was being recalled to Samos, not to Athens and his immunity there “protected him for the time being but not from a reckoning in the future”.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 389

411 to 407 BC

It is most likely for this reason that after he was recalled by the five thousand, the government which succeeded the four hundred, in 411 that he waited until 407 to actually return to the city.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 400 Plutarch tells us that he “desired not to owe his return to the mere grace and commiseration of the people, and resolved to come back, not with empty hands, but with glory and after some service done”.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 137 (page number from print edition) While this was certainly his goal, it was again means to an end, that end being avoiding prosecution upon his return to Athens. The next significant part he would play in the war would occur at the battle of Abydos. He arrived just before the battle and in time to take credit for sending back the Persian fleet. Although this was a lie Kagan does explain that while he was away he managed to collect money with which he was able to pay the rowers and gain their favor (406-407). From here the bulk of the Athenian force sailed northward and Alcibiades stayed behind to guard the southern entrance to the Hellespont. The engagement took place off the coast of Abydos, where the Peloponnesians had set up their main naval base. The battle was evenly matched and raged for a long time “until finally toward evening, eighteen ships appeared on the horizon. Each side was encouraged by what it took to be the arrival of its own reinforcements”.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 408 “Suddenly * raised the Athenian ensign in the admiral ship and fell upon those galleys of the Peloponnesians which had the advantage and were in pursuit,” and with this renewed attack the Peloponnesian fleet was routed.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 138 (page number from print edition) The Persian satrap Pharnabazus, who was now working with the Peloponnesian fleet instead of Tissaphernes, moved his land army to the shore to defend the ships and sailors who had beached their ships and moved to land. Only the supporting Persian land army and the coming of night saved their fleet from complete destruction.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 408

Shortly after the battle Tissaphernes had arrived in the Hellespont and Alcibiades left the fleet at Sestos to meet him, bringing gifts and hoping to once again try to win over the Persian governor. Evidently Alcibiades made a grave misjudgment he was arrested on arrival. Within a month he would escape and resume command, but this event marked the end of his deception. It was obvious he had no influence with the Persians and from now on “his authority would depend on what he actually accomplished rather than on what he promised to do”.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 410

The next major sea battle took place at Cyzicus, where the Athenians had intelligence indicating that Pharnabazus and Mindarus (The Peloponnesian fleet commander) were together plotting their next move. Concealed by storm and darkness the combined Athenian force reached the vicinity in the spring of 410 completely to the surprise of the Peloponnesians.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 410Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 139 (page number from print edition) Here the Athenians devised an ingenious plot to draw the enemy into battle. Although Alcibidaes has historically been credited for the plan and for the victory there is good reason to believe that the strategy was originally formulated by Thrasybulus.

Realizing that Mindarus would not engage the full Athenian navy they landed their hoplites north of Cyzicus to assault the city on foot and divided their fleet, with just over half of it concealed in a harbour to the north of the Artaki promontory, the other half commanded by Alcibiades moved directly toward the city of Cyzicus. When the vanguard of the fleet reached the Peloponnesians they feigned panic. As if the encounter was an accident or misjudged, they turned and ran, drawing Mindarus and his fleet out of the harbour where they were ambushed by the two remaining Athenian squadrons under Thrasybulus and Theramenes. One moved to cut off his escape to the west and the other to cut off his escape back to Cyzicus. Mindarus wheeled his fleet southward in a last minute attempt to escape the trap. He landed on the beach of Cleri where Pharnabazus and his army were encamped. Fierce fighting ensued and the Athenians were very nearly overwhelmed on the beaches until Chaereas (the commander of the land-based hoplite force) arrived on the Persian/Spartan flank and maneuvered behind them to the relief of the Athenian forces. Upon the successful execution of this tactic the Peloponnesian forces found themselves outflanked and their commander dead. In a panic they retreated to the safety of Pharnabazus’ cavalry further inland. The battle was a decisive Athenian victory on both land and sea, having completely destroyed the opposing fleet. Indeed this may have been the closest Athens ever came to victory since the failed Sicilian Expedition. This is evidenced by a letter intercepted from the Spartan troops which read “The ships are lost. Mindarus is dead. The men are starving. We know not what to do”.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 412-413 A short time later Sparta petitioned for peace but their appeals were ultimately rejected by the Athenians.

After this Alcibiades and Thrasyllus began the siege of Chalcedon in 409 with about 190 ships.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 429 Although unable to attain a decisive victory or induce the city to surrender, Alcibiades was able to win a small tactical land battle outside of the city gates. Afterwards they concluded a temporary alliance with Pharnabazus which secured some much needed immediate cash for the army, but despite this Alcibiades was still forced to depart in search for more booty to pay the soldiers and oarsmen of the fleet.

In pursuit of these funds he traveled to the Gallipoli Peninsula and attacked the city of Selymbria on the north shore of the Propontis. On page 430 of "The Peloponnesian War" Kagan explains that:

Avoiding a siege or assault, he plotted with a pro-Athenian party within the city who opened its gates to him at night. He offered the Selymbrians reasonable terms and imposed strict discipline to see that they were observed. No harm came to the city or its citizens; the Athenians merely placed a garrison there and collected some money. It was a skillful performance that saved time, resources, and lives and still fully achieved its goal

From here Alcibiades joined in the siege of Byzantium along with Theramenes and Thrasyllus. A portion of the citizens of the city, demoralized and hungry, decided to surrender the city to Alcibiades for similar terms as the Selymbrians had received. On the agreed upon night the defenders left their posts and the Athenians attacked the Peloponnesian garrison in the city and their boats in the harbor. The portion of the citizenry that remained loyal to Peloponnesians fought so savagly that Alcibiades issued a statement in the midst of the fighting which guaranteed their safety and this persuaded the remaining citizens to turn against the Peloponnesian garrison which was nearly totally destroyed.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 430-431

Return to Athens, Defeat at Notium and Dismissal

It was in the aftermath of these successes that Alcibiades resolved to finally return to Athens “in the spring of 407…having every appearance of being not only a great general who had revived Athenian fortunes, but also once again the only man who had the power to deprive the Spartans of Persian help and win the war”.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 433 Still Alcibiades was exceedingly careful in his return, mindful of the changes in government, the charges still technically over him, and the great injury he had done to Athens. Thus “he entered the harbor full of fear * till standing on the deck he saw Euryptolemus, his cousin, and others of his friends and acquaintance, who were ready to receive him and invited him to land”.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 143 (page number from print edition) Upon arriving on shore he was greeted with a heros welcome, the people blaming their failures on their own rash judgment and faulting him for nothing.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 144 (page number from print edition) All the criminal proceedings against him were cancelled and his property was restored.

He left Athens the supreme commander of the navy and with hand picked subordinates.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 437 In the meanwhile Tissaphernes had been replaced by Cyrus (a relative of Darius) who decided to financially support the Peloponnesian forces. This new revenue started to attract deserters to the Spartan navy from the Athenians. Additionally the Spartans had replaced Mindarus with Lysander, a very capable admiral. These factors caused the rapid growth of the Peloponnesian fleet at the expense of the Athenian fleet. It was the search for funds and the need to force another decisive battle that caused Alcibiades to leave Notium and sail to help Thrasybulus in the siege of Phocaea.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 443 He was aware the Spartan fleet was nearby, so he left nearly 80 ships to guard against attack by them. In charge was Alcibiades personal helmsman, Antiochus under orders not to attack. Although he was certainly trusted by him, he proved to be a little too independent minded as he disobeyed the one order he was given and endeavored to draw Lysander into a fight by similar methods as had been employed at Cyzicus with great success. The conditions here were utterly different than they had been however and the strategam (Greek battleplan) was poorly concieved and executed. In practice Antiochus was killed by Lysander in the opening phase of the battle and his small squadron retreated in disorganized panic back to Notium, chased by the whole of Lysander's forces.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 147 (page number from print edition) There the remainder of the fleet was taken off guard, lacking central leadership and not being prepared for such a rapid sequence of events. In the end the Athenians lost 22 ships to none on the Peloponnesian side. Alcibiades soon returned and desperately tried to undo the defeat at Notium by scoring another victory, but Lysander could not be compelled to attack the fleet again.

Ultimately responsibility for the defeat fell on Alcibiades and his enemies used the opportunity to attack him and have him removed from command. Alcibiades knew better than to return to Athens “where his many opponents were waiting with a flurry of private lawsuits and who knew what public charges”.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 447 Now it would seem Alcibiades was finally cornered, a victim of his own grandiose ambitions and scheming designs, he had no safe haven among any of the actors in the war. Apparently anticipating what might happen if he were to loose in battle “he had prepared a safe harbor for himself in a fortified castle he had built on the Gallipoli Peninsula during his years in service in the Hellespont,” and it was to here that he escaped.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 447 The implications of the defeat were severe for Athens. Although the defeat had been minor it occasioned the removal of not only Alcibiades but also his allies like Thrasybulus and Theramenes. These were likely the most capable commanders Athens had at the time and their removal would help lead to the Athenian surrender only two years later after their complete defeat at Aegospotami.

Death

With one exception, Alcibiades' role in the war ended with his command. Prior to the battle of Aegospotami, from his fort on the Gallipoli Peninsula overlooking the Hellespont, he saw the stalemate between the two forces and approached the Athenian commanders with an offer. Firstly he offered strategic advice to the fleet’s commanders and then said that for a share of the command he would use the armies of two Thracian kings to take Lysander’s port city and force him to battle the Athenians in the strait. In light of his past trickery and bold promises which never materialized, and moreover considering that this was “an exile twice condemned by the people” the generals now in charge refused to heed his advice and told him to leave.Kagan, The Peloponnesian War, 473-474Plutarch 148-149 Days later the fleet would be annihilated by Lysander.

After the Battle of Aegospotami, he crossed the Hellespont and took refuge in Phrygia, with the object of securing the aid of Artaxerxes against Sparta. But the Spartans induced Pharnabazus to put him out of the way. According to Plutarch Lysander sent an envoy to Pharnabazus who then dispatched his brother to Phrygia where Alcibiades was living with his mistress Timandra.Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 150 (page number from print edition) In 404 BC, as he was about to set out for the Persian court, his residence was surrounded and set on fire. Seeing no chance of escape he rushed out on his assassins, dagger in hand, and was killed by a shower of arrows. Plutarch, Life of Alcibiades, 151 (page number from print edition)

Additional Information

  • Aristophanes mentions Alcibiades several times in his satirical plays, for instance making fun of his manner of speech.
  • Alcibiades figures in several Socratic dialogues:
    • Plato's Symposium where he appears to be in love with Socrates.
    • There are two dialogues from antiquity titled "Alcibiades", ascribed to Plato, however some scholars consider them to be spurious, that feature Socrates in conversation with Alcibiades: First Alcibiades (or Alcibiades I) and Second Alcibiades (or Alcibiades II): see Alcibiades (dialogues)
  • Thucydides mentions Alcibiades several times in his History of the Peloponnesian War.
  • Donald Kagan writes in detail about Alcibiades' role in the Peloponnesian war in his 2003 book of the same name.

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References

  • Hughes-Hallett, Lucy. Heroes: A History of Hero Worship. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, New York, 2004. ISBN 1-4000-4399-9.
  • Pressfield, Steven. Tides of War: A Novel of Alcibiades and the Peloponnesian War. Doubleday, New York, New York, 2000. ISBN 0-3854-9252-9.
  • Plutarch. Plutarch's Lives. Translated by Arthur H. Clough. New York: Collier Press, 1909.
  • Herodotus; Thyucidides. The history of Herodotus; The history of the Peloponnesian War * Thucydides. Translated by Richard Crawley, Revision by R. Feetham. Chicago, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1955/c1952. 616 p.
  • Kagan, Donald. The Peloponnesian War. New York, NY: Viking Penguin, 2003. ISBN 0-6700-3211-5

Notes

Ancient Athenians | Ancient Greek generals | Assassinated politicians | Ancient Olympic competitors | 450 BC births | 404 BC deaths

Алкивиад | Alcibíades | Alkibiades | Αλκιβιάδης | Alcibíades | Alcibiade | Alcibiade | אלקיביאדס | Alcibiades | Alcibiades | Alkibiades | Alcibíades | Alcibiade | Алкивиад | Алкибијад | Alkibijad | Alkibiades | Alkibiades

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Alcibiades".

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