21.1 Disaster at Aegospotami
After their decisive victory at Arginusae in 406 BC, the Athenians were in control of the Aegean rim of Asian Minor. The Spartan fleet spent a miserable winter without pay or adequate provisions. The Spartan government now made overtures of peace to Athens, which would preserve the status quo. In response, Cleophon swaggered into the Athenian Assembly drunk and wearing a breastplate and vowed never to make peace with the Spartans until they gave up their claims to the cities they controlled. The Athenians, now riding a wave of euphoria, rejected the Spartan peace offer, which in retrospect would have saved them and their empire. But the trial of the generals had sent a chill through the high command. The best Athenian generals had been put to death or were in voluntary exile. After winning a brilliant victory. Theramenes and Thrasybulus were out of favor in the backlash after the trial.
Meanwhile, Sparta’s allies in Ionia asked the Spartans to send back Lysander as admiral, under whose vigorous leadership they had made great strides. Although Spartan law prohibited a repeat appointment, he was sent back nominally as the secretary of the new admiral of the fleet, but in reality as the commander of the force. He immediately went to Cyrus for financial aid. Having already expended the funds allotted to the war by the Great King, Cyrus financed naval operations from his own income. At this point, however, Cyrus had received a summons to return to Persia. The prince had put to death two nephews of the king for not doing him the honor he demanded. He had expected them to put their hands into their sleeves as a token of reverence — a gesture reserved only for the Great King, not for a prince. Cyrus was assuming royal prerogatives and making enemies with the royal family. King Darius, now in failing health, had ordered his son back to his court. Cyrus made over to Lysander his personal tribute so that the Spartan could prosecute the war in Cyrus’ absence.
Lysander sailed south to Rhodes, and then, when the Athenian forces were otherwise occupied, dashed back north and slipped by the Athenian fleet to arrive at the Hellespont, whence he could threaten Athenian grain ships sailing from the Black Sea. From his base in Abydus he moved north with his fleet and an army to capture Lampsacus. When the Athenian generals realized Lysander had sailed past them, they pursued him, arriving after Lampsacus had fallen to the Spartans. The Spartans set up a camp in a harbor on the east bank of the Hellespont. The Athenians occupied an empty beach opposite on the west bank, in the area of Aegospotami “Goat Rivers,” whose claim to fame was having been hit by a meteorite in 466 BC, as “predicted” by the philosopher Anaxagoras (see above, ch. 4.5*). The Athenian fleet crossed the straits to offer battle, but Lysander held his fleet back against the larger and better-trained Athenian fleet. The Athenian fleet returned to its own camp. For four days the Athenians came out to challenge the Spartans and the Spartans refused to engage them.
At this point our old friend Alcibiades stepped back onto the stage of history. After living the last few years as a warlord (and in exile from Athens) in his castle nearby, he saw an opportunity to help the Athenians and, no doubt, himself. Gifted tactician that he was, he immediately perceived the difficult position the Athenians had put themselves in. While they were well situated to keep an eye on their enemies, they were far from an adequate base. Greek fleets did not carry with them supplies for a lengthy campaign, but rather depended on local markets to buy food. Whereas Lampsacus could supply Lysander’s army and navy, Aegospotami had access only to small villages that could not feed the 36,000 sailors that manned the Athenian fleet. Consequently, the sailors were forced to spend long periods of time away from their ships foraging. Now Alcibiades rode into the Athenian camp, introduced himself, and offered his services.
Alcibiades counted among his allies two Thracian kings who were willing to supply an army to attack Alcibiades’ enemies. If the Athenian generals would share their command with him, he could deliver a powerful land force to neutralize Lysander’s army. But, he warned the Athenians, they were in a vulnerable situation far from their provisions on an unprotected beach facing a well-armed and well-supplied enemy. They should return to their base at Sestos downstream where they would have a protected harbor and logistical support.
The Athenian command consisted of six generals, Adimantus, Cephisodorus, Conon, Menander, Philocles, and Tydeus, all of whom had a say in the dispositions of the fleet. Conferring among themselves, they criticized the offer. If they won the battle with the help of Alcibiades, he would take all the credit, as he always did. If they lost the battle, they would be blamed for trusting the command to a double-dealing exile. Obviously, Alcibiades saw another victory as his ticket back to Athens; he was more interested in his own career than in the Athenians’ plight. While there were disadvantages to the location of their camp, to move twelve miles south to Sestos would allow Lysander the freedom to steal a march toward the vital ports of the Bosporus. And if the Athenians were to try to attack Lysander from Sestos, they would have to row against the strong current of the Hellespont and thus arrive exhausted. Adimantus was a friend of Alcibiades and may have argued in his support, but the others saw no point to inviting Alcibiades to join their expedition. Tydeus and Menander spoke sharply to Alcibiades. They were in charge now and didn’t need any help. They told Alcibiades to get out and not come back. As he was leaving, Alcibiades told some sympathetic friends that he could have forced Lysander into battle within a few days.
The Athenians set out again on the fifth day to challenge the Spartans to battle. The Athenians were starting to despise Spartans as cowardly because they would not engage them. Yet Lysander was watching the Athenians closely. Every day as they retired he sent a spy ship to shadow them and report back what happened. He observed that each day after the Athenians returned to their camp, the sailors scattered to forage. Now Lysander told the spy ship to watch for the sailors to disperse and hoist a shield up the mast as a signal when they did; he would attack when their guard was down.
After the Athenians returned to camp on the fifth day, they duly dispersed from the ships; the Spartan spy ship hoisted the shield. Suddenly the whole Spartan fleet was moving at flank speed across the strait toward the Athenian camp. Only Conon was able to launch with eight ships and the state galley Paralus. In a well-coordinated strike Lysander landed soldiers to attack on land while he grappled unmanned or half-manned ships to capture them. After a short battle, most of the Athenians fled inland to safety while their fleet was towed away.
