Alcibiades

This is an essay that I had written for a friend. In general, I am not a fan of this individual, but if someone finds something that needs to be corrected, or they wish to talk about this chap, hit me up. 

 

Alcibiades Cleiniou Scambonides

Alcibiades, descendant of Ajax and blood relation to the great Athenian Statesman Pericles, is considered by almost everyone who reads his exploits, to be a greater than life personality, as well as being the most controversial and polarizing figure of the 27 year conflict known as the Peloponnesian War.

At the age of three, Alcibiades' father, Cleinias, fell at the Battle of Coronea where Athens was defeated by the Boeotian League, losing their control of the region. Due to his father's death at such an early age, the guardianship of Alcibiades was taken on by Pericles and his brother Ariphron. From these men he would learn the art of rhetoric as well as receive his first tutelage in the art of influencing a great city. One thing not taught to Alcibiades however, was the corrective usually administered by a father's hand, and so lacking at such a young age, inherited of great wealth and great beauty, a willful and scornful nature began to arise.

Beyond the tutelage of Pericles, Alcibiades took to the teachings of the Sophists, using the teachings of Protagoras and Prodicus where he learned to laugh at the contemporary mores of justice and patriotism. Through his friend Socrates, he learned much, and respected deeply Socrates aesthetic lifestyle, never being able to imitate it however as his vices lay in equal to his vast intelligence and ability.

At the age of 18, Alcibiades took part in one of the catalysts for the Peloponnesian War where he served, alongside Socrates, during the battle of Potidaea, a victory for Athens. He would see intermittent ground fighting during the first few years of the "Archidamian" portion of the Peloponnesian War, so named after the Spartan King, Arcidamus II, who invaded Athenian lands. On land however, Alcibiades did not shine, being rescued from death by Socrates at Potidaea, and again helped by that same Socrates at Delium eight years later when the Athenians met a defeat at the hands of the Bœotians.

(Socrates Rescuing Alcibiades at Potidaea)

With the Spartan defeats at Pylos and Spacteria, and the subsequent keeping of their captured countrymen by the Athenians, Sparta became war weary. When the two greatest proponents for war from both Sparta and Athens, Brasidas and Cleon, were killed at Amphipolis, peace was finally able to take hold, but for far too brief a period. It was during this time that Alcibiades began his life in the public arena with a fervor when, originally friendly towards the Spartans, he took control of the "hawk" faction of Athenian politics, duping Spartan ambassadors and helping Athens arrange treaties with Argos, Elis, and Mantinea. With so many Peloponnesian cities now in a democratic coalition with Athens, with her allies talking of revolt, and an embolden Argos on the march reinforced by Alcibiades and a contingent of Athenian troops, Sparta acted. At the Battle of Mantinea, the two forces met, and when it was over, Argos, with their Athenian support, were defeated, and the offending cities were reincorporated into the Peloponnesian League.

Despite this defeat, Athens decided to answer the call of Segesta, a city on the isle of Sicily, which was currently at war with the city of Selinus. In the public assembly, the debate was heated, with Alcibiades leading the faction to defend Segesta and destroy Syracuse, and the designer of the peace between Athens and Sparta, Nicias. With Segesta sending money to Athens to help fund the expedition, and the wealth of Sicily already well known to Athens, public opinion was in favor of the expedition. Nicias felt that the expedition would take Athenian men and ships too far away from home, when there were still so many enemies close at hand. Alcibiades spoke to the nature of the Persian Wars, and that they defeated Persia while so many more enemies surrounded them in Greece, and that by defeating Persia, Athens had been glorified with command of the Delian League, and that similar rewards would wait. Alcibiades oratory won the day, and preparations for the expedition were launched, with Alcibiades, Nicias, and the Athenian General, Lamachus in command.

The night before the expedition was to leave however, the destruction of several religious statues known as Hermai were desecrated. The political enemies of Alcibiades, without hesitation, accused the General of the desecration, to which Alcibiades volunteered for an immediate trial under penalty of death. Immensely popular with the people and his army, Alcibiades was allowed to set sail for Sicily and only then, when he was away from Athens, were his enemies successful in having charges levied against him.

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(Two Hermai)

Upon his arrival at Catana in Sicily, Alcibiades found a State vessel that had been sent ahead to retrieve him and his friends to stand trial for the desecration of the Hermai and the religious rights known as the Eleusinian Mysteries. Promising to follow back to Athens in his own vessel, Alcibiades broke away at the city of Thurii in Magna Graecia, making his way to Sparta, Athens enemy. In Sparta, Alcibiades pledged to render aid to their efforts, greater than any harm he had ever inflicted if only they would offer him sanctuary form his death sentence in Athens, convicted in absentia. The Spartans agreed, the second phase of the Peloponnesian War began, and on Alcibiades' advise sent the Spartan General Gylippus to aid Syracuse in Sicily, which had since been dragged into the conflict with Athens, Segesta , and Selinus. The ending result was a Syracuse victory and the utter destruction, death, and subsequent slavery of the Athenian Expedition Force.

In the service of Sparta, Alcibiades had much success as an advisor and ambassador against his former home of Athens. By heeding his advice, the Spartans built a fort at Declea, only ten miles from Athens, and a point from which they could cut off the rest of the surrounding countryside including their crops and silver mines. He was also quite successful in convincing the cities of Ionia to revolt in favor of Sparta and the future of Alcibiades in the service of his once Dorian enemies, seemed bright indeed. While in Ionia, the Spartan Admiral Astiochus received special orders from one of the Kings of Sparta, Agis II. This order had only one mission, kill Alcibiades. The reason for this has never been proven conclusively, but with Agis II's refusal to acknowledge the son, Leotychides, born by his wife Timaia during Alcibiades' stay in Sparta, has led many to believe that Alcibiades in fact seduced the King's wife. With the retirement of the ephor Endius, Alcibiades' greatest ally in Sparta, Alcibiades had worn out his welcome.

Catching wind of Astiochus' orders, Alcibiades fled once again, this time into the arms of Tissaphernes, the local Persian Satrap. Tissaphernes had been assisting the Spartan cause by funding the traditionally landlocked Polis' fledgling navy. Now under the influence of Alcibiades, Tissaphernes began to reduce his payments to the Lacadaemonians, based off of the idea that if the funds were cut, the war would be prolonged, and the two main protagonists of Athens and Sparta would eventually deplete themselves to such a degree that neither would ever be a threat to Persia again.

After much intrigue between Alcibiades, the isle of Samos, the Spartan Admiral Astiochus, a rebellious Athenian fleet, as well as the deposing of two governments in Athens, Alcibiades found himself recalled to service and back in the good graces of his original city of allegiance, where it all began. Along with the General Thrasybulus, Alcibiades obtained victories for Athens at Abydos and Cyzicus, while also raiding cities up and down Thracian Chersonese. At Byzantium, the siege crafted by Alcibiades led to the complete destruction of the Peloponnesian garrison, and gave Alcibiades the courage to finally return home to Athens. Upon his arrival, he was absolved of all past events and charges, and due to his recent military achievements, was so named, Strategos Autokrator, or Supreme Commander of all of Athens military forces.

The next year, Alcibiades set sail in an attempt to take the isle of Andros, where he failed. At the same time, two events had taken place that would greatly shift events out of favor of the Athenians. First, Tissaphernes went to his gods, to be replaced by the pro-Spartan, Cyrus the Younger, who immediately reinstated and increased the amount of payments to the Lacadaemonian war effort. The second, a prodigy of untold ability took to the seas, his name was Lysander. After much success for Lysander, and very little for Athens, Alcibiades attempted to force a confrontation at Notium. For many days Alcibiades and Lysander watched each other from opposing banks, until finally Alcibiades received word that his friend Thrasybulus required at Phocaea. Deciding to sail ahead with a small contingent, Alcibiades left the bulk of his fleet in the hands of a helmsman, Antiochus, with only one order, "Do not attack Lysander's ships." This one order was disobeyed, and Alcibiades' fleet was captured and his troops killed on the beach when Lysander swooped down, defeating Antiochus' attempt to lure him into a trap. Even though Alcibiades did not fight at Notium, as commander, he ultimately paid the price and was stripped of all command and he retired quietly to his properties in Thracian Chersonese, waiting for another chance.

Alcibiades saw that chance when an Athenian fleet that had been pursuing Lysander, set in at a beach being overlooked by a residence that Alcibiades was now living. Recognizing that his countrymen had placed themselves in a precarious position, Alcibiades offered strategic advice, as well as asking for a command in exchange for Thracian troops. Not wanting to be associated with the man now considered a failure, the Athenian commanders declined his offer, sent him away, and instructed him not to return. After a failed attempt to lure Lysander out, much like at Notium, the Athenian fleet was captured when it had returned to its place of harbor, as well as up to 4,000 Athenian and allied troops captured. With the execution of 3,000 Athenians, as well as the General in charge of Athenian forces for the day, Philocles, the Spartan victory at sea was complete.

With the conclusion of the battle and the Spartan victory being so complete, Alcibiades thought it best to leave the area and he crossed the Hellespont into Persian territory. It is said that Alcibiades was making an attempt to reach the Archaemenid ruler, Artexerses II, in the hopes that he could convince him to render aid against the Spartans, he never made it. While in Phrygia, asleep in his bed with his mistress, the home where Alcibiades was staying was set ablaze. Knowing that his fate was sealed, he wrapped a shirt around one arm to act as a shield, while arming the other with a dagger. Alcibiades leapt through the flames only to be cut down by a hail of arrows. Either on the orders of Lysander, a Persian satrap, or some unknown Athenian enemy, the most interesting character of a 30 year war of dominance in Greece, met his fate, naked and alone in the dirt of Central Anatolia.

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(Death of Alcibiades)

Hanson, V.(2006).A War Like No Other.
Kagan, D.(2003).The History of the Peloponnesian War.
Kagan,D.(1991).The Peace of Nicias and the Sicilian Expedition
Alcibiades Biography