Key points Socrates struggled to make the young, rich, and handsome Alcibiades into a good man. When some Athenian officers in the fleet began to plan an oligarchic coup, he held out hopes that if the democracy was overthrown he could secure financial support from Persia. If accurate, this assessment underscores one of Alcibiades's greatest talents, his highly persuasive oratory. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Although the envoys 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. [36] By doing this, the Spartans cut the Athenians off entirely from their homes and crops and the silver mines of Sunium. [136][139] According to Fotiadis, Alcibiades was an invincible general and, wherever he went, victory followed him; had he led the army in Sicily, the Athenians would have avoided disaster and, had his countrymen followed his advice at Aegospotami, Lysander would have lost and Athens would have ruled Greece. [88] Within a month he would escape with another Athenian, Mantitheos, and resume command. These successes encouraged him to return in 407 to Athens, where he was welcomed with enthusiasm and given supreme control of the conduct of the war. [137], Pietro Testa: The Drunken Alcibiades Interrupting the Symposium (1648), Flix Auvray (18001833): Alcibiades with the Courtesans (1833), Plutarch asserts that "Alcibiades was a most able speaker in addition to his other gifts", while Theophrastus argues that Alcibiades was the most capable of discovering and understanding what was required in a given case. [86] The procession had been replaced by a journey by sea, but this year Alcibiades used a detachment of soldiers to escort the traditional procession. [115] 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.[121]. 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. Persias interest to wear both Athens and Sparta out at first, and At his. His career vividly illustrates the vulnerability of the Athenian democracy to a plausible, charming, talented scoundrel and . In 404 B.C.E., as he was about to set out for the Persian court, his residence was surrounded and set on fire. [88][91] The Persian satrap Pharnabazus, who had replaced Tissaphernes as the sponsor of the Peloponnesian fleet, moved his land army to the shore to defend the ships and sailors who had beached their ships. His property was confiscated and a reward of one talent was promised to whoever succeeded in killing any who had fled. In pursuit of these funds he traveled to the Thracian Chersonese and attacked Selymbria. There he served as an adviser to the satrap Tissaphernes until Athenian political allies brought about his recall. According to Diodorus Siculus, Alcibiades advanced with a small squadron in order to draw the Spartans out to battle, and, after he successfully deceived Mindarus with this ploy, the squadrons of Thrasybulus and Theramenes came to join him, cutting off the Spartans' retreat. At others, he is the last great Athenian general who defended the vital Black Sea trade routes which were essential for feeding . As for. Mindarus is dead. Alcibiades (/lsba.diz/ AL-sib-EYE--deez; Greek: ; c. 450 404 BC) was an Athenian statesman and general. 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. This was a reformer who was highly recognized in Greece in the 6th century. In a typically bold gesture he led the procession to the Eleusinian festival by road in spite of the danger from the Spartan force at Decelea, but, in the same year, after a minor naval defeat in his absence, his political enemies persuaded the people to reject him, and he retired to a castle in Thrace. Almost certainly Nicias's intention was to shock the assembly with his high estimate of the forces required, but, instead of dissuading his fellow citizens, his analysis made them all the more eager. He was, however, impressed by the moral strength and the keen mind of the philosopher Socrates, who, in turn, was strongly attracted by Alcibiades beauty and intellectual promise. That treaty, an 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. The situation at Notium, however, was radically different from that at Cyzicus; the Athenians possessed no element of surprise, and Lysander had been well informed about their fleet by deserters. According to the historian Thucydides, who knew Alcibiades well and judged him dispassionately, it was the fact that the Spartans instead chose to negotiate through established political leaders that dictated Alcibiades subsequent choice of policies. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "brewminate-20"; According to Meiggs his actions were dictated by selfish motives and his feud with Cleon and his successors undermined Athens. [49] The members of the group assembled and prepared to send Pisander, one of their number, on an embassy to Athens to treat for the restoration of Alcibiades and the abolition of the democracy in the city, and thus to make Tissaphernes the friend of the Athenians. On the designated night the defenders left their posts, and the Athenians attacked the Peloponnesian garrison in the city and their boats in the harbor. [108] Lysias, on the other hand, argued in one of his orations that the Athenians should regard Alcibiades as an enemy because of the general tenor of his life, as he repays with injury the open assistance of any of his friends.[109][110] In the Constitution of the Athenians, Aristotle does not include Alcibiades in the list of the best Athenian politicians, but in Posterior Analytics he argues that traits of a proud man like Alcibiades are equanimity amid the vicissitudes of life and impatience of dishonor.[111][112] Alcibiades excited in his contemporaries a fear for the safety of the political order. Shortly after reaching Sicily, he was recalled, but on the journey home he escaped and, learning that he had been condemned in absentia to death, went to Sparta. [67] Alcibiades set about winning over the most influential military officers, and achieved his goal by offering them a threefold plan: the Athenian constitution was to be changed, the recall of Alcibiades was to be voted, and Alcibiades was to win over Tissaphernes and the King of Persia to the Athenian side. The implications of the defeat were severe for Athens. Tides of War: A Novel of Alcibiades and the Peloponnesian War, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. This biography of Alcibiades, the charismatic Athenian statesman and general (c. 450-404 BC) who achieved both renown and infamy during the Peloponnesian War, . Gary Alan Scott, Socrates and Teaching. The battle was evenly matched, and raged for a long time, but the balance tipped towards the Athenians when Alcibiades sailed into the Hellespont with 18 triremes. [29] According to Thucydides, the Athenians were always in fear and took everything suspiciously. [123] Kagan criticizes Alcibiades for failing to recognize that the large size of the Athenian expedition undermined the diplomatic scheme on which his strategy rested. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. At his urging, the satrap reduced the payments he was making to the Peloponnesian fleet and began delivering them irregularly. Seeing no chance of escape he rushed out on his assassins, dagger in hand, and was killed by a shower of arrows. In the debate at Sparta over whether to send a force to relieve Syracuse, Alcibiades spoke and instilled fear of Athenian ambition into the Spartan ephors by informing them that the Athenians hoped to conquer Sicily, Italy, and even Carthage. [51] Phrynichus in desperation wrote again to Astyochus, offering him a chance to destroy the Athenian fleet at Samos. [118] For his part, David Gribble argues that Alcibiadess actions against his city were misunderstood and believes that the tension which led to Alcibiades split with the city was between purely personal and civic values.[119] Russell Meiggs, a British ancient historian, asserts that the Athenian statesman was absolutely unscrupulous despite his great charm and brilliant abilities. [33] This incident reveals that Nicias and Alcibiades each commanded a personal following, whose votes were determined by the wishes of the leaders. Both Alcibiades and his so-called political enemies aim to lead the people, and they will use similar means . Alcibiades had remained behind at Samos with a small force while Thrasybulus and Thrasyllus led the greater part of the fleet to the Hellespont. During the course of the Peloponnesian War, Alcibiades changed his political allegiance several times. General for the first time in 420, he opposed the aristocratic leader Nicias, who had negotiated peace, and steered Athens into an anti-Spartan alliance with Argos, Elis, and Mantineia, three city-states of the Peloponnese. Alcibiades, (born c. 450 bce, Athens [Greece]died 404, Phrygia [now in Turkey]), brilliant but unscrupulous Athenian politician and military commander who provoked the sharp political antagonisms at Athens that were the main causes of Athens defeat by Sparta in the Peloponnesian War (431404 bce). Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. fighting. [103], It was in the aftermath of these successes that Alcibiades resolved to finally return to Athens in the spring of 407 BC. [62] According to the historian, Alcibiades had long known that Tissaphernes never meant to bring the fleet at all.[64]. Athanasios G. Platias and Constantinos Koliopoulos. [125] In this judgement, Kagan agrees with Cornelius Nepos, who said that the Athenians extravagant opinion of Alcibiadess abilities and valor was his chief misfortune. [47] When the fleet arrived in Catania, it found the state trireme Salaminia waiting to bring Alcibiades and the others indicted for mutilating the hermai or profaning the Eleusinian Mysteries back to Athens to stand trial. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. [37] On the other hand, Alcibiades argued that a campaign in this new theatre would bring riches to the city and expand the empire, just as the Persian Wars had. While Alcibiades was still en route, the two fleets clashed at Abydos, where the Peloponnesians had set up their main naval base. It was from the same lineage that the history of Cleisthenes was traced. His advice, whether to Athens or Sparta, oligarchs or democrats, was dictated by selfish motives, and the Athenians could never trust him enough to take advantage of his talents. Alcibiades switched allegiances during the Peloponnesian War due to his failed Sicilian Expedition, which was a huge defeat for Athens, and his upcoming trial for allegedly defacing religious. He played a major role in the second half of that conflict as a strategic advisor, military commander, and politician. [35], In 415 BC, delegates from the Sicilian city of Segesta (Greek: Egesta) arrived at Athens to plead for the support of the Athenians in their war against Selinus. At his urging, the satrap reduced the Gomme, A. W., A. Andrewes, and K. J. Dover. He fled from Thrace to Phrygia, where the Spartans conspired to have him murdered. With one exception, Alcibiades role in the war ended with his command. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; The Ecclesia deposed Phrynichus and elected Pisander and ten other envoys to negotiate with Tissaphernes and Alcibiades. [4], Alcibiades first rose to prominence when he began advocating aggressive Athenian action after the signing of the Peace of Nicias. They served together at Potidaea (432) in the Chalcidice region, where Alcibiades was defended by Socrates when he was wounded, a debt that he repaid when he stayed to protect Socrates in the flight from the Battle of Delium (424), north of Athens. [61] It is alleged that Astyochus, a Spartan admiral, was sent orders to kill him, but Alcibiades received warning of this order and defected to the Persian satrap Tissaphernes, who had been supporting the Peloponnesian forces financially in 412 BC. Author of. them irregularly. Thucydides pointed out that in the "blasphemous incident", the reason why Alcibiades became the target of public criticism was that those who resented Alcibiades believed that he had damaged their political authority, so they tried to exclude Alcibiades gain leadership over the people.. Pisander won the argument, putting Alcibiades and his promises at the center. served Athens and its enemies alike and caused damage to every state that employed him. [115], In 406 BC Alcibiades set out from Athens with 1,500 hoplites and a hundred ships. to actually return to the city. Thucydides, "The History of the Peloponnesian Wars", 5.43. [27] This request was denied, and the fleet set sail soon after, with the charges unresolved. [53] Yale historian Donald Kagan believes that Alcibiades knowingly exaggerated the plans of the Athenians to convince the Spartans of the benefit they stood to gain from his help. Upon arriving on shore he was greeted with a heros welcome. amzn_assoc_linkid = "aaaf52d75a33e4f177e0bd1714b5830b"; [70] Here the Athenians devised a plot to draw the enemy into battle. [63], Presently Alcibiades sailed to Tissaphernes with a detachment of ships. [104] Epigraphical evidence indicates the Selymbrians surrendered hostages until the treaty was ratified in Athens. [121] In agreement with Paparrigopoulos, Platias and Koliopoulos underscore the fact that the Sicilian expedition was a strategic blunder of the first magnitude, resulting from a frivolous attitude and an unbelievable underestimation of the enemy.[22] For his part, Angelos Vlachos, a Greek Academician, underlines the constant interest of Athens for Sicily from the beginning of the war. There he served as an advisor to the satrap Tissaphernes until his Athenian political allies brought about his recall. Alcibiades's military and political talents frequently proved valuable to whichever state currently held his allegiance, but his propensity for making powerful enemies ensured that he never remained in one place for long; and, by the end of the war that he had helped to rekindle in the early 410s, his days of political relevance were a bygone memory. more exhausted the combatants would become. Upon arriving on shore he was greeted with a hero's welcome. [5] K. Paparrigopoulos, a major modern Greek historian, underlines his spiritual virtues and compares him with Themistocles, but he then asserts that all these gifts created a traitor, an audacious and impious man.[117] Walter Ellis believes that his actions were outrageous, but they were performed with panache. "[169] In his trial, Socrates must rebut the attempt to hold him guilty for the crimes of his former students, including Alcibiades. [92], Shortly after the battle, Tissaphernes had arrived in the Hellespont and Alcibiades left the fleet at Sestos to meet him, bringing gifts and hoping once again to try to win over the Persian governor. [108], Therefore, he finally sailed into Piraeus where the crowd had gathered, desiring to see the famous Alcibiades. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; According to the historian, Alcibiades, being exceedingly ambitious, proposed the expedition in Sicily in order to gain in wealth and reputation by means of his successes. Alcibiades is held responsible by Thucydides for the destruction of Athens, since his habits gave offence to every one, and caused them to commit affairs to other hands, and thus before long to ruin the city.[101] Plutarch regards him as the least scrupulous and most entirely careless of human beings.[102] On the other hand, Diodorus argues that he was in spirit brilliant and intent upon great enterprises.[103] Sharon Press of Brown University points out that Xenophon emphasizes Alcibiades service to the state, rather than the harm he was charged with causing it. In search of funds and needing to force another decisive battle, Alcibiades left Notium and sailed to help Thrasybulus in the siege of Phocaea. Persians to more easily conquer the region in the aftermath of the Alcibiades had an intimate but (according to idealized ancient accounts) chaste relationship with Socrates, whom he admired and respected, and Socrates was in turn drawn to his beauty but refused to succumb to his youthful attractions. [30] The representatives agreed and, impressed with Alcibiades, they alienated themselves from Nicias, who genuinely wanted to reach an agreement with the Spartans. In his speech Alcibiades predicted (over-optimistically, in the opinion of most historians) that the Athenians would be able to recruit allies in the region and impose their rule on Syracuse, the most powerful city of Sicily. Brewminate: A Bold Blend of News and Ideas. [92], Responsibility for the defeat ultimately fell on Alcibiades, and his enemies used the opportunity to attack him and have him removed from command, although some modern scholars believe that Alcibiades was unfairly blamed for Antiochus mistake. The move was devastating to Athens and forced the citizens to live within the long walls of the city year round, making them entirely dependent on their seaborne trade for food. [139] For Demosthenes and other orators, Alcibiades epitomized the figure of the great man during the glorious days of the Athenian democracy and became a rhetorical symbol. While Alcibiades was still en route, the Athenians fought off the arrival of the Rhodian admiral Dorieus who appeared with 14 ships and was forced into Rhoeteium. With one colour, shade in or circle the years 499-449, the span of the Greco-Persian Wars. Alcibiades and the Conclusion of the Symposium. Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War 27-28 [what did Alcibiades do which led to his exile?] He took advantage of his increasing power to orchestrate the creation of an alliance between Argos, Mantinea, Elis, and other states in the Peloponnese, threatening Sparta's dominance in the region. Dinomache, his mother, was the daughter of Megacles. [50] The Spartans granted this request and received him among them. [73] A short time later Sparta petitioned for peace, but their appeals were ultimately rejected by the Athenians.[75]. [31] This alliance, however, would ultimately be defeated at the Battle of Mantinea. Paparrigopoulos, Konstantinos (-Pavlos Karolidis) (1925), This page was last edited on 7 June 2023, at 10:33. [61], At his first speech to the assembled troops, Alcibiades complained bitterly about the circumstances of his exile, but the greatest part of the speech consisted of boasting about his influence with Tissaphernes. That treaty, an uneasy truce between Sparta and Athens signed midway through the Peloponnesian War, came at the end of seven years of fighting during which neither side had gained a decisive advantage. The aim of this policy was to win away Persian support from the Spartans, as it was still believed that Alcibiades had great influence with Tissaphernes. [2] Alcibiades military and political talents frequently proved valuable to whichever state currently held his allegiance, but his capacity for making powerful enemies ensured that he never remained in one place for long; and, by the end of the war he had helped rekindle in the early 410s, his days of political relevance were a bygone memory. [14], Alcibiades was not one of the Generals involved in the capture of Melos in 416415 B.C.E., but Plutarch describes him as a supporter of the decree by which the grown men of Melos were killed and the women and children enslaved. [99] According to Aristotle, the site of Alcibiades death was Elaphus, a mountain in Phrygia. The next significant part he would play in the war would occur at the Battle of Abydos. His political agitation was a decisive factor in the defeat of Athens in the Peloponnesian War. [116] Evangelos P. Fotiadis, a prominent Greek philologist, asserts that Alcibiades was a first class diplomat and had huge skills. Nevertheless his spiritual powers were not counter-balanced with his magnificent mind and he had the hard luck to lead a people susceptible to demagoguery. The battle was evenly matched, and raged for a long time, but the balance tipped towards the Athenians when Alcibiades sailed into the Hellespont with eighteen triremes. [128] Alcibiades was one of several Greek aristocrats who took refuge in the Achaemenid Empire following reversals at home, other famous ones being Themistocles, Hippias, Demaratos and Gongylos. As for democracy, the men of sense among us knew what it was, and I perhaps as well as any, as I have the more cause to complain of it; but there is nothing new to be said of a patent absurditymeanwhile we did not think it safe to alter it under the pressure of your hostility., Alcibiades served as a military advisor to Sparta and helped the Spartans secure several crucial successes. [15] The next day, during the Assembly, Alcibiades asked them what powers Sparta had granted them to negotiate and they replied, as agreed, that they had not come with full and independent powers. The family of his father, Cleinias, [3] had old connections with the Spartan aristocracy through a relationship of xenia, and the name "Alcibiades" was of Spartan origin. [29] He urged them to renounce their diplomatic authority to represent Sparta, and instead allow him to assist them through his influence in Athenian politics. The same scholar underscores the fact that "his example of restless and undisciplined ambition strengthened the charge brought against Socrates". It is his role in the war that saw classical heavyweights Athens and Sparta go head to head that he is . He did the Selymbrians's city no injury whatsoever, but merely took a sum of money from it, set a garrison there and left. [47] Alcibiades set about winning over the most influential military officers, and achieved his goal by offering them a threefold plan: the Athenian constitution was to be changed, the recall of Alcibiades was to be voted, and Alcibiades was to win over Tissaphernes and the King of Persia to the Athenian side. after docking the Athenian power as much as he could, forthwith to rid Additionally the Spartans had replaced Mindarus with Lysander, a very capable Admiral. Athens won the naval battle of Arginusae. [h], In 404 BC, as he was about to set out for the Persian court, his residence was surrounded and set on fire. [134] Diodorus and Demosthenes regard him as a great general. The implications of the defeat were severe for Athens. Corrections? Alcibiades guardian, the statesman Pericles, a distant relation, was too preoccupied with political leadership to provide the guidance and affection that the boy needed. [129] Though many of his details cannot be independently corroborated, Plutarch's version is this: Lysander sent an envoy to Pharnabazus who then dispatched his brother to Phrygia where Alcibiades was living with his mistress, Timandra. He remained, however, a disturbing influence on Athenian politics and destroyed any hopes of a political consensus. At times, he appears a cut-throat political opportunist grasping at any means to promote and salvage his own position. alleged influence with the Persians to effect his restoration to Alcibiades had been forced to flee from Sestos to Cardia to protect his small fleet from the rebuilt Peloponnesian navy, but as soon as the Athenian fleet was reunited there its commanders led it to Cyzicus, where the Athenians had intelligence indicating that Pharnabazus and Mindarus, the Peloponnesian fleet commander, were together plotting their next move. [141] Lysias, on the other hand, argued in one of his orations that the Athenians should regard Alcibiades as an enemy because of the general tenor of his life, as "he repays with injury the open assistance of any of his friends". On the eve of Athens' great defeat by Sparta, he offered military advice and political counsel - but even if the advice was good, no one would have trusted him, and for good reason. For Malcolm F. McGregor, former head of the Department of Classics in the University of British Columbia, Alcibiades was rather a shrewd gambler than a mere opportunist. He did their city no injury whatever, but merely took a sum of money from it, set a garrison in it and left. [66] Therefore, he exchanged messages with 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. Alcibiades seemed to assume that the radical democracy would never agree to his recall to Athens. [122] Vlachos asserts that Alcibiades had already conceived a broader plan: the conquest of the whole West. (in Greek). He turned to politics after the Peace of Nicias (421 B.C. 450-404 B.C.) 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 destroy their credibility. This made it easier for him, in 415, to persuade the Athenians to send a major military expedition to Sicily against the city of Syracuse. Later his opponents, chief among them being Androcles and Thessalus, Cimon's son, enlisted orators to argue that Alcibiades should set sail as planned and stand trial on his return from the campaign. Only the support of the Persian land army and the coming of night saved the Peloponnesian fleet from complete destruction. [56][57], In spite of these valuable contributions to the Spartan cause, Alcibiades fell out of favor with the Spartan government at around this time, ruled by Agis II. [159] Vlachos asserts that Alcibiades had already conceived a broader plan: the conquest of the whole West. [5] After the death of Cleinias at the Battle of Coronea (447 B.C.E. Pericles was his guardian, his father having died in battle. Below is the article summary. Our sources are unclear about the quorum. Introduction. The Ecclesia deposed Phrynichus and elected Pisander and ten other envoys to negotiate with Tissaphernes and Alcibiades. Alcibiades now served Athens faithfully as politician and general, but was nevertheless eventually exiled because many feared that he was plotting to become dictator. In any case, the Generals of the Athenians, considering that in case of defeat the blame would attach to them and that in case of success all men would attribute it to Alcibiades, asked him to leave and not come near the camp ever again. Alcibiadess troops, leading the Athenian pursuit, landed and attempted to pull the Spartan ships back out to sea. [96] Diodorus, however, does not mention this advice, arguing instead that Alcibiades offered the Generals Thracian aid in exchange for a share in the command. The Athenian general Alcibiades (ca. In this he failed and, discarded by the oligarchs who had seized power, he was recalled by the Athenian fleet, which remained loyal to the democracy and needed his abilities. Plato, in his Symposium, wrote that during this battle Socrates saved Alcibiades' life. A Soldier of the American Revolution: Will the Real Isaac Rice Please Stand Up? Lee Too, Yun. [96][97] Days later the fleet would be annihilated by Lysander. Isocrates asserts that Alcibiades was never a pupil of Socrates. [65] In general, those were generously welcomed by the Achaemenid kings, and received land grants to support them, and ruled in various cities of Asia Minor. Alcibiades's banishment should essentially be a death sentence: he has to leave the city and everything he knows, and he has to fend for himself in the wilderness outside the city.
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