Lysander (died 395 BC, Greek: Λύσανδρος, Lýsandros) was a Spartan General and was the commander of the Spartan fleet in the Hellespont which was victorious against the Athenians at Aegospotami in 405 BC. Events By place Persian Empire The Persian Satrap Tissaphernes ' enemy Parysatis, mother of Cyrus Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη The History of Athens is one of the longest of any city in Europe and in the world The naval Battle of Aegospotami took place in 404 BC and was the last major battle of the Peloponnesian War. Events By place Greece After their victory in the Battle of Arginusae over the Spartans the Athenian fleet follows The following year, he was able to force the Athenian leadership to capitulate, bringing the Peloponnesian War to an end.
Early life
Little is known of Lysander's early life. Lysander's father was Aristoclitus, who was a member of the Spartan Heracleidae (a Dorian order, whose members claimed descent from Heracles). In Greek mythology, the Heracleidae or Heraclids were the numerous descendants of Heracles (Hercules especially applied in a narrower sense to the descendants The Dorians or Dorian Greeks ( Greek:, Dōrieis singular, Dōrieus were In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or Nevertheless, Lysander's family was poor and when he was young he needed sponsorship to be able to participate in the Spartan training to be a soldier. He later became the erastes of Agesilaus, the youngest son of the Spartan king, Archidamus II. In Ancient Greece, the erastes ( "lover" (pl erastae was an adult male involved in a pederastic relationship with an adolescent Agesilaus II, or Agesilaos II ( Greek) (444 BC &ndash 360 BC was a king of Sparta, of the Eurypontid dynasty ruling from approximately Archidamus II' was a king of Sparta who reigned from approximately 476 BC to 427 BC [1]
The Battle of Notium
Lysander was appointed Spartan Admiral for the Aegean Sea in 407 BC. The Battle of Notium (or Ephesus) in 406 BC, was a Spartan naval victory in the Peloponnesian War. The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks of the highest Naval officers Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. Events By place Greece Thrasybulus recaptures Abdera and Thasos. It was during this period that he gained the friendship and support of Cyrus the Younger, a son of Darius II of Persia and Parysatis. Cyrus (Kuruš the Younger, son of Darius II of Persia (Dārayavahuš and Parysatis, was a Persian prince and General. Darius II ( Dārayavahuš) originally called Ochus and often surnamed Nothus (from Greek νοθος meaning 'bastard' was king of the Parysatis was the 5th century BCE illegitimate daughter of Artaxerxes I, Emperor of Persia and Andia of Babylon.
Lysander then undertook the major project of creating a strong Spartan fleet based at Ephesus which could take on the Athenians and their allies. Ephesus ( Hittite Apasa; Ancient Greek; Turkish Efes) was a city of ancient Anatolia. [1][2]
Alcibiades was appointed commander-in-chief with autocratic powers and left for Samos to rejoin his fleet and try and engage Lysander in battle. Alcibiades Cleiniou Scambonides (ˌælsɨˈbaɪədiːz (pronunciation Greek:, transliterated Alkibiádēs Kleiníou Skambōnidēs) meaning Alcibiades Samos (Σάμος is a Greek island in the North Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off The Spartan admiral Lysander refused to be lured out of Ephesus to do battle with Alcibiades. However, while Alcibiades was away seeking supplies, the Athenian squadron was placed under the command of Antiochus, his helmsman. During this time Lysander managed to engage the Athenian fleet and they were routed by the Spartan fleet (with the help of the Persians under Cyrus) at the Battle of Notium in 406 BC. Events By place Greece Callicratidas is appointed as the Navarch of the Spartan fleet replacing Lysander This defeat by Lysander gave the enemies of Alcibiades the excuse they needed to strip him of his command. He never returned again to Athens. He sailed north to the land he owned in the Thracian Chersonese. The Thracian Chersonese (in Greek Θρᾳκικὴ Χερσόνησoς) was the ancient name of the Gallipoli peninsula in the part of historic Thrace
The Battle of Arginusae
However, Lysander ceased to be the Spartan Admiral after this victory and, in accordance with the Spartan law, was replaced by Callicratidas. Callicratidas (Καλλικρατίδας was a Spartan naval commander in the Peloponnesian War.
In 406 BC, Callicratidas assembled a fleet and sailed to Methymna, Lesbos, which he then besieged. Events By place Greece Callicratidas is appointed as the Navarch of the Spartan fleet replacing Lysander Methymna is also an archaeological site in the prefecture of Chania. Lesbos (Λέσβος also transliterated Lesvos, Midilli is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. This move threatened the Athenian grain supply. Athens sent their admiral, Conon, to relieve the siege. Conon ( Greek: Κόνων) was an Athenian general at the end of the Peloponnesian War, in charge during the decisive loss of the navy at the When Callicratidas attacked him, Conon retreated to Mytilene, where he was blockaded by Callicratidas’ Spartan fleet. Mytilene ( Greek: Μυτιλήνη - Mitilíni) is the Capital City of Lesbos, a Greek Island in the Aegean Sea
To relieve Conon, the Athenians assembled a new fleet composed largely of newly constructed ships manned by inexperienced crews. While this fleet was inferior to the Spartans, the Athenians employed new and unorthodox tactics, which allowed them to secure a dramatic and unexpected victory in the Battle of Arginusae, near Lesbos. The naval Battle of Arginusae took place in 406 BC during the Peloponnesian War just east of the island of Lesbos. The blockade of Conon by the Spartans was broken, the Spartan force was soundly defeated and Callicratidas was killed during the battle.
The Battle of Aegospotami
After Sparta was severely defeated at the Battle of Arginusae and with the death of ther Spartan admiral, Callicratides, Sparta's allies sought to have Lysander reappointed as Admiral. The naval Battle of Aegospotami took place in 404 BC and was the last major battle of the Peloponnesian War. The naval Battle of Arginusae took place in 406 BC during the Peloponnesian War just east of the island of Lesbos. However, Spartan law did not allow the reappointment of a previous Admiral, so Aracus was appointed as Admiral with Lysander as his deputy. Nonetheless, Lysander was effectively the commander of the Spartan fleet. [1][2]
Once back in command, Lysander directed the Spartan fleet towards the Hellespont. See also Dardanelles Hellespont ( Turkish, Greek; ie "Sea of Helle" variously named in classical literature Hellespontium Pelagus The Athenian fleet followed him there. In 404 BC, the Athenians gather their remaining ships at Aegospotami (near the Thracian Chersonese). Events By place Greece The Athenian leader Cleophon continues to urge resistance against the Peloponnesians but the situation Aegospotami (Αἰγὸς Ποταμοί or Aegospotamos (ie Goat Streams) is a small river issuing into the Hellespont, northeast of Sestos The Thracian Chersonese (in Greek Θρᾳκικὴ Χερσόνησoς) was the ancient name of the Gallipoli peninsula in the part of historic Thrace The Athenian fleet under Admiral Conon was then destroyed by the Spartans under Lysander in the Battle of Aegospotami. Conon withdrew to Cyprus. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía
Then, Lysander's forces went to the Bosphorus and captured both Byzantium and Chalcedon. The Bosporus or Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait, (İstanbul Boğazı (Βόσπορος is a Strait that forms the boundary between the This article is about the city See also Byzantine Empire. Byzantium ( Greek: Βυζάντιον Latin: la BYZANTIVM For the Ecumenical Council of 451 see Council of Chalcedon; For the religious/political organization see Chalcedon Foundation. They expelled the Athenians living in those States. Lysander also captured Lesbos Island. Lesbos (Λέσβος also transliterated Lesvos, Midilli is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. [1][2]
The defeat of Athens
Following the victory at Aegospotami, the Spartans were in a position to finally force Athens to capitulate. The Spartan king, Pausanias, laid siege to Athens while Lysander's fleet blockaded the port city of Piraeus. Pausanias ( Greek Παυσανίας) King of Sparta from 409 BC Piraeus (pɪˈræʊs Πειραιάς, piɾeˈas Πειραιεύς, piɾeˈefs is a city in the periphery of Attica, Greece, and a This action effectively closed the grain route to Athens through the Hellespont, thereby starving Athens. Realising the seriousness of the situation, Theramenes started negotiations with Lysander. Theramenes (d 404 BC Greek:) was an Athenian statesman prominent in the final decade of the Peloponnesian War. These negotiations took three months, but in the end Lysander agreed to terms at Piraeus. An agreement was reached for the capitulation of Athens and the cessation of the Peloponnesian War in 404 BC. Events By place Greece The Athenian leader Cleophon continues to urge resistance against the Peloponnesians but the situation
The Spartans required the Athenians to raze the walls of Piraeus as well as the Long Walls which connected Athens and Piraeus; that the Athenians should abandon their colonies, and that Athens should surrender all their ships to the Spartans. Long Walls ( Μακρά Τείχη) in Ancient Greece, were walls built from a city to its port providing a secure connection to the sea even during times of siege However, Theramenes did secure terms that saved the city of Athens from destruction. Greek towns across the Aegean Sea in Ionia were again to be subject to the Achaemenid Empire. Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. Geography Physical Ionia was of small extent not exceeding 90 geographical miles in length from north to south with a breadth varying from 40 to 55 miles but to this The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Persian Empire ( haχɒmaneʃijɒn (558–330 BC was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of
Lysander in Command in Athens
Lysander then put in place a puppet government in Athens with the establishment of the oligarchy of the Thirty Tyrants under Critias which included Theramenes as a leading member. Oligarchy' ( Greek, Oligarkhía) is a Form of government where Political power effectively rests with a small elite segment The Thirty Tyrants (30 τύραννοι or οἱ Τριάκοντα were a pro- Spartan Oligarchy installed in Athens after its defeat in the Peloponnesian Critias is also a work by Plato see Critias (dialogue. Critias ( Greek, 460-403 BC born in Athens son of Callaeschrus was The puppet government executed a number of citizens and deprived all but a few of their former rights as citizens of Athens. Many of Athens' former allies were now ruled by boards of ten (decarchy), often reinforced with garrisons under a Spartan commander (harmost). The practice starting the period of Spartan hegemony. The period of Spartan hegemony is a moment in classical Greek history that extends from the end of the Peloponnesian War in 404 BC to the Battle
After storming and seizing Samos, Lysander returned to Sparta. Samos (Σάμος is a Greek island in the North Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off Alcibiades, the former Athenian leader, emerged after the Spartan victory at Aegospotami and took refuge in Phrygia, northwestern Asia Minor with Pharnabazus, its Persian satrap. In antiquity Phrygia (Φρυγία was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Pharnabazus was a Persian soldier and statesman He was the son of Pharnaces son of Pharnabazus son of Artabazus; his male ancestors had governed the satrapy of See also the related deity Satrapes. Satrap (Persian ساتراپ was the name given to the governors of the Provinces of ancient He sought Persian assistance for the Athenians. However, the Spartans decided that Alcibiades must be removed and Lysander, with the help of Pharnabazus, arranged the assassination of Alcibiades. [1][2]
Lysander was able to gain a huge fortune from his victories against the Athenians and their allies. Nonetheless, in accord with Spartan tradition, he wished to transfer this fortune to the ephors at Sparta. An ephor ( Classical Greek) (from the Greek, epi, "on" or "over" and, horaō, "to see" i Lysander commanded the Spartan general Gylippus to undertake this task. Gylippus was a Spartan general of the 5th century BC; he was the son of Cleandridas, who had been expelled from Sparta for accepting Athenian However, Gylippus could not resist the temptation to enrich himself and stole a significant amount. When it was discovered what had happened, Gylippus went into exile and was condemned to death in his absence.
Resistance by Athens
The Athenian general Thrasybulus, who had been exiled from Athens by the Spartans' puppet government, led the democratic resistance to the new oligarchic government. Thrasybulus ( Θρασύβουλος, 'brave-willed' θræsɪˈbjuːləs d In 403 BC, he commanded a small force of exiles that invaded Attica and, in successive battles, defeated first a Spartan garrison and then the forces of the oligarchic government (which included the Spartan general, Lysander) in the Battle of Munychia. Events By place Greece Thrasybulus leads the democratic resistance to the new oligarchic government known as the Thirty Attica (Αττική Attikí;) is a periphery (subdivision in Greece, containing Athens, the capital of Greece The Battle of Munychia was fought between Athenians exiled by the oligarchic government of the Thirty Tyrants and the forces of that government supported by a Spartan The leader of the Thirty Tyrants, Critias, was killed in the battle.
The Battle of Piraeus was then fought between Athenian exiles who had defeated the government of the Thirty Tyrants and occupied Piraeus and a Spartan force sent to combat them. The Battle of Piraeus was fought in 403 BC between Athenian exiles who had defeated the government of the Thirty Tyrants and occupied Piraeus In the battle, the Spartans narrowly defeated the exiles, with both sides suffering large numbers of casualties. Despite opposition from Lysander, after the battle Pausanias the Agiad King of Sparta, arranged a settlement between the two parties which allowed the reunification of Athens and Piraeus, and the re-establishment of democratic government in Athens. Sparta was an important Greek city-state in the Peloponnesus. The remaining oligarchic Thirty Tyrants were allowed to flee to Eleusis. Elefsina (Ελευσίνα Ancient/ Katharevousa: Eleusis is a town and municipality about 20 km NW of Athens. Thrasybulus restored democratic institutions to Athens and granted amnesties to all except the oligarchic extremists.
Involvement in Cyrus' revolt against the Persian King Artaxerxes II
During 401 BC Lysander still had a continuing influence in Sparta despite his setbacks in Athens. Events By place Persian empire Cyrus the Younger uses a quarrel with Tissaphernes over the Ionian cities as a pretext He was able to persuade the Spartans to select Agesilaus II as the new Eurypontid Spartan king following the death of Agis II. For other uses of this name see Agis. Agis II ( Gr) (d c 401 BC was the 17th Eurypontid king of Sparta He was also able to persuade the Spartans to support Cyrus the younger in his unsuccessful rebellion against his older brother, Artaxerxes II of Persia. Artaxerxes II Mnemon ( Old Persian: 𐎠𐎼𐎫𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎠 Artaxšaçrā, Ἀρταξέρξης (ca
Cyrus started out with about 20,000 men, of whom around 10,000 were Greek mercenaries, including Spartans. The Ten Thousand were a group of Mercenary units mainly Greek, drawn up by Cyrus the Younger to attempt to wrest the throne of the Persian Empire When he reached the Euphrates River at Thapsacus, he announced that he was marching against Artaxerxes II. The Euphrates ( ( Arabic: ar نهر الفرات; Turkish: tr Fırat Syriac: syr ܦܪܬ; Hebrew: he פרת Thapsacus (Hebrew Tiphsah) meaning ford or passage was an ancient town along the western bank of the Euphrates river that would now lie in modern He advanced unopposed into Babylonia; but Artaxerxes II, warned at the last moment by Tissaphernes, hastily gathered an army. Babylonia was an Amorite state in lower Mesopotamia (modern southern Iraq) with Babylon as its capital Tissaphernes (Pers Ciθrafarna, d 395 BC Gr Τισσαφέρνης was a Persian soldier and statesman grandson of Hydarnes.
The two forces met at the Battle of Cunaxa, north of Babylon, where Cyrus was slain. The Battle of Cunaxa was fought in 401 BC between Cyrus the Younger and his elder brother Arsaces who had inherited the Persian throne as Artaxerxes Babylon was a City-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq The Greek mercenaries fighting for Cyrus were left stranded after Cyrus’ defeat. They fought their way north through hostile Persians, Armenians, and Kurds to Trapezus, on the coast of the Black Sea under Xenophon. Trabzon ( Greek: Τραπεζούντα, Trapezounta) is a city on the Black Sea coast of north-eastern Turkey and the capital of The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey Xenophon (Ancient Greek, Modern Greek "Ξενοφών" "Ξενοφώντας" ca He was an Athenian who became their leader when Tissaphernes, Persian satrap of Caria and Lydia, had Clearchus of Sparta and the other senior Greek captains captured and executed by Artaxerxes. Municipalities of Caria Cramer's detailed catalog of Carian towns in Classical Greece is based entirely on ancient sources Defining Lydia Aside from a legend related by Herodotus, who states that the name Lydia came from king Lydus at the time of the fall of Troy Clearchus (Κλέαρχος the son of Rhamphias was a Spartan general and Mercenary.
Xenophon's men made their way back to Greece, with most of the men enlisting with the Spartan Army. Xenophon's successful march through the Achaemenid Empire encouraged Sparta to turn on the Persians and begin a series of wars against the Persians in Asia Minor.
Lysander's final years
Hoping to restore the juntas of oligarchic partisans that he had put in place after the defeat of the Athenians in 404 BC, Lysander arranged for Agesilaus II, the Eurypontid Spartan king, to take command of the Greeks against Persia in 396 BC. Events By place Greece The Athenian leader Cleophon continues to urge resistance against the Peloponnesians but the situation Events By place Persian Empire The Persians assemble a joint Phoenician Cilician and Cypriot fleet under The Spartans had been called on by the Ionians to assist them against the Persian King Artaxerxes II. Lysander was arguably hoping to receive command of the Spartan forces not joining the campaign. However, Agesilaus II had become resentful of Lysander's power and influence. So Agesilaus II frustrated the plans of his former mentor and left Lysander in command of the troops in the Hellespont, far from Sparta and mainland Greece.
Back in Sparta by 395 BC, Lysander was instrumental in starting a war with Thebes and other Greek cities to be known as the Corinthian War. Events By place Persian Empire The Persian Satrap Tissaphernes ' enemy Parysatis, mother of Cyrus Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides The Corinthian War was an ancient Greek conflict lasting from 395 BC until 387 BC pitting Sparta against a coalition of four allied states Thebes The Spartans prepared to send out an army against this new alliance of Athens, Thebes, Corinth and Argos (with the backing of the Achaemenid Empire) and ordered Agesilaus II to return to Greece. Corinth, or Korinth ( Greek Κόρινθος ( is a city in Greece. Argos ( Greek: Ἄργος, Árgos ˈaɾɣos is a city in Greece in the Peloponnese near Nafplio, which was its historic harbor Agesilaus set out for Sparta with his troops, crossing the Hellespont and marching west through Thrace. Thrace (Тракия Trakiya or "Trakija" or Trakia, Θράκη Thráki, Trakya is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe
The Spartans arranged for two armies, one under the Spartan general Lysander and the other under the Pausanias of Sparta, to rendezvous at and attack the city of Haliartus, Boeotia. The Battle of Haliartus was fought in 395 BC between Sparta and Thebes. Pausanias ( Greek Παυσανίας) King of Sparta from 409 BC Boeotia, Beotia, or Bœotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία - English biːˈoʊʃiə formerly Cadmeis was a region of Ancient Greece, north of the Lysander arrived before Pausanias and persuaded the city of Orchomenos to revolt from the Boeotian confederacy. He then advanced to Haliartus with his troops. In the Battle of Haliartus, Lysander was killed after bringing his forces too near the walls of the city. The Battle of Haliartus was fought in 395 BC between Sparta and Thebes.
Following his death, an abortive scheme by Lysander to increase his power by making the Spartan kingships collective and that the Spartan king should not automatically be given the leadership of the army, was "discovered" by Agesilaus II. [1] [3]
There is argument amongst historians as to whether this was an invention to discredit Lysander after his death. Any analysis of Lysander's life is made difficult by the strong hostility of many of the sources of Greek history at that time due to Lysander's strong support of oligarchic governments after the defeat of the Athenians.
Sources
- ^ a b c d e f Plutarch, Lives. Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c Life of Lysander. (University of Massachusetts/Wikisource)
- ^ a b c d Xenophon, Hellenica. Xenophon (Ancient Greek, Modern Greek "Ξενοφών" "Ξενοφώντας" ca (Wikisource/Gutenberg Project)
- ^ Cornelius Nepos, Life of Eminent Greeks . Cornelius Nepos (Κορνήλιος Νέπως in Ancient Greek literature (c [1]
See also
- Battle of Aegospotami
- Lycurgus
- King Agesilaus II
- Aegean Sea
- Ephesus
- Cyrus
- Battle of Notium
- Harmost
- Peloponnesian War
- King Pausanias
- Theramenes
- Thirty Tyrants
- Ephor
- Corinthian War
- Battle of Haliartus
External links
- Ancient/classical history (Lysander) – About. The naval Battle of Aegospotami took place in 404 BC and was the last major battle of the Peloponnesian War. Lycurgus ( Greek:, Lukoûrgos; 700 BC?&ndash630 BC was the legendary lawgiver of Sparta, who established the military-oriented reformation of Agesilaus II, or Agesilaos II ( Greek) (444 BC &ndash 360 BC was a king of Sparta, of the Eurypontid dynasty ruling from approximately Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. Ephesus ( Hittite Apasa; Ancient Greek; Turkish Efes) was a city of ancient Anatolia. Cyrus (Kuruš the Younger, son of Darius II of Persia (Dārayavahuš and Parysatis, was a Persian prince and General. The Battle of Notium (or Ephesus) in 406 BC, was a Spartan naval victory in the Peloponnesian War. Harmost is an Ancient Greek word that means military governor Pausanias ( Greek Παυσανίας) King of Sparta from 409 BC Theramenes (d 404 BC Greek:) was an Athenian statesman prominent in the final decade of the Peloponnesian War. The Thirty Tyrants (30 τύραννοι or οἱ Τριάκοντα were a pro- Spartan Oligarchy installed in Athens after its defeat in the Peloponnesian An ephor ( Classical Greek) (from the Greek, epi, "on" or "over" and, horaō, "to see" i The Corinthian War was an ancient Greek conflict lasting from 395 BC until 387 BC pitting Sparta against a coalition of four allied states Thebes The Battle of Haliartus was fought in 395 BC between Sparta and Thebes. com
- Lysander by Plutarch – The Internet Classics Archive on MIT
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic