[28], Men do not rest content with parrying the attacks of a superior, but often strike the first blow to prevent the attack being made. Kagan asserts that Alcibiades had not yet acquired his legendary reputation, and the Spartans saw him as a defeated and hunted man whose policies produced strategic failures and brought no decisive result. If accurate, this assessment underscores one of Alcibiades greatest talents, his highly persuasive oratory. 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. [146] Therefore, Andocides said of him that "instead of holding that he ought himself to conform with the laws of the state, he expects you to conform with his own way of life". He demanded an immediate inquiry, but his enemies, led by Androcles (the successor of Hyperbolus), ensured that he sailed with the charge still hanging over him. Most of the officers in the Athenian fleet accepted the plan and welcomed the prospect of a narrower constitution, which would allow them a greater share in determining policy. This new revenue started to attract Athenian deserters to the Spartan navy. Upon arriving on shore he was greeted with a heros welcome. In Sparta too, however, Alcibiades soon made powerful enemies and was forced to defect to Persia. This ploy increased Alcibiades's standing while embarrassing Nicias, and Alcibiades was subsequently appointed general. And we cannot fix the exact point at which our empire shall stop; we have reached a position in which we must not be content with retaining but must scheme to extend it, for, if we cease to rule others, we are in danger of being ruled ourselves. [117] Kagan acknowledges his rhetorical power, whilst Thomas Habinek, professor of Classics at the University of Southern California, believes that the orator Alcibiades seemed to be whatever his audience needed on any given occasion. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. After the Battle of Aegospotami, Alcibiades crossed the Hellespont and took refuge in Hellespontine Phrygia, with the object of securing the aid of the Achaemenid King Artaxerxes against Sparta. [32] With the death of Lamachus in battle some time later, command of the Sicilian Expedition fell into the hands of Nicias, whom modern scholars have judged to be an inadequate military leader. The implications of the defeat were severe for Athens. [66] While this was certainly his goal, it was again means to an end, that end being avoiding prosecution upon his return to Athens. He then served as an Athenian General (Strategos) for several years, but his enemies eventually succeeded in exiling him a second time. [153] Writing from a different perspective, psychologist Anna C. Salter cites Alcibiades as exhibiting "all the classic features of psychopathy. The Peloponnesians fought to prevent their ships from being towed away, and Pharnabazus's troops came up to support them. In pursuit of these funds he traveled to the Thracian Chersonese and attacked Selymbria. [74], Despite these events, Pisander and the other envoys of the conspirators arrived at Athens and made a speech before the people. Ostracism - Livius [58], After a time, Thrasybulus persuaded the assembled troops to vote Alcibiades recall, a policy that he had supported since before the coup. [155], Despite his critical comments, Thucydides admits in a short digression that "publicly his conduct of the war was as good as could be desired". 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. [98] Though many of his details cannot be independently corroborated, Plutarchs version is this: Lysander sent an envoy to Pharnabazus who then dispatched his brother to Phrygia where Alcibiades was living with his mistress, Timandra. Alcibiades. [126], 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. This new revenue started to attract Athenian deserters to the Spartan navy. Additionally the Spartans had replaced Mindarus with Lysander, a very capable admiral. On the other hand, Alcibiades argued that a campaign in this new theater would bring riches to the city and expand the empire, just as the Persian Wars had. But the enemies of Alcibiades . 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 Spartas dominance in the region. Seeing Athens thus beleaguered on a second front, members of the Delian League began to contemplate revolt. He did the Selymbrians's city no injury whatsoever, but merely took a sum of money from it, set a garrison there and left. [103][106] 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. 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. Plato presents Alcibiades as Socrates most brilliant student, who would, in time to come, be the ruin of Athens. Alcibiades | Encyclopedia.com Literature Humanities 07-08: And What About Alcibiades? Alcibiades, however, escaped ostracism, a form of banishment, by joining forces with Nicias against Hyperbolus, the successor of the demagogue politician Cleon as champion of the common people. [123] He intended to conquer Carthage and Libya, then to attack Italy and, after winning these, to seize Italy and Peloponnesus. [54] As Kagan points out, Tissaphernes was a prudent leader and had recognized the advantages of wearing each side out without direct Persian involvement. After the Battle of Aegospotami, Alcibiades crossed the Hellespont In fact, he roused them so much that they proposed to sail at once for Piraeus and attack the oligarchs in Athens. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Biography of Alcibiades, Ancient Greek Soldier-Politician - ThoughtCo [51][52] 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. Alcibiades: A controversial and divisive Greek - Greeks Channel to actually return to the city. Socrates - Religious Customs, Alcibiades, Oligarchy, and the Thirty [16] The representatives agreed and, impressed with Alcibiades foresight, they alienated themselves from Nicias, who sincerely wanted to reach an agreement with the Spartans. [85], Presently Alcibiades sailed to Tissaphernes with a detachment of ships. The faction hostile to Alcibiades triumphed in Athens following a minor Spartan victory by their skillful general Lysander at the naval battle of Notium in 406 BC. [117] Alcibiades was aware the Spartan fleet was nearby, so he left nearly eighty ships to watch them under the command of his personal helmsman Antiochus, who was given express orders not to attack. He also confirmed his reputation with women (which the rich Athenian whom he had married appreciated only too well) by seducing the wife of the Spartan king Agis II, who was at Decelea with his army. The primary motives of his speech were to make the oligarchs at Athens afraid of him and to increase his credit with the army at Samos. [115], In 406 BC Alcibiades set out from Athens with 1,500 hoplites and a hundred ships. [19] This incident reveals that Nicias and Alcibiades each commanded a personal following, whose votes were determined by the wishes of the leaders. With one exception, Alcibiades's role in the war ended with his command. She lived with him until her death and may have given birth to two children, a daughter and a son, who also was named Alcibiades. [76] The group was convinced that Alcibiades could not deliver his side of the bargain without demanding exorbitantly high concessions of them and they accordingly abandoned their plans to restore him to Athens. Alcibiades and the Pitfalls of Personality Politics - Antigone They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. [82] He entered the harbor full of fear till he saw his cousin and others of his friends and acquaintance, who invited him to land. Alcibiades - Livius He plotted with a pro-Athenian party within the city and offered the Selymbrians reasonable terms, imposing strict discipline on his men to see that they were observed. Of the family of Alcmaeonidae, he was a ward of Pericles and was for many years a devoted attendant of Socrates. [37][38] In spite of these valuable contributions to the Spartan cause, Alcibiades fell out of favor with the Spartan government at around this time, when it was discovered that he was having an affair with the wife of the Spartan king, Agis II. Author of. [152] Russell Meiggs, a British ancient historian, asserts that the Athenian statesman was absolutely unscrupulous despite his great charm and brilliant abilities. payments he was making to the Peloponnesian fleet and began delivering His property was confiscated and a reward of one talent was promised to whoever succeeded in killing any who had fled. [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. Plutarch mentions Alcibiades's advice, writing that "he rode up on horseback and read the generals a lesson. His political agitation was a decisive factor in the defeat of Athens in the Peloponnesian War. 411 BC - The Astounding Career of Alcibiades and the Athenian Revival 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. Alcibiades, however, foreseeing that he would be outlawed, gave information to the friends of the Syracusans in Messina, who succeeded in preventing the admission of the Athenians. [g] 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. The death sentence of Socrates was the legal consequence of asking . [125], Kagan believes that while Alcibiades was a commander of considerable ability, he was no military genius, and his confidence and ambitions went far beyond his skills. Alcibiades was able to assert his piety and to raise Athenian morale by leading the solemn procession to Eleusis (for the celebration of the Eleusinian Mysteries) by land for the first time since the Spartans had occupied Decelea. [30] When the fleet arrived in Catana, 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. 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. [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. [116] Consequently, Alcibiades condemned himself to exile. Alcibiades was a brilliant and colorful Athenian politician with a penchant for switching sides during the Peloponnesian War. 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. Thus Alcibiades, instead of going straight home, he first went to Samos to pick up 20 ships and proceeded with them to the Ceramic Gulf where he collected 100 talents. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Updates? [159] Vlachos asserts that Alcibiades had already conceived a broader plan: the conquest of the whole West. He continues to fascinate the modern world, notably as the main character in historical novels, like those of Anna Bowman Dodd, Gertrude Atherton, Rosemary Sutcliff, Daniel Chavarra, Steven Pressfield and Peter Green. [151] For his part, David Gribble argues that Alcibiades's actions against his city were misunderstood and believes that "the tension which led to Alcibiades's split with the city was between purely personal and civic values". Historians Arnold W. Gomme and Raphael Sealey believe, and Thucydides reports,[12] that Alcibiades was offended that the Spartans had negotiated that treaty through Nicias and Laches, overlooking him on account of his youth. 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. According to Gomme, "it was a grandiose scheme for an Athenian general at the head of a mainly Peloponnesian army to march through the Peloponnese cocking a snook at Sparta when her reputation was at its lowest".
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