A Brief History of Ancient Greece - Chapter 8

Aegospotami

A small river issuing into the Hellespont. At its mouth was the scene of the decisive battle in 405 BC in which Lysander destroyed the Athenian fleet, ending the Peloponnesian War.

Cleon

Athenian general who made remarks about the failure of Athens' generals to capture the Spartans; he took for his particular target Nicias, who suggested that Cleon himself be given a special commission to go to Pylos and get hold of the hoplites; 128 Spartan soldiers died fighting, and the rest surrendered. In 422 BC, Cleon met Brasidas in battle at Amphipolis, and in the fighting both were killed.

Nicias

Athenian politician and general during the Peloponnesian War. He was in charge of the Athenian forces engaged in the siege of Syracuse, Sicily, and the failure of the siege contributed greatly to the ultimate defeat of Athens.

Alcibiades

Athenian statesman and general whose shifting of sides during the Peloponnesian War in the 5th century BCE earned him a reputation for cunning and treachery.

Mytilene

Capital of Lesbos, led several cities in a failed revolt from the Athenian empire

Tissaphernes

Persian soldier and statesman. He was the grandson of Hydarnes

Aristophanes

Playwright whose story lines were grounded in the culture and politics of his day. He made fun of pretentious teachers, pompous aristocrats, and self-interested politicians. "The Birds" reveals that he dreamed of an earlier day when role models were provided by the "men of Marathon" rather than by silver-tongued sophists.

Egesta

Sicilian city requesting help during war with Selinus; Athens responded by sending Alcibiades and a fleet of 60 ships. However, the help never arrived, as the fleet was re-directed to a disastrous war directly against Syracuse.

Sphacteria

Site of a land battle of the Peloponnesian War, fought in 425 BC between Athens and Sparta. Following the Battle of Pylos and subsequent peace negotiations, which failed, a number of Spartans were stranded on the island of Sphacteria. An Athenian force under Cleon and Demosthenes attacked and forced them to surrender.

Melos

Site of battle; attempted to remain neutral in the Peloponnesian War, but Athens sent negotiators in to explain that Athens could easily destroy them. They told them that they could easily be destroyed should they not cooperate. Athens was a large naval power and they were their only chance of survival. They disregarded their warnings and were quickly destroyed.

Pylos

Site of for built by Demosthenes; Fearing that the nearby island of Sphacteria might fall into Athenian hands, the Spartans positioned 420 hoplites there. When Cleon made remarks about the failure of Athens' generals to capture the Spartans, he took for his particular target the strategos Nicias. Nicias suggested that Cleon himself be given a special commission to go to Pylos and get hold of the hoplites; 128 Spartan soldiers died fighting, and the rest surrendered.

Lysander

Spartan statesman and general who defeated the Athenian navy at the Battle of Aigospotamoi in 405 BCE, which finally won the Peloponnesian War.

Battle of Arginusae

Near the city of Canae in the Arginusae islands, an Athenian fleet commanded by eight strategoi defeated a Spartan fleet under Callicratidas.

Council of Four Hundred

Oligarchical council that briefly took power in Athens during the Peloponnesian War in a coup inspired by Antiphon and Alcibiades. An extremely antidemocratic council, it was soon replaced, at the insistence of the Athenian fleet, by a more moderate oligarchy, the Five Thousand. The new council lasted only 10 months, but full democracy was restored in 410 and a commission set up to prevent a recurrence.