The Historical Library of Diodorus the Sicilian/Book XIII/Chapter XV

Chapter XV

 * Lysander made sole admiral of the Lacedæmonian fleet. He takes Caramium. The ruin of the Athenian fleet at Ægos Potamos. Athens taken by Lysander. The end of the Peloponnesian war.

THE year next before being ended, Alexias was made archon of Athens this year, and at Rome three military tribunes again executed the places of consuls, Caius Julius, Publius Cornelius, and Caius Servilius. During their magistracy, after the commanders were put to death, the Athenians made Philocles general of the army; and delivering the fleet to him, sent him away to Conon, commissioning them with a joint power, in the management of the war. When he came to Conon at Samos, he manned all the ships, to the number of a hundred and seventy-three. Twenty of these he left there, and with the rest he and Conon set sail for the Hellespont.

Lysander, in the mean time, high admiral of the Lacedæmonian fleet, with thirty-five sail, which he had got together from Peloponnesus, and their confederates next adjoining, passed over to Ephesus and fitted out a fleet, which he sent for from Chios. Then he goes to Cyrus, the son of Darius, and receives from him a great sum of money, for payment of the army. Cyrus being sent for by his father into Persia, intrusts the management of the affairs of his provinces to Lysander, and commands all the tribute to be paid to him: who being now fully supplied with all things necessary for the war, returns to Ephesus. At this time some in Miletus, that favoured an oligarchy, by the help of the Lacedæmonians, abolished the democracy. And to that end, in the beginning of the sedition, when the Dionysian festivals were celebrated, forty that were the greatest enemies against their faction, were surprised in their houses, and murdered. Afterwards, observing their opportunity, when the forum was full of people, they cut off the heads of three hundred of the richest of the citizens. In the mean time above one thousand of the most considerable persons of quality, who were for the democracy, afraid of the present imminent danger, fled to Pharnabuzus, the Persian lord-lieutenant, who received them very courteously, and bestowed upon every one a stater of gold, and ordered Clauda, a castle of Claudia, for their residence.

Lysander, with a great navy, making for Thasos, a city of Caria, in league with the Athenians, takes it by storm, and puts all the men, to the number of eight hundred, to the sword, and sold all the women and children for slaves, and razed the city to the ground. After this he sailed to Attica, and many other places, but did nothing memorable; therefore we have nothing to write farther concerning these matters. The sum of all is, having taken Lampsacus, he dismissed the Athenian garrison there, and sent them home; and after he had plundered the city, restored it to the inhabitants.

The Athenian admirals having intelligence that the Lacedæmonians had besieged Lampsacus with all their forces, got together all their fleet from every place, and with all speed made for Lampsacus, with a hundred and fourscore sail; but hearing that it was taken, they anchored at Ægos Potamos, and there lay. Not long after, they weighed anchor, and made out against the enemy, and dared them every day to a battle; but when the Peloponnesians would not stir, the Athenians began to consider what was best to be done, for that they could not stay long there with the fleet. Hereupon Alcibiades came to them, and assured them that Medocus and Seuthes, kings of the Thracians, who were his special friends, had offered him a great army if he would fight against the Lacedæmonians; and therefore if he might have some share in the command, he engaged either to force the Lacedæmonians to fight at sea, or to fight them at land, by an army out of Thrace. This Alcibiades did to evince how great his desire was to procure some eminent advantage to his country, and by fresh service to regain their former good opinion of him. But the Athenian commanders concluded, that if matters fell out ill, all the blame would be laid upon them; and if well, Alcibiades would reap all the honour of the victory. Therefore they ordered him to withdraw, and not to come near the army for the future.

The enemy still avoiding a fight, and provision growing scarce in the army, Philocles, who commanded that day, ordered the rest of the officers of the fleet to ship their men, and follow him, who having thirty sail in readiness, forthwith loosed out of the harbour. Lysander having intelligence of this by some deserters, makes out to sea with his whole navy, puts Philocles to flight, and sails up to the rest of the Athenian fleet. Hereupon the Athenians which lay there (in regard they had but few of their men on board} were all in a great consternation, through the unexpected approach of the enemy. Lysander, therefore, understanding the confusion and disorder of his enemy's fleet, commanded Eteonicus on shore with the land-army, who forthwith being now landed, judged it highly necessary to improve the present opportunity, and therefore suddenly forces into part of the enemy's camp; and Lysander himself coming up with all his fleet, well manned and provided, hauled as many of the Athenian vessels as there were in the harbour, with grappling-irons, to the shore. Upon this the Athenians were so amazed, and struck with such a sudden astonishment, (not having time either to make out to sea with their ships, or to form themselves into a body at land), so that after a short resistance they turned their backs: hereupon some forsook their ships, others fled out of the camp; every one seeking where he could best preserve himself. Scarce ten of all the commanders and officers of the fleet escaped; amongst whom was Conon, who not daring to return to Athens, out of fear of the people, fled to Evagoras, prince of Cyprus, his special good friend. Many of the soldiers fled by land to Sestos. Lysander possessed himself of all the rest of the fleet, and took Philocles, one of the generals, prisoner, and carried him to Lampsacus, where he put him to death. Then he commanded messengers to Lacedæmon, to carry the news of the victory; and ordered one of the best of the gallies to transport them, magnificently adorning it with the arms and spoils taken from the enemy.

Next he marched with his whole army to Sestos, in pursuit of those that fled thither, took the city, and dismissed the Athenians upon terms. From thence he sailed with all speed to Samos, and forthwith prepares to besiege the city; but sent away Gylippus (he who so eminently assisted the Syracusans at sea) to Sparta, with fifteen hundred talents of silver, besides the spoils. The money was made up in little bags, and to every bag was fixed a scytale, upon which was written the sum of money therein contained. Gylippus being ignorant of what was done, unties the bags, and takes out three hundred talents; but his theft being discovered to the ephori, by the scytales, he fled, and thereupon was condemned to die. Clearchus, the father of Gylippus, in former times, for his having received money of Pericles not to invade Attica, likewise fled, and was adjudged to die, and lived all his days a banished man, among the Thurians in Italy. These two men, who were otherwise virtuous, yet by these sordid acts stained and blemished all the worthy actions of the rest of their lives.

When the Athenians were fully satisfied that they were totally ruined, they determined to strive no longer to be masters at sea, but now employed all their care to repair their walls, and blocked up the haven, expecting nothing more certain than a siege, which happened accordingly; for presently both Agis and Pausanias, the Lacedæmonian generals, broke into Attica with great forces, and encamped under the very walls of Athens: and Lysander entered the Phæus with above two hundred sail. The Athenians, though they were pressed on every side with so many mischiefs, yet stood out, and easily defended the city for some time. But the Peloponnesians resolved in council, in regard it would be very difficult to force the place, to withdraw their forces out of Attica, and by their navy to hinder all provision from being brought into the city; which being put in execution, the Athenians were reduced to extreme want of all things, especially of food, which was used to be imported to them by sea.

Want pressing upon them every day more and more, the city was filled with the dead; upon which those that survived sent forth ambassadors, and procured the terms and conditions following; viz.__That the long fortifications of the Piræus, and their walls, should be demolished; that they should never have above ten long ships; that they should leave all the cities, and be subject to the Lacedæmonians, And thus ended the Peloponnesian war, after it had continued seven-and-twenty years; a war of the longest duration of any come to our knowledge.