Alkibiades, a tale of the Great Athenian War

by Charles Hamilton Bromby

Mindaros came up with his fleet, more than covering the whole length of the Athenian line; the Athenians were on the west, or Thrakian, side; the Spartans, and the Syrakusans, who by this time had got their ships afloat again and joined their allies, on the east, near the Dardanian shore. Shouts and paeans arose on either side as the oars lashed the water into foam; trumpets sounded as the great ships dashed at one another. In courage and determination the combatants were equal, but the Athenians were fighting for existence, the Lakedaimonians for victory, the Syrakusans only for revenge.

The Lakedaimonians had a far larger number of ships, but the Athenians were superior in the management of theirs. At that time much depended on the management of vessels. It was a warfare of ramming and avoiding, but it was a splendid warfare. When ship grappled ship, the very attitude in hurling the javelin was graceful and healthy. With open chest, and every muscle starting, with the body set well back upon the legs, the air of heaven was breathed more fully than nowadays as we fight. Then was the noble tug and tussle, where man clasped man, and where individual strength exhibited called forth the admiration of opponents.

All that day the battle raged with varying success. The Spartans lost more than the Athenians; they could afford to lose more. As the October day was drawing in, and the Athenians showed signs of wavering, and their commanders began to fear the enemy would prevent them from carrying off the remnant of their disabled triremes—just in their final struggle, the full sails of a fresh squadron were seen coming, with a fair wind, round the Sigeion Cape. Mindaros thought it must be the reinforcement he was expecting from Miletos, but as it came on before the wind, with all sails set, a purple ensign was run up—the well-known purple ensign—and the Eros came bursting through the waves, and on its prow, in shining panoply, thirsting for the fight, stood Alkibiades, his armour flashing in the red rays of the setting sun.

Onward they came, and when the Athenians recognised their general, they plucked up heart and redoubled all their efforts, and sent up such a cry of joy and thanks, that the Spartans and Syrakusans, when they heard it and saw who it was that came speeding through the sea against them, lost their courage, and before Mindaros could rally his astonished crews the Athenian leader was upon them, breaking through their line and scattering their ships on all sides in disorder.

Mindaros sounded a retreat, and his fleet made for Abydos. Most of the triremes ran ashore; the crews and soldiers leapt out, and ranged themselves upon the bank. The Athenians followed, and, notwithstanding the darts and arrows from the shore, they were in the act of grappling the deserted triremes, when Pharnabazos rode up with all his cavalry and charged the Athenians, the satrap himself leading his men and fighting in the sea, with the water up to his horse’s girths. But for this barbaric aid the whole of the Spartan fleet would have been lost. As it was, the Athenians took more than thirty of their big ships and carried them off in triumph.

Great was the rejoicing of the victors when they got back to Sestos, bringing their spoils with them. Fresh hope and confidence sprang up amongst them—hope, which had been a stranger to Athenian arms for many a day, and confidence, which seemed to have abandoned them. They had shown themselves worthy sons of Athens, able to hold their own, and to protect their liberated mother from the force of Lakedaimôn and Persian barbarian combined against her. They raised a trophy on the promontory of Kynossema by the side of that one which Thrasyboulos and Thrasyllos had placed there more than a month before, and then, with games and feasts, they celebrated the funeral rites of those who had fallen in the fray.

It was not a time, though, to indulge long in feasts and triumphing. The enemy was still strong and not far off, while they were poor, wanting in almost everything except in courage and in hope. Next day Thrasyllos went off to Athens to carry tidings of the fight and victory, and to get, if possible, some reinforcements. Thrasyboulos visited the cities on the coast, collecting tribute and provisions for the fleet, and going as far south as was consistent with his duties as its commander. Alkibiades accompanied him so far, and then went on to Paniônion. He had heard that Tissaphernes had returned from his journey to Aspendos, and was at Magnesia purposing to come north to visit Pharnabazos. Alkibiades saw that this meeting of the two satraps must be stopped at any hazard.

The Eros, decked out in its best array, with the ensign of the strategos flying at its masthead, looked like itself again as it coasted the Ionian shore and entered the little harbour near Paniônion. Alkibiades received information that Tissaphernes was at Magnesia still, but that he was just on the point of leaving on his progress to visit Pharnabazos, if he had not already started. A Persian friend he met at Paniônion warned him somewhat mysteriously that it would be wiser not to venture inland, or trust himself at all just now in Persian territory. But he believed still in his influence with Tissaphernes, and was sure that, if he could but see him before he left, all would be right; and though the significance of the warning he had just received did not escape him, it made him the more determined to push on without delay to Magnesia.

Taking, therefore, only a lieutenant named Mantitheos with him, and a couple of sailors to carry some presents he was bringing for his old friend, he set off at full speed for the place he knew so well. He reached in good time the paradeisos or park of the satrap. Tissaphernes was not there, but was said to be at the castle of Magnesia, just about to start. He hurried on. The castle was surrounded by a force of Persian cavalry. The whole place was full of soldiers.

As Alkibiades and Mantitheos, followed by the sailors bearing the presents, came near the citadel, they saw the guard was in marching order. There was a busy look on every face, a feeling of movement and bustle in the air, very different from the ordinary sleepy quiet of the town. They made their way through the crowd of soldiers outside the gate and the mounted guard within. Alkibiades congratulated himself that he had come just in time to catch the satrap before he left, and so perhaps would be able to stop his going, or, at least, might be able to ride with him on his journey. Who could tell what the effect of his persuasion might be now that he had such an opportunity?