Sybota
Sybota refers to a coastal town in Elinia, located in the Epirus region of northwestern Greece, as well as a group of small islands nearby. Notably, it was the site of a significant naval battle in 433 BC between Corinth and its former colony, Corcyra (modern-day Corfu), which had recently allied with Athens. This battle featured a Corinthian fleet of 150 ships against a Corcyraean flotilla of 110 vessels, supported by 10 Athenian triremes. The engagement saw the Corcyraeans initially falter; however, the Corinthian commander, wary of an approaching Athenian squadron, chose not to pursue the battle further. Consequently, both sides claimed a form of victory, with the Corinthians celebrating a tactical win while the Corcyraeans claimed they would have triumphed had the battle continued. This conflict is noted by the historian Thucydides as a key event that contributed to the escalation of tensions leading to the Peloponnesian War, as it stirred grievances that prompted Corinth to ally with Sparta against Athens.
Sybota
A coastal town of Elinia in Epirus (northwestern Greece), and the name of a group of small islands off its shore, opposite the southern extremity of Corcyra (Corfu)
Off these islands, in 433 BC, was fought a naval battle between Corinth and its former colony Corcyra (Corfu), which had recently formed a `defensive’ alliance with Athens, an action regarded by Corinth as hostile to itself. A Corinthian fleet of one hundred and fifty ships confronted a Corcyraean flotilla one hundred and ten strong, supplemented by a squadron of ten Athenian triremes. The Corcyraeans suffered an initial setback, but the Corinthian commander, instead of following up his success, backed water, for he had caught sight of a second Athenian squadron approaching through the dusk, and probably feared that it might be the main battle fleet of Athens.
The Corinthians sailed home, after setting up a trophy to celebrate their victory, while the Corcyraeans set up another trophy for the victory they would have won if the engagement had continued. This clash at Sybota, according to Thucydides, was the first grievance leading to Corinth's alliance with Sparta against Athens in the Peloponnesian War (431–404), because the Corinthians complained that the Athenians had fought against them although there was technically no state of war between the two cities.