Lysander of Sparta
Lysander of Sparta was a prominent Spartan general and political figure during the late 5th century BCE, known for his strategic military successes and political maneuvers. He played a crucial role in the Peloponnesian War, particularly noted for his victory at the Battle of Notion in 407 BCE, which contributed to the exile of the Athenian leader Alcibiades. Lysander's most significant achievement came in 405 BCE when he commanded the Spartan fleet at the Battle of Aegospotami, decisively defeating the Athenian navy and leading to the fall of Athens.
Following this victory, he established a network of oligarchies in conquered territories, including the notorious Thirty Tyrants in Athens, which faced opposition and was later dismantled. His political ambitions included an attempt to create a maritime empire and an elective monarchy in Sparta, leveraging his connections with Persian support. Lysander's influence extended beyond military matters; he was instrumental in promoting his ally Agesilaus as king and actively engaged in the politics of the Persian Empire. However, his career met a tragic end in 395 BCE when he was killed while attempting to reconcile with other Spartan leaders. Lysander’s legacy reflects the complexities of power, military strategy, and governance in ancient Greece.
Lysander of Sparta
Related civilizations: Persia, Athens, Sparta
Major role/position: Soldier and statesman
Life
A friend of Agesilaus II of Sparta from the junior royal family, Lysander (li-SAN-dur) of Sparta won the Battle of Notion in 407 b.c.e. with the support of Persian Cyrus the Younger, resulting in Alcibiades’ second exile from Athens. Then he built an international oligarchy, subverted his successor Callicratidas, who was lost and was drowned at the Arginusae in 406 b.c.e., and aimed at the whole Aegean.
In 405 b.c.e., Lysander, supported by Cyrus the Younger’s wealth, destroyed the Athenian navy at the Battle of Aegospotami in the Hellespont, starved Athens into submission, and installed Spartan commandants (harmosts) and ten-man oligarchies (decarchies) everywhere he could.
In spring, 404 b.c.e., Lysander as harmost established the Thirty Tyrants and ruled Athens until king Pausanias of the senior royal family recalled him in 403 b.c.e., restored Athenian democracy, and changed Lysander’s hated governance elsewhere.
In 401 b.c.e., Lysander supported Cyrus the Younger’s revolt against Artaxerxes II until Cyrus was killed at Cynaxa. He then made Agesilaus king, to lead another war against Artaxerxes II in 396 b.c.e. Agesilaus despatched him to the Hellespont to counsel another Persian revolt and then back to Sparta to attack Persia’s ally Thebes. He was killed in 395 b.c.e. trying to coordinate with Pausanias, who was exiled for bad faith and bad timing.
Influence
Lysander won the Peloponnesian War (431-404 b.c.e.) and tried to build an elective Spartan monarchy and a maritime empire governed by his friends.
Bibliography
Forrest, W. G. A History of Sparta. London: Bristol Classics, 1995.
Rood, Tim. Thucydides. New York: Clarendon Press, 1998.