Battle of Eretria

Naval Battle of Eretria

Part of: Peloponnesian War

Ancient triremes in front of a city, ( Temple of Isis in Pompeii )

date	411 BC Chr.
place	before Eretria on Euboia
output	Victory of Sparta
consequences	Euboia's defection from the Attic Empire

Parties to the conflict
Athens	Sparta
Commander
Thymochares	Agesandridas
Troop strength
36 ships	42 ships
losses
22 ships

The Battle of Eretria was a naval battle in the Peloponnesian War that took place in 411 BC. . BC between the fleets of Athens and Sparta was held. The battle established the independence of the island of Euboia from Athens.

prehistory

After the Athenians blocked a Peloponnesian fleet at the Corinthian Speiraion in 412, Sparta sent another fleet of 42 ships to the Saronic Gulf the following year . Just as the clashes between oligarchs and democrats reached their climax in Athens , these ships sailed around the island of Salamis past the port of Piraeus under the command of the Agesandridas of Epidaurus . Their sudden appearance caused considerable excitement in the capital of the Attic Empire, which was still weakened by the catastrophe in Sicily , and accelerated the return to democracy.

Directions

When the Spartans found the entrance to Piraeus defended, they drove on around Cape Sounion to Oropos in northeast Attica . In the port there, they anchored within sight of the city of Eretria on the island of Euboia, which had declared itself ready to desert Athens. Concerned for their richest province, the Athenians immediately dispatched the ships that were just available in Piraeus under the command of Thymochares, which entered the port of Eretria, where, with some of the Trireme already stationed there, they reached a total strength of 36 ships.

course

During the night, the defectors in Eretria signaled to the Spartans on the opposite coast and at the same time tried to delay the supply of the Athenian teams in their city. When the Spartans appeared before Eretria, ready for battle, the next morning, the Athenians were therefore behind with their preparations. Their incompletely manned ships went into battle, mostly uncoordinated. Despite this, they held out for a while, but eventually fled. The Spartans pursued them into the city, which immediately changed sides and gave the Attic rowers a bad reception. 22 Athenian ships were arrested, some of the rest escaped to Chalkis .

consequences

After the Battle of Eretria, almost all of Euboia fell away from Athens, and a little later Chalkis too, who built a bridge over the Euripus in order to join Boiotia and the Peloponnesian League . The newly established Euboian fleet, which was to intervene in the struggle for sea supremacy under the command of the Spartan Epikles, was not fortunate, as it was lost in a storm at the end of 411 on the way to the Hellespont on the Athos promontory . Apparently only twelve men out of 50 ships were able to save themselves. Euboia nevertheless remained independent and sent 406 BC. Again a contingent of ships to support Sparta in the battle of the Arginus .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Thucydides , VIII 94f.
2. ^ Diodorus , Bibliothek , XIII 41.
3. ^ Diodorus, Bibliothek , XIII 99.6.