Battle of the Sybota Islands

Sea battle at the Sybota Islands

date	433 BC Chr.
place	Kerkyra
output	draw
consequences	Escalation to war

Parties to the conflict
Kerkyra; Athens	Corinth; Ambrakia, Megara, Leukas, Elis, Anaktorion
Commander
Mikiades, Aisimides, Eurybatos; Lakedaimonios, Diotimos, Proteas (Glaukon, Andokides)	Xenokleides
Troop strength
110 ships; 10 Athenian ships (plus 20 Athenian ships reinforcement); Hoplites , archers, javelin throwers	150 ships; Hoplites, archers, javelin throwers
losses
70 ships, over 1,000 prisoners	30 ships

The Battle of the Sybota Islands was a naval battle between the Corinthian fleet and that of Kerkyra in 433 BC. . Chr delivered. Since both powers were also involved in the Spartan - Athenian antagonism, the battle contributed to the escalation in the run-up to the Peloponnesian War , which broke out soon after.

Kerkyra (today's Corfu ) was originally a colony of Corinth, but in the 5th century BC. In BC it had expanded its own position in the Ionian Sea to such an extent that it could think of pursuing an independent policy independent of Corinth. Therefore it made contact with Athens, which in turn was traditionally a rival of Corinth, especially since Corinth was again an ally of Sparta. Kerkyra had meanwhile built up the second largest fleet of all Greek cities, at the same time Athens sent Kerkyra its own ships to support Corinth, but combined this with the condition that action should only be taken against the Corinthians if they were actually preparing to occupy Kerkyra. Corinth meanwhile sent a powerful naval formation of 150 ships under the command of Xenokleides towards Kerkyra.

Kerkyra had 110 ships under the command of Mikiades, Aisimides and Eurybatos assembled near the Sybota Islands, immediately south of Kerkyra. They were joined by the Athenian ships under Lakedaimonios (a son of Kimon ), Diotimos and Proteas. When the Corinthian fleet arrived, the Kerkyra ships formed into battle formation, with the Athenian ships to their right. Opposite them were the Corinthian ships, with allied ships from Megara and Ambrakia on the far right wing and ships from other allies in the middle. Both parties had hoplites on their ships, as well as archers and spear throwers. Instead of sinking the enemy ships by ramming, as was actually customary in naval battles, the opponents tried to board them, so that a land battle at sea developed, so to speak. The Athenian ships initially kept away from the fight, as the Corinthians made no attempt to land on Kerkyra.

First twenty Kerkyra ships managed to encircle the Corinthians' right wing and drove it back to the Corinthian camp on the coast, which was set on fire by the Kerkyra. The left wing of the Corinthians fought so successfully that the Athenians had to intervene after all to come to the aid of their allies. Still, the Corinthians got the upper hand. They managed to take 1,250 prisoners, although they also killed many of the surviving opponents - a foretaste of the barbarization of war as it was to come across more frequently in the course of the Peloponnesian War.

Kerkyra and Athenians then rushed to protect the island of Kerkyra from invasion, with another twenty Athenian ships under Glaucon came to the rescue. Recognizing the hopelessness of their plan, the Corinthians then held back. The next day they did not venture another battle and finally withdrew completely. Both sides claimed victory for themselves: the Corinthians because of their successes in the sea battle, the Athenians and Kerkyra because they had succeeded in preventing a landing.

The next year the Athenians and Corinthians clashed again in the Battle of Potidaia , which further escalated the conflict between the Athenian and the Spartan camp, so that the formal outbreak of the Peloponnesian War could hardly be avoided.

Eduard Meyer : History of antiquity Volume 7, Phaidon Verlag Essen, p. 269 f.