Eteonicus
Encyclopedia
Eteonicus was a Spartan
commander during the Peloponesian
and Corinthian War
s. He participated in many key engagements, held important commands and is mentioned multiple times by Thucydides
, Xenophon
& Diodorus. His appearance in the record however, is mostly episodic versus truly influential.
sometime in 413 – 412 BC without any notable accomplishments.
In 412 – 411 BC he served as a Spartan governor of Thasos
(or potentially Iasos
) from where he was expelled along with the pro-Spartan faction. The setback was thought to be the result of treachery on the part of a fellow Spartan, Pasippidas who was subsequently exiled from Sparta.
in Mitylene prompting Athens to send a relief force. The Spartan admiral Callicratidas
left Eteonicus blockading Conon with 50 ships and took the remaining 120 ships against the Athenians. The two fleets met at Arginusae just off the Island of Lesbos. The Spartan fleet was completely destroyed and Callicratidas killed. Eteonicus received the news of the defeat and withdrew to Chios
. In the meantime, the Athenians divided their fleet after Arginusae. The main force was sent after Eteonicus while a smaller force was dispatched to pick up the survivors of the 25 ships lost in the battle. However, a bad storm prevented both endeavors. Eteonicus got away and 1000 – 5000 shipwrecked Athenian soldiers drowned leading to a political firestorm in Athens.
Eteonicus experienced further difficulties while in Chios. As winter approached and he had no money to pay his troops they were unable to provide sufficient food and shelter for themselves. This led to a conspiracy aimed at sacking Chios which was an allied state. The conspirators agreed to tie reeds to their arms in order to recognize each other. Eteonicus feared the attack would result in significant damage to Spartan reputation as well as damage the broader Spartan alliance. He was forced to issue the risky order to execute any of his own men seen with a reed tied around his arm. The gambit worked and the crisis was averted. Soon thereafter, Lysander
arrived in Ephesus
to take overall command in Ionia
and Eteonicus joined him there with his forces.
After the battle Lysander swept the Athenians from power throughout much of the extent of their empire. As part of that campaign, Eteonicus was sent by Lysander with 10 triremes to overthrow Athenian power in the North which he was successful in doing.
Greek mercenaries that marched into Persia to fight for Cyrus the Younger
and were stranded there upon his death at Cunaxa. Upon their return, to Ionia, Pharnabazus, the Persian Satrap was worried about the Greek army ravaging his lands. He asked his Spartan allies to help remove the army from his territories. Anaxibius, the Spartan general tricked Xenophon
, the commander of the Ten Thousand, into transporting his army across to Byzantium
with a promise of employment. Once there, the Ten Thousand were stranded and ordered to march into Thrace
and fend for themselves. Refusing to go, the soldiers seized Byzantium which was held for Anaxibius by Eteonicus. Eteonicus was forced to take refuge in the citadel. However Xenophon was able to persuade his troops of the folly inherent in defying Sparta fresh off her domination of the Greek world in the Peloponnesian War. The remnants of the Ten Thousand thereupon retired peacefully from Byzantium.
. Under orders from Sparta, he allowed his Aegentine and Spartan troops to ravage Athenian territories. Athens retaliated by laying siege to Aegina. The Athenians under Pamphilius blockaded Aegina with their fleet as well as constructing fortifications investing the city by land. The naval blockade was lifted by the Spartan fleet under Teleutias
but the Athenians continued to besiege Aegina by land. Soon thereafter, Teleutias was replaced by Hierax
who installed Gorgopas
as governor. Gorgopas was successful in lifting the siege and in several offensive operations but was ultimately killed in an ambush. Eteonicus apparently did not leave Aegina after Gorgopas became governor and assumed command after his death. However, he was unable to compel his troops to undertake further offensive operations due to lack of pay. Teleutias was recalled to take overall command. Through his reputation with the troops and personal charisma he was able to restore discipline despite not having any additional funds.
Spartan Army
The Spartan army was the military force of Sparta, one of the leading city-states of ancient Greece. The army stood at the centre of the Spartan state, whose citizens' primary obligation was to be good soldiers. Subject to military drill from infancy, the Spartans were one of the most feared...
commander during the Peloponesian
Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War, 431 to 404 BC, was an ancient Greek war fought by Athens and its empire against the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. Historians have traditionally divided the war into three phases...
and Corinthian War
Corinthian War
The Corinthian War was an ancient Greek conflict lasting from 395 BC until 387 BC, pitting Sparta against a coalition of four allied states; Thebes, Athens, Corinth, and Argos; which were initially backed by Persia. The immediate cause of the war was a local conflict in northwest Greece in which...
s. He participated in many key engagements, held important commands and is mentioned multiple times by Thucydides
Thucydides
Thucydides was a Greek historian and author from Alimos. His History of the Peloponnesian War recounts the 5th century BC war between Sparta and Athens to the year 411 BC...
, Xenophon
Xenophon
Xenophon , son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, also known as Xenophon of Athens, was a Greek historian, soldier, mercenary, philosopher and a contemporary and admirer of Socrates...
& Diodorus. His appearance in the record however, is mostly episodic versus truly influential.
Peloponnesian War
Eteonicus first appears on the historical stage when serving under Astyochus in a campaign around ChiosChios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
sometime in 413 – 412 BC without any notable accomplishments.
In 412 – 411 BC he served as a Spartan governor of Thasos
Thasos
Thasos or Thassos is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea, close to the coast of Thrace and the plain of the river Nestos but geographically part of Macedonia. It is the northernmost Greek island, and 12th largest by area...
(or potentially Iasos
Iasos
Iasos or Iassos was a city in Caria located on the Gulf of Iasos , opposite the modern town of Güllük, Turkey. It was originally on an island, but is now connected to the mainland...
) from where he was expelled along with the pro-Spartan faction. The setback was thought to be the result of treachery on the part of a fellow Spartan, Pasippidas who was subsequently exiled from Sparta.
Battle of Arginusae and Immediate Aftermath
In 406 BC Spartan forces were blockading the Athenian admiral CononConon
Conon was an Athenian general at the end of the Peloponnesian War, who presided over the crucial Athenian naval defeat at Battle of Aegospotami; later he contributed significantly to the restoration of the political and military power.-Defeat at Aegospotami:Conon had been sent out following the...
in Mitylene prompting Athens to send a relief force. The Spartan admiral Callicratidas
Callicratidas
Callicratidas was a Spartan naval commander in the Peloponnesian War. In 406 BC, he was sent to the Aegean to take command of the Spartan fleet from Lysander, the first navarch....
left Eteonicus blockading Conon with 50 ships and took the remaining 120 ships against the Athenians. The two fleets met at Arginusae just off the Island of Lesbos. The Spartan fleet was completely destroyed and Callicratidas killed. Eteonicus received the news of the defeat and withdrew to Chios
Chios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
. In the meantime, the Athenians divided their fleet after Arginusae. The main force was sent after Eteonicus while a smaller force was dispatched to pick up the survivors of the 25 ships lost in the battle. However, a bad storm prevented both endeavors. Eteonicus got away and 1000 – 5000 shipwrecked Athenian soldiers drowned leading to a political firestorm in Athens.
Eteonicus experienced further difficulties while in Chios. As winter approached and he had no money to pay his troops they were unable to provide sufficient food and shelter for themselves. This led to a conspiracy aimed at sacking Chios which was an allied state. The conspirators agreed to tie reeds to their arms in order to recognize each other. Eteonicus feared the attack would result in significant damage to Spartan reputation as well as damage the broader Spartan alliance. He was forced to issue the risky order to execute any of his own men seen with a reed tied around his arm. The gambit worked and the crisis was averted. Soon thereafter, Lysander
Lysander
Lysander was a Spartan general who commanded the Spartan fleet in the Hellespont which defeated the Athenians at Aegospotami in 405 BC...
arrived in Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
to take overall command in Ionia
Ionia
Ionia is an ancient region of central coastal Anatolia in present-day Turkey, the region nearest İzmir, which was historically Smyrna. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements...
and Eteonicus joined him there with his forces.
Battle of Aegospotami
Two years later, in 404 BC Eteonicus played an important role in the pivotal battle of Aegospotami that effectively ended the Peloponnesian War. There are varying accounts of the battle. However they all agree on the total destruction of the Athenian fleet by Lysander, leading directly to the surrender of Athens. Much of the Athenian fleet was destroyed on the beach while the crews were scattered. Eteonicus led the Spartan land forces that fought on the beach.After the battle Lysander swept the Athenians from power throughout much of the extent of their empire. As part of that campaign, Eteonicus was sent by Lysander with 10 triremes to overthrow Athenian power in the North which he was successful in doing.
Encounter with the "Ten Thousand"
Eteonicus also has a small part in the story of the famous Ten ThousandTen Thousand (Greek)
The Ten Thousand were a group of mercenary units, mainly Greek, drawn up by Cyrus the Younger to attempt to wrest the throne of the Persian Empire from his brother, Artaxerxes II...
Greek mercenaries that marched into Persia to fight for Cyrus the Younger
Cyrus the Younger
Cyrus the Younger, son of Darius II of Persia and Parysatis, was a Persian prince and general. The time of his birth is unknown, but he died in 401 B.C. The history of Cyrus and of the retreat of the Greeks is told by Xenophon in his Anabasis. Another account, probably from Sophaenetus of...
and were stranded there upon his death at Cunaxa. Upon their return, to Ionia, Pharnabazus, the Persian Satrap was worried about the Greek army ravaging his lands. He asked his Spartan allies to help remove the army from his territories. Anaxibius, the Spartan general tricked Xenophon
Xenophon
Xenophon , son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, also known as Xenophon of Athens, was a Greek historian, soldier, mercenary, philosopher and a contemporary and admirer of Socrates...
, the commander of the Ten Thousand, into transporting his army across to Byzantium
Byzantium
Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
with a promise of employment. Once there, the Ten Thousand were stranded and ordered to march into Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
and fend for themselves. Refusing to go, the soldiers seized Byzantium which was held for Anaxibius by Eteonicus. Eteonicus was forced to take refuge in the citadel. However Xenophon was able to persuade his troops of the folly inherent in defying Sparta fresh off her domination of the Greek world in the Peloponnesian War. The remnants of the Ten Thousand thereupon retired peacefully from Byzantium.
Corinthian War
In 388 BC, with the war already several years old, Eteonicus was the Spartan governor of AeginaAegina
Aegina is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, from Athens. Tradition derives the name from Aegina, the mother of Aeacus, who was born in and ruled the island. During ancient times, Aegina was a rival to Athens, the great sea power of the era.-Municipality:The municipality...
. Under orders from Sparta, he allowed his Aegentine and Spartan troops to ravage Athenian territories. Athens retaliated by laying siege to Aegina. The Athenians under Pamphilius blockaded Aegina with their fleet as well as constructing fortifications investing the city by land. The naval blockade was lifted by the Spartan fleet under Teleutias
Teleutias
Teleutias was the brother of the Spartan king Agesilaus II, and a Spartan naval commander in the Corinthian War. He first saw action in the campaign to regain control of the Corinthian Gulf after the Spartan naval disaster at Cnidus in 394 BC, and was later active in the Spartan campaign against...
but the Athenians continued to besiege Aegina by land. Soon thereafter, Teleutias was replaced by Hierax
Hierax
Hierax can refer to a number of people:*Hierax , Spartan Commander in the Corinthian War*Hierax , Learned Egyptian Ascetic living during the 3rd Century...
who installed Gorgopas
Gorgopas (4th Century BC)
Gorgopas was a Spartan commander during the Corinthian War. In 388 BC Hierax was dispatched by Sparta to Aegina to take over the Spartan fleet. The Spartans under the command of Teleutias had earlier driven off the Athenian fleet blockading Aegina...
as governor. Gorgopas was successful in lifting the siege and in several offensive operations but was ultimately killed in an ambush. Eteonicus apparently did not leave Aegina after Gorgopas became governor and assumed command after his death. However, he was unable to compel his troops to undertake further offensive operations due to lack of pay. Teleutias was recalled to take overall command. Through his reputation with the troops and personal charisma he was able to restore discipline despite not having any additional funds.