Alcibiades

Family: Athenians · Role: general · First appears: Book 1, section 1, part 1/2

In Book 1, section 1, Alcibiades visited Tissaphernes with gifts and tokens of friendship, but was seized and imprisoned in Sardis. Thirty days later he escaped by night to Clazomenae with Mantitheus. In section 2, he pursued Pharnabazus after defeating him, with cavalry and infantry under Menander.

In section 3, Alcibiades recovered property from the Bithynians and secured pledges of good behaviour. At Chalcedon, Hippocrates fell and his troops fled into the city; Alcibiades then took Selybria. He and Pharnabazus exchanged oaths and personal pledges, with Mitrobates and Arnapes representing Pharnabazus and Euryptolemus and Diotimus representing Alcibiades. At Byzantium, Athenian troops entered with Alcibiades at their head after the gates were opened.

In section 4, while still in exile, Alcibiades was chosen as general alongside Thrasybulus and Conon. He returned to Piraeus on the day of the Plunteria and was declared leader and chief of the State with “irresponsible powers.” He restored the processional march to Eleusis, then sailed for revolted Andros with Aristocrates and Adeimantus. In section 5, after challenging Lysander and returning to Samos when he declined battle, Alcibiades sailed away to his private fortress in the Chersonese after the Athenians chose new generals.