Battle of Pylos

Peloponnesian War Campaign 425 BC e. It began with the loss by the Athenians of the Sicilian Messena and the next invasion of the Peloponnesians in Attica , led by King Agis.

In turn, the Athenians sent a squadron of 40 triremes to Sicily under the command of Eurymedont and Sophocles. The military leaders had an order, passing Kerkyra , to help the Athenian supporters in the internecine struggle on this island. Demosthenes , who lived in Athens as a private person, received permission to use these forty ships for military operations in the Peloponnesian waters.

The Athenian squadron, sailing past Laconic , received information about the arrival of the Peloponnesian squadron on Kerkyra. Eurymedont and Sophocles decided to hurry to Kerkyra, but Demosthenes offered to land at Pylos and only then follow to Kerkyra. A rising storm carried the Athenian ships to Pylos. Demosthenes proposed to strengthen this place, indicating that there is a convenient harbor, a lot of stones and forests, and the area itself is not protected and uninhabited for a long distance. In addition, Pylos is located on the land of Messenians hostile to the Spartans 400 stages from Sparta (70 km) and can serve as a convenient base for military operations against the Spartans.

Demosthenes failed to convince either the squadron commanders or other generals. However, the soldiers, forced to remain inactive during the storm, themselves decided to erect fortifications. The places most vulnerable to land attack in six days were surrounded by fortifications. Five ships were left in Pylos at Pilos, and the rest of the Athenian squadron set off to carry out the initial mission.

The Spartans at first did not attach much importance to the landing of the Athenians, but then hastily recalled their army from Attica, having been there for only 15 days. Ground troops and 60 ships located near Kerkyra were sent to Pylos. Demosthenes sent two ships for help - to Eurymedont and the Athenian squadron, located at Zakynthos.

The Spartans intended to attack the Athenian fortifications, protected by a small number of people, and also to lock the Pylos harbor with their ships. At the same time, 420 Spartans led by Epitade landed on the island of Sfakteria, which defended the harbor.

Demosthenes responded by taking action. He pulled the three remaining triremes onto land, and armed their crews with willow shields received from a pirate messenger ship. He connected 40 messenic hoplites from him to his people. He set up warriors in the most fortified places.

The Spartans, who had 43 triremes under the command of Frasimelides, began the assault simultaneously with land and sea in exactly the places where Demosthenes was expecting. The Spartans, due to lack of space, had to land in parts, they encountered the staunch defense of the Athenians. It so happened that the Athenians on land repelled the attack of the Spartan fleet, although the Athenians were traditionally good sailors, and the Spartans had excellent infantry.

The Athenians successfully repelled the Spartan attacks all the first day and part of the second, after which the Spartans were forced to retreat. On the third day, the Spartans sent part of the ships for logs for military vehicles to the north - to the town of Asine.

At the same time, forty triremes arrived from Zakynthos to help the Athenians, including several ships from Navpakt and Chios . Seeing that the coast and Sfakteria were occupied by enemy hoplites, the Athenians spent the night on the open sea near the island of Prota. The next day they lined up in battle formation and called the Spartan ships to battle. However, the Spartans did not go to sea and did not even lock the harbor, continuing to prepare the fleet for battle. Noticing this, the Athenians themselves entered the harbor, took to flight the Spartan ships ready for battle, five of them were captured, one of which was with the crew, and many were damaged. The battle at sea also spread to the coast, when the Athenians struck the Spartan ships, still taking command. The battle went right in the coastal surf, and the Spartans had to fully battle in the water and hold their ships with their hands. Brasid distinguished himself in the battle, having lost his shield in battle.

The Spartans were defeated, although they managed to save some of their ships without crews. Having won, the Athenians placed a trophy and gave the Spartans the bodies of the fallen. Then the Athenians sent their triremes to follow the Spartans to Sphakteria.

The Spartan garrison was locked on the island of Sphakteria by the Athenian fleet. The harbor was now controlled by the Athenian squadron. Realizing that they had suffered a terrible disaster on their land, the Spartans hastily concluded a truce with the Athenians. Subsequently, the Athenians stormed the Sphakteria and captured the surviving Spartans.

• Thucydides . Story
• Stol G.V. History of Ancient Greece in biographies. - Smolensk: Rusich, 2003 .-- 528 p., Ill. ISBN 5-8138-0506-0 .