Alcidas

Alcidas (Ancient Greek: Ἀλκίδας) was a Spartannavarch during the Peloponnesian War.

Biography

He was first appointed to lead 40 allied ships in the Spartan expedition to Mytilene in 427 BC. This was part of a double movement meant to hinder the Athenians from sending help to Lesbos, the other part being an allied invasion of Attica. However, the rebellion of Mytilene was crushed before his force could arrive, largely due to the leisurely pace with which Alcidas led the fleet, and he was forced to put into Embatum in Erythrae seven days after the town capitulated. Alcidas was then urged by Teutiaplus, an Elean, to attack Mytilene anyway, as the Athenians would most assuredly be taken by surprise, but Alcidas acted with typical Spartan hesitance and refused.^[1] Trying another approach, some Ionian exiles advised him to capture a town in Ionia and use it as "a base for effecting the revolt of Ionia." Thucydides states that this idea had merit, as the Spartans were "welcome everywhere", and the loss of Ionia would be a serious blow to Athenian resources. However, Alcidas refused this offer as well, as he "was eager to find himself back in Peloponnese as soon as possible".^[1]

After these events Alcidas led his fleet to Cyllene and found that Brasidas had been sent to him in the capacity of "counsellor", showing the Spartan disapproval of his results at Lesbos. The Spartans then resolved to strengthen the fleet and send it to Corcyra where "a revolution had broken out" and to arrive speedily before the Athenians could send succor. Brasidas and Alcidas prepared accordingly, and together they defeated a fleet of Corcyrean ships, then fled when word reached them that 60 Athenian ships from Leucas under the command of Eurymedon had been dispatched to intercept them.

その後、アルキダスは紀元前426年、トラキスにヘラクレア植民地を建設するために派遣された3人のスパルタ人のうちの1人でした。ヘラクレアは「テルモピュライから約4.5マイル、海から約2.4マイル」離れていました。 トゥキュディデスは、スパルタ人がこの植民地の建設を望んだのは「アテネとの戦争に便利な場所に位置していたからである。エウボイア島への艦隊を集結させることができ、…また、この町はトラキアへの道の拠点としても有用であった」と述べています。

参考文献

1. ハモンド、マーティン (2009). 『トゥキュディデス ペロポネソス戦争』（翻訳） . オックスフォード: オックスフォード大学出版局. p. 143. ISBN 9780192821911。

一次資料

• トゥキュディデス『ペロポネソス戦争史』第3巻。原文はPerseus Projectをご覧ください。