Editing Battle of Aegospotami (section)

==Prelude==
===Lysander's campaigns===
In 405 BC, following the severe Spartan defeat at the [[Battle of Arginusae]], Lysander, the commander who had been responsible for the first Spartan naval successes, was reinstated in command.<ref>[[Xenophon]], ''[[Hellenica]]'' [[s:Hellenica/Book 2/chapter 1#1:6|2.1.6-7]]</ref> Since the Spartan constitution prohibited any commander from holding the office of [[navarch]] more than once, he was appointed as a vice-admiral instead, with the clear understanding that this was a mere legal fiction.<ref>Kagan, ''The Peloponnesian War'', 469</ref>

[[File:Meeting between Cyrus the Younger and Lysander, by Francesco Antonio Grue (1618-1673), maiolica with a dusting technique, Castelli manufacture, Abruzzo. Italy, 17th century.jpg|thumb|left|Meeting between [[Cyrus the Younger]] and [[Lysander]], by [[Francesco Antonio Grue]] (1618-1673).]]
{{Campaignbox Peloponnesian War}}
One of Lysander's advantages as a commander was his close relationship with the [[Achaemenid Dynasty|Persian]] prince [[Cyrus the Younger|Cyrus]]. Using this connection, he quickly raised the money to begin rebuilding the Spartan fleet.<ref>Xenophon, ''Hellenica'' [[s:Hellenica/Book 2/chapter 1#1:11|2.1.11-12]]</ref> When Cyrus was recalled to [[Susa]] by his father [[Darius II|Darius]], he gave Lysander the revenues from all of his cities of Asia Minor.<ref>"He then assigned to Lysander all the tribute which came in from his cities and belonged to him personally, and gave him also the balance he had on hand; and, after reminding Lysander how good a friend he was both to the Lacedaemonian state and to him personally, he set out on the journey to his father." in Xenophon, ''Hellenica'' [https://web.archive.org/web/20190327085747/http://perseus.uchicago.edu/perseus-cgi/citequery3.pl?dbname=GreekFeb2011&getid=1&query=Xen.%20Hell.%202.1.12 2.1.14]</ref> With the resources of this entire wealthy Persian province at his disposal, Lysander was able to quickly reconstitute his fleet.

He then set off on a series of campaigns throughout the Aegean.<ref>Xenophon, ''Hellenica'' [[s:Hellenica/Book 2/chapter 1#1:15|2.1.15-19]]</ref> He seized several Athenian-held cities, and attacked numerous islands. He was unable to move north to the [[Hellespont]], however, because of the threat from the Athenian fleet at [[Samos Island|Samos]]. To divert the Athenians, Lysander struck westward. Approaching quite near to Athens itself, he attacked [[Aegina]] and [[Salamis Island|Salamis]], and even landed in [[Attica]]. The Athenian fleet set out in pursuit, but Lysander sailed around them, reached the Hellespont, and established a base at [[Abydos, Hellespont|Abydos]]. From there, he seized the strategically important town of [[Lampsacus]], opening the way to the Bosporus. Should he reach the strait, he could close down the trade routes from which Athens received the majority of her grain. If the Athenians were to avoid starvation, Lysander had to be contained immediately.

===Athenian response===
The Athenian fleet of 180 ships<ref name=":0" /> caught up with Lysander shortly after he had taken Lampsacus, and established a base at [[Sestos]]. However, perhaps because of the need to keep a close watch on Lysander, they set up camp on a beach much nearer to Lampsacus. The location was less than ideal because of the lack of a harbor and the difficulty of supplying the fleet, but proximity seems to have been the primary concern in the minds of the Athenian generals.<ref>Kagan, ''The Peloponnesian War'', 473</ref> Every day, the fleet sailed out to Lampsacus in battle formation, and waited outside the harbor; when Lysander refused to emerge, they returned home.<ref>Xenophon, ''Hellenica'' [[s:Hellenica/Book 2/chapter 1#1:23|2.1.23]]</ref>

===Alcibiades's involvement===
At this time, the exiled Athenian leader [[Alcibiades]] was living in his ship's [[Forecastle|castle]] near the Athenian camp. Coming down to the beach where the ships were gathered, he made several suggestions to the generals. First, he proposed relocating the fleet to the more secure base at Sestos. Second, he claimed that several [[Thrace|Thracian]] kings had offered to provide him with an army. If the generals would offer him a share of the command, he claimed, he would use this army to assist the Athenians. The generals, however, declined this offer and rejected his advice. Spurned, Alcibiades returned to his home.<ref>Xenophon, ''Hellenica'' [[s:Hellenica/Book 2/chapter 1#1:25|2.1.25-26]]</ref>