Editing Alcibiades (section)

===Battles of Abydos and Cyzicus===
{{further|Battle of Abydos|Battle of Cyzicus}}
[[File:Battle of Cyzicus.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|The Athenian strategy at Cyzicus. ''Left'': Alcibiades's decoy force (blue) lures the Spartan fleet (black) out to sea. ''Right'': Thrasybulus and Theramenes bring their squadrons in behind the Spartans to cut off their retreat towards Cyzicus, while Alcibiades turns to face the pursuing force.]]

Alcibiades was recalled by the "intermediate regime" of The Five Thousand, the government which succeeded the Four Hundred in 411, but it is most likely that he waited until 407 BC to actually return to the city.<ref name="Cartwright301">Cartwright-Warner, ''A Historical Commentary on Thucydides'', 301.</ref> Plutarch tells us that, although his recall had already been passed on motion of [[Critias]], a political ally of his, Alcibiades was resolved to come back with glory.<ref name="Plut27">{{cite Plutarch|Alcibiades|27}}</ref> While this was certainly his goal, it was again a means to an end, that end being to avoid prosecution upon his return to Athens.

The next significant part he would play in the war would occur at the [[Battle of Abydos]]. Alcibiades had remained behind at Samos with a small force while Thrasybulus and Thrasyllus led the greater part of the fleet to the [[Hellespont]]. During this period, Alcibiades succeeded in raising money from [[Caria]] and the neighboring area, with which he was able to pay the rowers and gain their favor.<ref>Kagan, ''The Peloponnesian War'', 406.</ref> After the Athenian victory at [[Battle of Cynossema|Cynossema]], both fleets summoned all their ships from around the Aegean to join them for what might be a decisive next engagement. While Alcibiades was still en route, the Athenians fought off the arrival of the Rhodian admiral [[Dorieus (Rhodian athlete and naval commander)|Dorieus]] who appeared with 14 ships and was forced into [[Rhoeteium]].<ref>Xenophon, ''Hellenica'', 1.1.2–5. See Kelly, ''Xenophon’s Hellenika: a Commentary'', 70–5.</ref> The Spartans sailed to assist him and the two fleets clashed at [[Abydos, Hellespont|Abydos]], where the Peloponnesians had set up their main naval base. The battle was evenly matched, and raged for a long time, but the balance tipped towards the Athenians when Alcibiades sailed into the Hellespont with eighteen triremes.<ref name="Plut27"/><ref name="Hellenica1.4.1">Xenophon, ''Hellenica'', 1.1.[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0206 5].</ref> The Persian satrap [[Pharnabazus (5th century BC)|Pharnabazus]], who had replaced Tissaphernes as the sponsor of the Peloponnesian fleet, moved his land army to the shore to defend the ships and sailors who had beached their ships. Only the support of the Persian land army and the coming of night saved the Peloponnesian fleet from complete destruction.<ref>Kagan, ''The Peloponnesian War'', 408</ref>

Shortly after the battle, Tissaphernes had arrived in the Hellespont and Alcibiades left the fleet at Sestos to meet him, bringing gifts and hoping once again to try to win over the Persian governor. Evidently Alcibiades had gravely misjudged his standing with the satrap, and he was arrested on arrival.<ref name="Plut27"/> Within a month he would escape with another Athenian, [[Mantitheos]], and resume command.<ref name="Plut28">{{cite Plutarch|Alcibiades|28}}</ref><ref>Xenophon, ''Hellenica'', 1.1.10. See Kelly, ''Xenophon’s Hellenika: a Commentary'', 77–78.</ref> It was now obvious, however, that he had no influence with the Persians; from now on his authority would depend on what he actually could accomplish rather than on what he promised to do.<ref name = "Kagan410">Kagan, ''The Peloponnesian War'', 410.</ref>

After an interlude of several months in which the Peloponnesians constructed new ships and the Athenians besieged cities and raised money throughout the Aegean, the next major sea battle took place the spring of 410 BC at [[Cyzicus]]. Alcibiades had been forced to flee from [[Sestos]] to Cardia to protect his small fleet from the rebuilt Peloponnesian navy, but as soon as the Athenian fleet was reunited there its commanders led it to Cyzicus, where the Athenians had intelligence indicating that Pharnabazus and [[Mindarus]], the Peloponnesian fleet commander, were together plotting their next move. Concealed by storm and darkness, the combined Athenian force reached the vicinity without being spotted by the Peloponnesians.<ref name="Plut28"/> Here the Athenians devised a plot to draw the enemy into battle. According to [[Diodorus Siculus]], Alcibiades advanced with a small squadron in order to draw the Spartans out to battle, and, after he successfully deceived Mindarus with this ploy, the squadrons of Thrasybulus and Theramenes came to join him, cutting off the Spartans' retreat.{{efn|In the case of the battle of Cyzicus, Robert J. Littman, professor at [[Brandeis University]], points out the different accounts given by Xenophon and Diodorus. According to Xenophon, Alcibiades's victory was due to the luck of a rainstorm, while, according to Diodorus, it was due to a carefully conceived plan. Although most historians prefer the accounts of Xenophon,<ref name="Littman271">R.J. Littman, ''The Strategy of the Battle of Cyzicus'', 271.</ref> Jean Hatzfeld remarks that Diodorus's accounts contain many interesting and unique details.<ref name="Hatzfeld271">J. Hatzfeld, ''Alcibiade'', 271</ref>}}<ref name="Diodorus50">Diodorus, XIII, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0084%3Abook%3D13%3Achapter%3D50 50–51].</ref>

The Spartan fleet suffered losses in the flight and reached the shore with the Athenians in close pursuit. Alcibiades' troops, leading the Athenian pursuit, landed and attempted to pull the Spartan ships back out to sea. The Peloponnesians fought to prevent their ships from being towed away, and Pharnabazus's troops came up to support them.<ref name="Hellenica1.17">Xenophon, ''Hellenica'', 1.1.[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0206 17–23].</ref> Thrasybulus landed his own force to temporarily relieve pressure on Alcibiades, and meanwhile ordered [[Theramenes]] to join up with Athenian land forces nearby and bring them to reinforce the sailors and marines on the beach. The Spartans and Persians, overwhelmed by the arrival of multiple forces from several directions, were defeated and driven off, and the Athenians captured all the Spartan ships which were not destroyed.<ref name="Diodorus74" /><ref>Kagan, ''The Peloponnesian War'', 410–13.</ref> A letter dispatched to Sparta by Hippocrates, vice-admiral under Mindarus, was intercepted and taken to Athens; it ran as follows: "The ships are lost. Mindarus is dead. The men are starving. We know not what to do".<ref name="Hellenica1.17" /> A short time later Sparta petitioned for peace, but their appeals were ultimately rejected by the Athenians.<ref name="Diodorus52-53">Diodorus, ''Library'', [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0084&query=chapter%3D%23304&layout=&loc=13.51.1 52–53].</ref>