The Fall of the Athenian Empire-(A New History of the Peloponnesian War) Donald Kagan - (1987)

I I. The Return of Alcibiades
The battle of Cyzicus took place in April or May of 410. In the next
month or two, the generals in the Straits exploited their victory, chiefly
by establishing a customs-house at Chrysopolis (see Map 9). 1 For about
eighteen months thereafter they appear to have done little of note.
With the Spartans swept from the sea, future tasks of importance would
require more hoplites than they had and cavalry to protect them against
the able horsemen of Pharnabazus.' They could, therefore, do little
until reinforcements arrived. The Spartans used the lull in action as
best they could. Over the winter of 410/9, they built new ships at
Antandrus with Pharnabazus' money and timber from Mt. lda, and
their Syracusan allies helped fortify the city against attack.' Pasippidas,
the admiral who succeeded Mindarus, also gathered ships from Sparta's
allies, before being sent into exile for intriguing with Tissaphernes. •
In the summer of 410, after Agis' abortive raid on Athens, the Spartans
decided to strengthen their control of the Bosporus. They sent Clearchus,
the Spartan who was Byzantium's proxenos, the representative of
1
See above, 244-245.
2
Andrewes UHS LXXIII [1953], 2) rightly emphasizes the importance of hoplites
for the campaigns the Athenians needed to fight after Cyzicus, but he says nothing of
the cavalry, which was also necessary. Pharnabazus' cavalry had helped save the Peloponnesian
army fleeing from the Athenians, who had no cavalry, at Abydos in the
winter of 4111Io (Xen. 1.1.6-7). At Lampsacus in the winter of 409/8, Pharnabazus
commanded a large cavalry force, but the Athenian -cavalry brought by Thcasyllus
allowed them to fight if off (Xen. 1 .2.16).
1
Xen. 1.1.24-6. Early in 408 they also built some new ships at Byzantium (Xen.
I.J.I7).
4
Xen. I.I.J2; I.J.I7.
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