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

352 THE FALL OF THE ATHENIAN EMPIRE
under Eteonicus, for all the ships that got away made their escape to
the south, landing at Chios, Phocaea, and Cyme." The Spartans lost
seventy-seven ships, some 64 percent of their force, a truly astonishing
number." By comparison, the average of the losses of the defeated
side at the battles of Cynossema, Abydos, and Notium was only about
28 percent." In all of these battles the losing side was able to break
off and escape to safety on land that was not far away. The battle of
Cyzicus, where the Spartans lost their entire fleet, was an amazing
exception to most naval battles; yet it may help us understand what
happened at Arginusae. At Cyzicus the Athenians used deception,
surprise, and independently commanded units to draw the enemy away
from the safety of land and encircle it. That guaranteed victory at sea.
Their subsequent victory on land allowed them the unprecedented
achievement of capturing all of the surviving ships. At Arginusae the
Athenians, once again, employed deception and surprise, as well as
units under independent command, to achieve a great victory. The
double rows on the wings with units free to swing wide to outflank
and encircle their opponents shocked the Spartans and deprived them
of whatever battle plan they may have had. The right wing of the
Athenians was able to close off the two-mile channel between Arginusae
and Lesbos and thereby prevent easy escape to the north. The
left wing, however, was unable to complete the double envelopment,
allowing forty-three Spartan ships to escape.
The Athenians lost twenty-five ships." But they had won a magnificent
victory in the largest battle ever fought between Greek navies. 89
The chief goal of their campaign, the liberation of Conon and his fleet,
was quickly accomplished, for Eteonicus got word of the outcome of
the battle and quickly sailed to Chios, leaving Conon free to rejoin the
85
Xen. I.6.33. Diodocus (•3·99·5) reports that the right wing of the Spartan line
gave way first, but Xenophon's version is more likely. If the ships around Callicratidas
had fled early, they would have found it relatively easy to escape, since they were
located at the southern end of the battle. The Laconian contingent, in that case, would
not have lost nine out of ten of its ships.
86 Diodorus (IJ.I00.4) provides the precise number of losses on the Spartan side.
Xenophon (1.6. 34) says that the Spartans lost nine of ten Laconian ships and the allies
lost more than sixty. The figures are compatible.
117
At Cynossema the Spartans lost twenty-one of eighty-six, or 24 percent; at Abydos,
thirty of ninety-seven, or 31 percent; at Notium, the Athenians lost twenty-two of
eighty, or 28 percent.
88 Xen. 1.6.34; Diod. IJ.IOO.J.
89
Diod. IJ-98·5·