Statesman and military leader
Born: c. 450 b. c.e.; Athens?, Greece Died: 404 b. c.e.; Phrygia, Asia Minor (now in Turkey) Also known as: Alkibiades; Son of Cleinias (or Kleinias) Category: Military; government and politics
Life A controversial, flamboyant general and an ambitious leading politician, Alcibiades (al-suh-BI-uh-deez) of Athens came from an ancient noble family that had diplomatic relations with Sparta. He received an excellent education and was a favorite pupil of the philosopher Socrates. He was an able speaker, and his physical beauty and charm were renowned.
Alcibiades competed with the demagogues who followed the generation of his uncle Pericles, but Alcibiades’ chief opponent was the elder statesman Nicias of Athens. Alcibiades sought to expand Athenian influence, reversing the defensive strategy of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 b. c.e.). He engineered two military expeditions, Mantinea (418 b. c.e.) and Sicily (415 b. c.e.), but both ended in defeat. The Athenians banished Alci-biades following numerous accusations of sacrilege against important cults. He aided Sparta and Persia during this exile but lost their confidence. Upon returning to Athens in 407 b. c.e., he led a successful military campaign but withdrew again after a blunder. At war’s end (404 b. c.e.), Alcibiades was murdered under mysterious circumstances.
Influence A master of intrigue, Alcibiades was known as both a gifted and a brilliant leader. Though admired, he was often feared. His personal excesses and recklessness aroused deep suspicions.
Further Reading
Ellis, W. Alcibiades. New York: Routledge, 1989.
Forde, S. Ambition to Rule: Alcibiades and the Politics of Imperialism in Thucydides. Ithaca, NY.: Cornell University Press, 1989.
The philosopher Socrates (left) instructs a young Alcibiades. (F. R. Niglutsch)
Gribble, D. Alcibiades and Athens: A Study in Literary Presentation. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press, 1999.
Hanson, Victor Davis. A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War. New York: Random House, 2005. Kagan, Donald. The Peloponnesian War. New York: Viking, 2003.
Christopher Sean Planeaux
See also: Athenian Invasion of Sicily; Athens; Mantinea, Battles of; Military History of Athens; Nicias of Athens; Peloponnesian Wars; Pericles; Socrates.
World History
