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Abydos
 was on
the Asiatic side of the Hellespont - the critical route for Athenian grain from
Ukraine to reach the city.
The Athenian commanders were
Thrasybulus and
Thrasyllus with 74 ships
The Peloponnesian commander was
Mindarus with 97 ships
including a fleet from Syracuse commanded by
Dorieus.
The battle was an Athenian naval victory in the
Peloponnesian
War.
The battle was lengthy and remained even until
Alcibiades arrived from
Samos
with 18 ships as reinforcements. Then the Peloponnesians tried to retreat to
their base at Abydos but lost 30 ships.
Prior to the battle the Athenians had established their base at Sestos on the
European sidefrom which they could counter the Peloponnesians at Abydos.
Mindarus, the Spartan navarch, summoned the Syracusian commander, Dorieus, with
his 14 ships, to join him from Rhodes
at
Abydos, hoping to end the war with a decisive victory.
Dorieus was seen by Athenian look outs and initially driven ashore but managed
to reach Abydos.
The combined Peloponnesians and Syracusians deployed for battle along the Asian
shore of the Hellespont, with Mindarus commanding the right and the Syracusans
holding the left.
The Athenians deployed opposite them, with Thrasybulus commanding the right and
Thrasyllus the left. This put the Peloponnesians at a disadvantage but the
battle continued evenly for most of the day until Alcibiades arrived. At this
the Spartans attempted to flee to Abydos but were attacked loosing 30 ships.
Mindarus managed to reach Abydos where he repaired damaged vessles and planed
with the Persian satrap, Pharnabazus, for another
battle.
The Athenians were still too weak to press the advantage they had gained.
Revolts in Euboea forced them to dispatch 30 ships back to restore the critical
situation. Theremenes
managed to succeed at that plus acquire more funds by taking it from places
along the way.
Then the other Persian satrap,
Tissaphernes, constant
rival of Pharnabazus, arrived. Alcibiades thought he had strong influence with
Tissaphernes and went to meet him. But his king had ordered Tissaphernes to
support Sparta, so he arrested Alcibiades who soon escaped. But it was yet
another down and up and down in Alcibiades' prestige and popularity upon which
his career depended.
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