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The battle of Panormus in (412 was a minor Athenian victory during the
longer siege of Miletus, most notable for the death of the Spartan commander
Chalcideus (Great Peloponnesian War). In the aftermath of the Athenian disaster
at Syracuse, the Spartans had decided to encourage revolts across the Athenian
Empire. On the Ionian coast of Asia Minor the city of Miletus joined the
revolt, with encouragement from the Athenian exile Alcibiades. The Spartans
used the city as their main base in the area, and send a small fleet under
Chalcideus to support the revolt. The Athenians reacted quickly, and soon
established a blockade of the city. A fleet of twenty ships took up a position
on the nearby island of Lade, and waited for reinforcements. Before these
reinforcements arrived, the Athenians on Lade decided to carry out a raid on
Milesian territory, and landed at Panormus, to the south of the city.
Chalcideus led a small force out to oppose them, but was killed in the
resulting battle. The Athenians must have been worried that a larger army was
close behind, and so retreated without erected a trophy. They returned three
days to do this, but then retreated once again, and the Milesians demolished
the trophy on the grounds that it hadn't been erected while the Athenians held
the ground after the battle. The major reinforcements from Athens arrived
before the end of the summer, and a larger battle was fought at Miletus. The
Athenians and their allies were victorious, but a Peloponnesian fleet arrived
just in time to prevent them from taking advantage, and the siege of Miletus
had to be abandoned. l
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