| |
The battle of Solygia in 425 was a minor
Athenian victory during a raid on Corinth, but one that had little long term
impact (Great Peloponnesian War). In the summer of 425 the Athenians sent an
expedition to raid the eastern shores of the Isthmus of Corinth. The expedition
consisted of 2,000 hoplites and 200 cavalry carried on eighty ships, and
commanded by Nicias son of Niceratus. The Athenians were also supported by a
number of Allied contingents. The Corinthians had received advanced warning of
the Athenian plans, and had been able to gather most of their army in the
Isthmus and were on guard. Despite this the Athenians managed to catch the
defenders out by sailing at night and were able to land on a beach overlooked
by the hill of Solygia. The Athenian right landed close to Chersonese, the left
near to Rheitus. Although the exact location of these last two places is
unclear, the overall picture is clearer. Ancient Corinth was inland, with two
ports, one on each side of the Isthmus. The eastern port of Cenchriae was
located at the western end of a bay. The coast then ran south, before turning
east to run around a headland (possibly the Chersonese in question). The hill
of Solygia was in the middle of this headland. The Athenians thus landed with
their left wing threatening Solygia and their right wing somewhere on the coast
nearer to Cenchriae. The Corinthians split their army into three. Half of the
army stayed at Cenchriae to guard against any Athenian movement in that
direction. One company of troops from the other half of the army, under the
command of Battus, occupied Solygia. The main part of this half of the army,
under Lycophron, attacked the Athenians. The first Corinthian assault hit the
Athenian right, but the fighting soon spread along their entire line.
Thucydides gives most details for the fighting on the Athenian right. The
Athenian and Carystian troops on this wing must have been close to their ships
when they were first attacked. The Corinthians were pushed back, and retired up
a slope. They charged the Athenian line again but without success, until a
fresh contingent of Corinthian troops arrived. The Athenians were then pushed
back to their boats for a second time, but the Corinthians were unable to break
through. On their left the Athenians were the ones attacking, advancing towards
Lycophron at Solygia. The Corinthians held their ground against the Athenian
infantry, but according to Thucydides the Athenians were the only ones to have
cavalry. In some unexplained way the Athenian cavalry was decisive, and the
Corinthians on their right retreated in some disorder onto the hill of Solygia.
Lycophron was killed during this near rout. Along the rest of the line the
Corinthians were pushed back, but in good order, and were able to take up a
defensive position on higher ground. This ended the fighting. The Athenians
gathered the bodies of their dead, stripped the Corinthian dead, and built a
trophy to celebrate the victory. The Athenians lost just under 50 men in the
battle, the Corinthians 112. Meanwhile the other half of the Corinthian army
was approaching from the north, and reinforcements from Corinth were
approaching from the west. The Athenians saw these new troops and believing
them to be reinforcements from the Peloponnese took to their ships and retired
to some nearby islands. In the aftermath of this victory the Athenians sailed
along the coast, raiding Crommyon before moving south-east to capture and
fortify the peninsula of Methana. A garrison was left in Methana, and the rest
of the fleet then returned to Athens.
|
|
