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Peisander (d.394) was the brother in law of
King Agesilaus II of Sparta, and was defeated and killed at the naval battle of
Cnidus, where Sparta's brief period of naval domination ended (Persian-Spartan
War). In 395 Agesilaus, who was already campaigning in Asia Minor, was given
command of a fleet of 120 triremes. He decided to give command of this fleet to
Peisander, who Xenophon described as a man of 'genuine ambition and of a
vigorous spirit, but not sufficiently expert in the details of equipment to
achieve a great naval success'. This was an acceptable arrangement while
Agesilaus was campaigning in the same area, but Sparta was under increasing
pressure back in Greece (Corinthian War), and the king was soon recalled home.
This left Peisander to face a combination of Persia and a resurgent Athens. The
seeds of his defeat were sown when the Athenian admiral
Conon and the Persian satrap
Pharnabazus went to
court and convinced
Artaxerxes to construct a fleet. Peisander soon found himself facing this
new fleet close to Rhodes, where the Spartans were probably attempting to
regain control of the island. The two fleets ended up facing each other around
Loryma, north of Rhodes. Peisander decided to move to Physcus, a move that took
him past the enemy base. The Greeks and Persians moved out to intercept the
Spartans. According to Xenophon the allies deployed with the Greeks under Conon
in front and the Phoenicians in a second row. Peisander was outnumbered, but
still decided to attack. His fleet was arranged with the Spartans on the right
and their allies on the left. As the battle began Peisander's allies deserted.
The Spartans pressed on to attack the Greeks, but they were soon driven onto
the shore. Peisander was killed fighting on his ship, after refusing to abandon
ship even after it been beached. Sparta lost about two thirds of their fleet
When the news reaches Agesilaus he lied to his army, telling them that the navy
has been victorious (although he did admit that Peisander had been killed).
This helped keep Spartan morale high for the upcoming battle of
Coronea (394), an indecisive Spartan
victory.
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