Alcibiades

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Alcibiades, son of Cleinias, from Scambonidae, was a renowned Athenian statesman, orator, and general. Born around 450 BC, he hailed from the aristocratic Alcmaeonidae family, whose prominence declined after the Peloponnesian War. As a strategic advisor, military commander, and politician, Alcibiades played a pivotal role in the war's second half. During the conflict, Alcibiades changed his allegiance multiple times. In Athens around 410 BC, he championed an aggressive foreign policy and advocated for the Sicilian Expedition, but fled to Sparta after charges of sacrilege were brought against him. In Sparta, he served as a strategic adviser, proposing several major campaigns against Athens. However, Alcibiades soon made powerful enemies in Sparta and felt compelled to defect to Persia. There, he advised the satrap Tissaphernes until his Athenian allies recalled him. He then served as an Athenian general for several years but was eventually exiled again by his enemies. The Sicilian Expedition, conceived by Alcibiades, might have succeeded under his command instead of Nicias's, scholars argue. In Sparta, Alcibiades played a significant role in Athens' downfall; the capture of Decelea and several critical Athenian subject revolts occurred at his suggestion or under his supervision. Upon returning to Athens, he contributed significantly to a string of victories that led Sparta to seek peace with Athens. Alcibiades favored unconventional tactics, often winning cities through treachery or negotiation rather than siege. His military and political talents were valuable to whichever state held his allegiance, but his propensity for making powerful enemies ensured his constant mobility; by the war's end in the early 410s, his days of relevance were a distant memory.