The Battle of Syme was a naval battle in 411 BC between

Sparta Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...

and

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, during the

Peloponnesian War The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) was an ancient Greek war fought between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Greek world. The war remained undecided for a long time until the decisive intervention of th ...

. It took place near the island of Syme in the south-eastern

Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi (Greek language, Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish language, Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It ...

.J. B. Bury, Russell Meiggs, Istoria Greciei până la moartea lui Alexandru cel Mare, p. 308 In 411 the Spartans made an alliance with

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. The alliance was made by Therimenes, who handed the Spartan fleet over to

Astyochus Astyochus or Astyochos ( gr, Ἀστύοχος) was a Spartan Spartan navarch, navarch who served as commander of the collective Spartan naval forces along the coast of Asia Minor from 412–411 BC. He is regarded by many contemporaries and modern s ...

once the negotiations were complete; Therimenes later drowned at sea. Astyochus was instructed to sail to

Cnidus Knidos or Cnidus (; grc-gre, Κνίδος, , , Knídos) was a Greek city in ancient Caria and part of the Dorian Hexapolis, in south-western Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey. It was situated on the Datça peninsula, which forms the southern side o ...

to meet up with twenty-seven ships from

Caunus Kaunos (Carian: ''Kbid'';. Translator Chris Markham. Lycian: ''Khbide''; Ancient Greek: ; la, Caunus) was a city of ancient Caria and in Anatolia, a few kilometres west of the modern town of Dalyan, Muğla Province, Turkey. The Calbys riv ...

, equipped for them by the Persians. Meanwhile, the Athenian fleet was stationed at

Samos Samos (, also ; el, Σάμος ) is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of western Turkey, from which it is separated by the -wide Mycale Strait. It is also a separate ...

under the command of Charminus. Charminus knew the Spartans were coming, having been informed by the Melians, and prepared to meet Astyochus at Syme. The fleets met during a storm, with poor visibility, and after many of the Spartan ships had become separated from the main fleet. With about twenty ships Charminus battled with the Spartan left wing, the only portion visible to him, and sank three ships. However, the rest of the Spartan fleet then arrived and surrounded the Athenians. Charminus retreated to

Halicarnassus Halicarnassus (; grc, Ἁλικαρνᾱσσός ''Halikarnāssós'' or ''Alikarnāssós''; tr, Halikarnas; Carian: 𐊠𐊣𐊫𐊰 𐊴𐊠𐊥𐊵𐊫𐊰 ''alos k̂arnos'') was an ancient Greek city in Caria, in Anatolia. It was located i ...

after losing six ships. The rest of the Athenian fleet came out from Samos and sailed to Cnidus, but neither side was willing to fight another battle.

References

Syme 411 BC 410s BC conflicts Ancient Aegean Sea Syme Syme {{AncientGreece-battle-stub