Peisander (; el, Πείσανδρος) was a

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 ...

n admiral during the

Corinthian War The Corinthian War (395–387 BC) was a conflict in ancient Greece which pitted Sparta against a coalition of city-states comprising Thebes, Athens, Corinth and Argos, backed by the Achaemenid Empire. The war was caused by dissatisfaction with ...

. In 395 BC, he was placed in command of the Spartan fleet in the Aegean by his brother-in-law, the king

Agesilaus II Agesilaus II (; grc-gre, Ἀγησίλαος ; c. 442 – 358 BC) was king of Sparta from c. 399 to 358 BC. Generally considered the most important king in the history of Sparta, Agesilaus was the main actor during the period of Spartan hegemony ...

. Peisander was a relatively inexperienced general, and in its very first action his Spartan fleet was decisively defeated at the

Battle of Cnidus The Battle of Cnidus ( gr, Ναυμαχία της Κνίδου) was a military operation conducted in 394 BC by the Achaemenid Empire against the Spartan naval fleet during the Corinthian War. A fleet under the joint command of Pharnabazus an ...

. Peisander died fighting aboard his ship.

References

*Fine, John V.A. ''The Ancient Greeks: A critical history'' (Harvard University Press, 1983). * Ancient Spartan admirals 4th-century BC Spartans Ancient Greeks killed in battle 394 BC deaths Spartans of the Corinthian War Year of birth unknown {{AncientGreece-bio-stub