Tolmides, (

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: Τολμίδης), son of Tolmaeus, was a leading

Athenian 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 ...

general of the

First Peloponnesian War The First Peloponnesian War (460–445 BC) was fought between Sparta as the leaders of the Peloponnesian League and Sparta's other allies, most notably Thebes, and the Delian League led by Athens with support from Argos. This war consisted of ...

. He rivalled Pericles and Myronides for the military leadership of Athens during the 450s and early 440s BC. In 455 BC, Tolmides was given command of a fleet and a force of 4,000 soldiers in order to sail round the coasts of the Peloponnesus attacking the Spartans and their allies. Tolmides seized the city of Methoni, Messenia, Methone in Messenia but was then forced to abandon it due to the arrival of a Spartan force. He attacked the chief Spartan port of Gytheion and burnt the dockyards. He also attacked the island of Kythira, Cythera. Tolmides made an alliance with Zacynthus, an island in the Ionian Sea, and sailing into the Gulf of Corinth he took the Corinthian colony of Chalcis (Aetolia), Chalcis on the northern coast of the gulf and then seized Naupactus in Ozolian Locris and settled refugees from Messenia there who would act as Athenian allies in a strategic location. He also landed in the territory of Sicyon and defeated a force of hoplites sent against him. Later Tolmides settled Athenian cleruchs in Euboea and at Naxos Island, Naxos. In 447 BC, he marched into Boeotia with 1,000 Athenians and some allied troops to put down an uprising against Athenian rule. After garrisoning Chaeronea he encountered a force of Boeotian, Locrian and Euboean exiles at Coronea and the Athenians suffered a heavy defeat with Tolmides dying in the battle.Pausanias 1.27.5 The Athenian defeat at the Battle of Coronea (447 BC), Battle of Coronea heralded the end of the ‘Athenian Land Empire’.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tolmides Ancient Athenian admirals Ancient Athenian generals 5th-century BC Greek people Military personnel killed in action 447 BC deaths Year of birth unknown