Chabrias ( ) was a
celebrated Athenian
general of
the 4th century BC. In 388 BC he defeated the Spartans
and
Aeginetans under Gorgopas
at Aegina
and
commanded the fleet sent to assist Evagoras, king of Cyprus
, against the
Persians. In 378, when Athens
entered into an alliance with Thebes
against
Sparta, he defeated Agesilaus II near
Thebes. On this occasion he invented a manoeuvre, which
consisted in receiving a charge on the left knee, with shields
resting on the ground and spears pointed against the enemy.
In 376 he
gained a decisive victory over the Spartan fleet off Naxos
, but, when he might have destroyed the Spartan
fleet, remembering the fate of the generals at Arginusae, he delayed to pick up the bodies of his
dead. Later, when the Athenians changed sides and
joined the Spartans, he repulsed Epaminondas before the walls of Corinth
.
In 366, he
and Callistratus were
accused of treachery in advising the surrender of Oropus
to the
Thebans. He was acquitted, and soon after he accepted
a command under Teos, king of Egypt
, who was
defending his country against Persian reconquest. But on the
outbreak of the
Social War
(357), he joined
Chares in the
command of the Athenian fleet.
He lost his life in an attack on the island
of Chios
.
References
Wikis
Map
Search