Page 117 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo I

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ActA
lead them to prevail. The Peloponnesian War lasted for twenty-seven years and it was
to surpass all the previous wars among the Greeks by its scale and intensity. The war’s
objectives, its severity, and its consequences over the whole of Greece, even the fact that
Thucydides recorded its events, make that war a unique milestone in the history of ancient
Greece. During the opening hostilities the Athenians lacked sufficient land forces and
avoided the open confrontation on land, while the Spartans did not possess a strong fleet
and did not wish a confrontation at the sea.
11
The Athenian Landing Operations in Peloponnese (431-430 BC) : During the summer
of the first two years of the war, while the Lacedaimonians looted the broader Attica re-
gion, the Athenians landed their forces in the enemy territory. Warships were transformed
to enable the transport and the landing of cavalry units. While the hoplites were occupied
cutting trees and ravaging the country houses, the archers could safely set on fire the fields
by shooting fire arrows; the cavalry served to inspect the land region, notifying the infan-
try for the likely approach of enemy units.
The Naval Battle at Naupactus (430 BC) : In the second year of the war, the Lace-
12
daimonians found the navy of Peloponnese not adequate and ordered their allied cities of
Italy and Sicily to build ships, each according to its population. In the Acarnania opera-
tions, the Spartan sent a fleet and infantry. On the appearance of the Peloponnesian fleet,
the Athenian fleet’s admiral Formion boarded his crews aboard the ships and started to
sail along the Aetolia coast. Along with the fleet, the Messenian army advanced. It was
the part of the army that the Athenians had stationed there during the war’s first year for
its reinforcement. The Peloponnesians seeing that the fleet was sailing in a single line and
even close to the coast, which was what they desired more than anything, they suddenly
turned and managed to circle the most of the ships. They forced them to burst into the land
destroying them.
The Mesenians managed to rescue some of them. They went into the sea with their
weapon and climbing to the ships they fought from the ship decks. Yet the Athenians
suddenly chased the Peloponnesian fleet with those ships that had been rescued and recap-
tured the ships they had lost. Athenian and Peloponneseans raised trophies each consider-
ing himself from his own side to be the winner.
The Mytelene Siege (428-427 BC) : The Athenians put an end at Mytilene’s insurgen-
13
cy by sending one thousand hoplites, especially trained in the naval skills and even more
they were rowing by themselves sailing to the island. On their arrival, they built walls
around the city and went on to a tight blockade. Once again, the Athenians confirmed their
dominant role by a coordinated siege from land and sea.
14
Athens Great Expedition in Sicily (Aug 415-Sep 413 BC) : In Sicily, the Syracusians

11 “The Athenians sent the one hundred ships, as soon as those were ready to sail, around the Peloponnesean
coast with one thousand hoplites on board and four hundred archers…”, Ibid., IΙ, 23
12 “…the Mesenians aiding and intervening entered armed into the sea and boarding on the ships they were
fighting...”, Ibid., IΙ, 91
13 “...entire Mytelene was besieged both by land and sea.”, Ibid., IIΙ, 18
14 “The Syracusians… during the operations of the same day attacked the Athenians with their infantry and
navy.”, Ibid., VΙ, 39