Along with
Alexander the Great, one of the preeminent military strategists of
antiquity. Unlike Alexander, however, Alkibiades was neither 1. a
gentleman or 2. the head of a nation. Alkibiades was, within a period of 10 years from 415 BC when the
Sicilian Expedition left Athens until
Antiochus' failure at
Notium in 406, the lead military strategist of 1.
Athens, 2.
Sparta, and 3. the
Persian Empire. He was one of the most charismatic figures in all of recorded history, as demonstrated by his ability to continualy realign his political sympathies.
While still a young soldier, he rose to power as an orator in Athens during the period after the outbreak of the 2nd Peloponnesian War (commonly known as The Peloponnesian War, 431 BC - 405 BC). He is also famous for serving in an early battle of the war at the side of Socrates, many years his senior, and thereafter developing an erotic obsession with the philosopher. There is historical evidence to support the possibility that they engaged in a sexual relationship, although Socrates generally was repulsed by Alkibiades' demeanor and politicaly inclined nature.
The day after Athenian forces departed for the fateful Sicilian Expedition of 415 BC, there occured in Athens what is commonly called the Defamation of the Hermes (pronounced 'Hurms'). The Hermes were small statues of the god Hermes with an erect phallus that stood outside nearly every building in Athens as a kind of good-luck charm. While this may seem odd in modern times, it would be analogous to a group covertly chopping off the tops of all crucifixes in churches or other buildings in New York City -- it would be rather unsettling to many people. The day after the forces left Athens, citizens of the city woke up to find that almost all of the Hermes had been attacked and defaced during the night. There was an ensuing investigation by the government of Athens, which found out almost no information about the event whatsoever. Based on how little information had been unearthed during the investigation, the investigators began to suspect that the Defamation was one part in a highly organized attempt by a covert faction to overthrow the government of Athens. The investigation quickly broadened to include any enemies of the polis of Athens, and Alkibiades' political oponents used it as a way to put him out of favor in the city during his absence. He was was implicated in the event and recalled to Athens to face trial.
Rather than return, however, Alkibiades fled to Sparta, the polis with which Athens was engaged in war. He was recieved by the kings of Sparta, and on his advice the kings seized Dekeleia and fortified it in 413. Alkibiades' time in Sparta was short-lived, however, because he was found to be having an affair with one of the kings' wife, who gave birth to a child widely suspected to be Alkibiades'. He fled from Sparta in 412, and was recieved by the satrap Tissaphernes of Persia. He stayed there briefly until 411, until the recently reinstated democracy of Athens voted to recall him. He did not return to Athens, but assumed command of a fleet in Samos and campaigned in the Cherosonese.
After recovering Byzantium, he returned to a hero's welcome at Athens in 408. He resumed campaigning in the Cherosonese later that year, and continued to win battles over the Spartan navy (which sucked). He continued to command his fleet until 406, when he made the tragic mistake of leaving his friend Antiochus in charge of his fleet for a few short days with explicit instruction to NOT ENGAGE THE PERSIANS IN A NAVAL BATTLE. Antiochus, possibly seeing the opportunity to make a name for himself, engaged the Persians in 406 at the battle of Notium and suffered a defeat. Alkibiades was held responsible and, less than 2 full years after he had been hailed as a hero by the citizens of the polis of Athens and welcomed back, they expelled him again (read: why democracy sucks). He retired to a castle he owned on the Cherosonese, and lived out his days there until he turned into senile. He tried to consul the Athenian commander before the disasterous 'battle' of Aegospotamai, but the commander was unwilling to listen to Alkibiades' advice to not leave his ships unmanned during the soldiers' lunch breaks, and the massacre occured.
I hope I have as much fun in my life as this guy did. He belongs in the same class of military strategists as Alexander, Phillip, Leonidas, Hannibal, Cincinatus, Scipio, Julius Caesar, Augustus Caesar, et al.