Alcibiades is one of the most famous (or infamous) characters of Classical Greece. A young Athenian aristocrat, he came to prominence during the Peloponnesian War (429-404 BC) between Sparta and Athens. Flamboyant, charismatic (and wealthy), this close associate of Socrates persuaded the Athenians to attempt to stand up to the Spartans on land as part of an alliance he was instrumental in bringing together. Although this led to defeat at the Battle of Mantinea in 418 BC, his prestige remained high. He was also a prime mover in Athens' next big strategic gambit, the Sicilian Expedition of 415 BC, for which he was elected as one of the leaders. Shortly after arrival in Sicily, however, he was recalled to face charges of sacrilege allegedly committed during his pre-expedition revelling. Jumping ship on the return journey, he defected to the Spartans. Alcibiades soon ingratiated himself with the Spartans, encouraging them to aid the Sicilians (ultimately resulting in the utter destruction of the Athenian expedition)and to keep year-round pressure on the Athenians.
He then seems to have overstepped the bounds of hospitality by sleeping with the Spartan queen and was soon on the run again. He then played a devious and dangerous game of shifting loyalties between Sparta, Athens and Persia. He had a hand in engineering the overthrow of democracy at Athens in favour of an oligarchy, which allowed him to return from exile, though he then opposed the increasingly-extreme excesses of that regime. For a time he looked to have restored Athens' fortunes in the war, but went into exile again after being held responsible for the defeat of one of his subordinates in a naval battle. This time he took refuge with the Persians, but as they were now allied to the Spartans, the cuckolded King Agis of Sparta was able to arrange his assassination by Persian agents. There has been no full length biography of this colourful and important character for twenty years. Professor Rhodes brings the authority of an internationally recognized expert in the field, ensuring that this will be a truly significant addition to the literature on Classical Greece.
Alcibiades is a layman accessible historical biography of the Athenian general by Dr. P.J. Rhodes. First published in 2011, this reformat and re-release from Pen & Sword is due out 30th Aug 2021. It's 160 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
This is an academically rigorous but (mostly) layman accessible study of the infamous Athenian general which concentrates on his life through anecdotes and histories contemporaneous and written after his lifetime. The book contains numerous illustrative maps and illustrations to help readers orient themselves with the various battles and travels in which Alcibiades and his compatriots took part. Quite apart from the text, I found the maps, illustrations, photos, and background explanations from the author concerning sources and methodology to be fascinating and enriching. I am not (nor have I ever been) an antiquities scholar, but I find the ancient world fascinating and this was an enlightening (if difficult) read for me.
The book is written with chapters in more or less chronological order: background, childhood, Sicily and first exile, Sparta Persia & Athens, Athenian navy, and his final years and death. The book is meticulously annotated throughout and the chapter notes and bibliography will provide readers with many (many!) hours of further reading. I personally found the text difficult to assimilate in places (mostly because all the battle locations and casts of thousands listed in detail overwhelmed me). It's academically rigorous and will undoubtedly prove a valuable resource to readers who are interested in ancient history and Athens or more specifically the Peloponnesian War.
Four stars for me personally. For fans of the specific era and/or Alcibiades himself, I cannot imagine a more in-depth biography, five stars. There are also numerous black & white photos with captions which I found engaging and instructive.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
