Battle of Notium 407 BC Peloponnesian Wars

407 BC saw the arrival in Asia Minor of the very capable Spartan naval command Lysander. He had a fleet of ninety ships, which he decided to base at Ephesus. Alcibiades took the Athenian fleet to the same place, but when Lysander refused to come out and fight, Alcibiades took his fleet to nearby Notium. Alcibiades soon left the fleet to visit other Athenian forces in the area, leaving his pilot Antiochus in command of the fleet, with clear orders not to attack Lysander.

Antiochus ignored these orders, and decided to try and win a victory over part of the Spartan fleet. Our two main sources disagree on the early stages of the resulting battle. In Diodorus Siculus Antiochus took ten ships to Ephesus to challenge Lysander. Lysander led all of his ships out to sea, sank Antiochus's ship, and then pursued the other nine ships back towards Notium.

Another Friday Night Game with my new opponent my Wife.

Me and my wife played this game using simple quick throw down house rules as usual. It is like trying to make my wife understand a foreign language in 10 minutes, so instead we use simple house rules, that grade school kids can understand. She just wants to play, not learn sophisticated rules. 

This was my very first naval battle as well, and I had no rules. So I used what I know and a combination of siege rules and infantry rules. It worked and it was fun.  

I did not have anything to mark sunk ships. I plan on buying a few ships one day from Grand Manner and get some of their sunken galleys they have to represent this. Or I could just buy a few models and dissect them. 

 The Athenian fleet turning around as they near Notium and looking at the approaching Spartan fleet. 

The Athenian fleet (top of photo) is being lured into a trap by the Spartans. My wife unwilling not knowing this.

The Athenian fleet falls in to a trap.

The Spartans attempting to board an Athenian ship, but failed.

The Athenian fleet retreating.

Final move, The Spartans sink the last Athenian ship and win the game finally. My wife amazingly almost game back and could have won the game she had 1 ship against 3. She almost took out all of my ships, but in the end the Spartans prevailed.

This time I beat my wife in the game, but barely. She is good.

All miniatures made by Essex (Athens) and Crocodile Games (Spartans). The Ships are old Academy models.

The Battle of Tanagra 457 BC (Peloponnesian Wars)

The Battle of Tanagra – 457 BC

Spartan Allied Army vs. Athenenian Allied Army

During the 1^st Peloponnesian War between 460 and 446 B.C., Athens and Sparta pursued a series of alliances. In 457 B.C. Sparta marched an army into Boeotia to intervene in a dispute between the Dorians and Phocians. This imposing army of Spartans and their allies compelled the Phocians to back down. Athens took this opportunity to move into position to block the Spartans return by blocking the Corinthian Gulf with their superior navy. The Spartans were left with trying to march through the Megarid near the Isthmus of Corinth. Athens had made a treaty with Megarid and in turn fortified Megara. The Spartan allied army was stuck in Boeotia and decided to stay there and plan their return route.

 Athens sent out an army to meet the Spartans and they came together outside Tanagra. The Spartans suffered heavy losses, but won the battle and opened the way back home. This was the first major land battle of the 1^st Peloponnesian war and started a pattern of Spartan dominance in that theatre. The Athenians had feared the possibilityof the Spartan army ravaging their countryside, which in turn resulted.

 Athenian Allied Forces

The Athenians brought a large contingent of hoplites that was supplemented by a number of allies including the Argives (1,000 heavy infantry). The total number given by Thucydides is 14,000 not including cavalry of which there would be a very small amount. This was a large army from a city state at the time considering only 5,100 were sent on the Syracuse expedition originally, and estimates for Mantinea (418 B.C.) was only around 8-9,000 a side. Allied forces of Athens included Plataeans, Chians, Lesbians, Messenians, Corkyraeans, Zakynthians, Akarnanians as well as towns of the coast of asia and Thrace and all isles of Aegean, except Melos and Thera.

Spartan Allied Forces

The allied Spartan army, led by Nicomedes, consisted of 1,500 Spartans and 10,000 allied soldiers. A group of Thessalian cavalry joined the Spartan side (from the Athenian army) during the battle according to Thucydides. Sparta allies included Boeotians, Megarians, Lokrians, Phoaeans, Leukadians, Ambarakotes and Anaktorians. The coast states supplied ships, the Boeotians, Locrians and Phokians with cavalry.

Using Tactica Rules 

The Battle of Tanagra 457 BC. The Spartans on the right and the Athenians on the left.

 

The room is filling full of smoke as she is planning her next move.

My wife the Victor (The Allied Athenians). Her first battle. She is glowing with victory. I taught her well.