Battle of Notium | |||||||
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Part of the Peloponnesian War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Sparta | Athens | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Lysander | Antiochus † | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
90 ships | 80 ships | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
No Casualties |
22 ships (15 captured, 7 sunk) | ||||||
The Battle of Notium (or Battle of Ephesus) in 406 BC was a Spartan naval victory in the Peloponnesian War. Prior to the battle, the Athenian commander, Alcibiades, left his helmsman, Antiochus, in command of the Athenian fleet, which was blockading the Spartan fleet in Ephesus. In violation of his orders, Antiochus attempted to draw the Spartans into battle by tempting them with a small decoy force. His strategy backfired, and the Spartans under Lysander scored a small but symbolically significant victory over the Athenian fleet. This victory resulted in the downfall of Alcibiades, and established Lysander as a commander who could defeat the Athenians at sea.