Editing Lysander (section)

== Vice-admiral ==
After Callicratidas was defeated and killed at the [[Battle of Arginusae]], Cyrus and the oligarchic clubs which Lysander had sponsored all sent embassies to Sparta requesting the former admiral's return to command. The Spartan government consented, a sign of confidence in his ability and an endorsement of his policy of supporting oligarchies in the Greek cities.<ref>Charles D. Hamilton, ''Sparta's Bitter Victories: Politics and Diplomacy in the Corinthian War'', Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1979, 38, 39, 60</ref> As Spartan law did not allow an admiral to hold office twice, Lysander was instead appointed the secretary (''epistoleus'') or second-in-command to Callicratidas's eventual successor, [[Aracus (admiral)|Aracus]], with the understanding that the latter would allow Lysander to take the lead.<ref>Donald Kagan, ''The Fall of the Athenian Empire'' Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1987, 380</ref> Making his base at Ephesus again, the Spartan began gathering and rebuilding the remnants of the Peloponnesian fleet in the [[Aegean Sea|Aegean]], once again with the full cooperation of his Greek allies and Cyrus.<ref>Donald Kagan, ''The Fall of the Athenian Empire'' Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1987, 380-
381; Charles D. Hamilton, ''Sparta's Bitter Victories: Politics and Diplomacy in the Corinthian War'', Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1979, 39</ref> In the meantime, Lysander visited [[Miletus]], an ally of Sparta, and deceitfully massacred some leading democrats during the festival of [[Dionysus]] in early 405 BC to place his own adherents in power; replacing Miletus' democracy with an [[Oligarchy]].<ref>Paul Cartledge, ''Agesilaos and the Crisis of Sparta'', London: Duckworth, 1987, 91; Donald Kagan, ''The Fall of the Athenian Empire'' Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1987, 382–383</ref> In the summer, Lysander's principal benefactor, Cyrus, was summoned to the deathbed of his father, the King, and, before departing, took the extraordinary step of entrusting the Spartan with his entire treasury and with the revenues from the Persian-ruled cities under his administration.<ref>Charles D. Hamilton, ''Sparta's Bitter Victories: Politics and Diplomacy in the Corinthian War'', Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1979, 39</ref>

Lysander finally set sail with some 125–150 ships, and among his early actions, which are variously reported by the sources, were the massacre and enslavement of the population of Iasus and [[Cedreae]], allies of Athens. He continued toward the [[Hellespont]] to threaten the route of grain transports to Athens from the [[Black Sea]], forcing the Athenians to send their fleet, 180 ships, in pursuit. Lysander set up anchor at [[Lampsacus]] and plundered it, while the Athenians took up a position at [[Aegospotami]] in the opposing shore of the straits. For several days Lysander refused battle, studying the opponent's moves, until, during a moment of enemy carelessness, he [[Battle of Aegospotami|surprised]] the Athenians and captured most of their vessels as they were still ashore and unmanned. The entire Athenian fleet was gone, and Sparta had finally won the Peloponnesian War.<ref>Donald Kagan, ''The Fall of the Athenian Empire'' Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1987, 385–386; Charles D. Hamilton, ''Sparta's Bitter Victories: Politics and Diplomacy in the Corinthian War'', Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1979, 40</ref>

Now in full command of the seas, Lysander began touring the Aegean to receive the surrender of enemy strongholds, ordering all captured Athenian garrisons and [[cleruch]]s (colonists) home in order to overcrowd the city and hasten its surrender through famine.<ref>Charles D. Hamilton, ''Sparta's Bitter Victories: Politics and Diplomacy in the Corinthian War'', Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1979, 43, 45, 163</ref> In many Greek cities, he installed ten-man governing boards (decarchies) whose members were selected from the oligarchic clubs he had sponsored earlier, supported and supervised by a Spartan [[harmost]] (military governor).<ref>Charles D. Hamilton, ''Sparta's Bitter Victories: Politics and Diplomacy in the Corinthian War'', Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1979, 44, 59</ref> Democrats and other opponents of his narrow oligarchies were often massacred or banished.<ref>Charles D. Hamilton, ''Sparta's Bitter Victories: Politics and Diplomacy in the Corinthian War'', Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1979, 65, 85; Paul Cartledge, ''Agesilaos and the Crisis of Sparta'', London: Duckworth, 1987, 91, 93</ref> In a propaganda gesture he restored places like [[Aegina]], [[Melos]] and [[Scione]] to populations whom the Athenians had forcibly uprooted throughout the course of the war.<ref>Charles D. Hamilton, ''Sparta's Bitter Victories: Politics and Diplomacy in the Corinthian War'', Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1979, 44; Nigel M. Kennell, ''Spartans: A New History'', Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010, 202</ref>

Following an unsuccessful attempt to bring about Athens's surrender with a show of force off [[Attica]] in autumn 405 BC, Lysander began establishing contacts with Athenian oligarchic exiles and sponsored their return to the city as one of the conditions for peace,<ref>Charles D. Hamilton, ''Sparta's Bitter Victories: Politics and Diplomacy in the Corinthian War'', Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1979, 62–63; Mark Munn, ''The School of History: Athens in the Age of Socrates'', Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000, 204, 407 (note 22)</ref> which was finally concluded in spring 404 BC. Lysander received the surrender of the last of Athens's allies, [[Samos]], in the summer of 404 BC, after which he went in person to Athens in response to an appeal by Athenian oligarchs. On the anniversary of the [[Battle of Salamis]], Lysander sailed into the [[Piraeus]], ordered the razing of Athens's city walls and the burning of its fleet, and sent for female flautists from the city to play music as the deed was carried out. He also oversaw a meeting of the Athenian assembly which effectively abolished Athens's democracy and replaced it with a governing board of thirty oligarchs (the [[Thirty Tyrants]]).<ref>Mark Munn, ''The School of History: Athens in the Age of Socrates'', Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000, 220</ref>