Arginusae

Reaching the end of Kagan now. The war has shifted to the Aegean as Sparta and its allies, including the angry Syracusans, try to get money out of Tissaphernes and other satraps in the Persian empire. The Athenians scrape together a last ditch fleet to protect the critical grain route through the Hellespont, partly by melting down the golden statues and conscripting farmers to row the ships.

This fleet manages to defeat the Spartan fleet at Arginusae, by a combination of audacious flanking tactics and stunning bravery by the inexperienced crews. Sadly the newly restored democracy at Athens votes to execute the generals for failing to pick up the dead bodies in the ocean.

But sadly the dice are stacked against Athens, despite a brilliant run of naval victories against the odds, the most brilliant probably being at Czicus in the Propontis, and the 'miracle' of Arginusae where for the first time the Spartans had more experienced crews (partly due to Cyrus' subsidies bringing up pay to 4 obols a day, more than the Athenian wages). Athens' inability to reimpose her tributary empire on much of the Ionian mainland and the north shore of the Aegean, coupled with the revolts in Euboea and the civil war in Corcyra, meant that she was unable to meet the costs of maintaining a fleet and mounting operations that the Spartans could afford thanks to the support of the Persians.

With her last reserves of manpower and money committed, Athens' next major setback would leave them with no defences save their own walls, and, more critically, no fleet to protect the supply routes. Without control of the sea, the Periclean strategy of holding out would fail. Strangely, after Arginusae the Spartans offered peace, but the Athenians rejected it. This was their last chance - total defeat would soon follow.