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{{Short description|5th-century BC Spartan admiral}}
'''Alcidas''' ({{langx|grc|Ἀλκίδας}}) was a [[Sparta]]n [[Spartan navarch|navarch]] during the [[Peloponnesian War]].
He was first appointed to lead 40 allied ships in the Spartan expedition to [[Mytilene]] in 427 BC. This was part of a double movement meant to hinder the [[Athenians]] from sending help to [[Lesbos]], the other part being an allied invasion of [[Attica]].  However, the rebellion of Mytilene was crushed before his force could arrive, largely due to the leisurely pace with which Alcidas led the fleet, and he was forced to put into [[Embatum]] in [[Erythrae]] seven days after the town capitulated. Alcidas was then urged by [[Teutiaplus]], an Elean, to attack Mytilene anyway, as the Athenians would most assuredly be taken by surprise, but Alcidas acted with typical Spartan hesitance and refused.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title = Thucydides - The Peloponnesian War (translation)|last = Hammond|first = Martin|publisher = Oxford University Press|year = 2009|isbn = 9780192821911|location = Oxford|pages = 143}}</ref>  Trying another approach, some [[Ionia|Ionian]] exiles advised him to capture a town in Ionia and use it as "a base for effecting the revolt of Ionia."  [[Thucydides]] states that this idea had merit, as the Spartans were "welcome everywhere", and the loss of Ionia would be a serious blow to Athenian resources. However, Alcidas refused this offer as well, as he "was eager to find himself back in Peloponnese as soon as possible".<ref name=":0" />
After these events Alcidas led his fleet to [[Kyllini, Elis|Cyllene]] and found that [[Brasidas]] had been sent to him in the capacity of "counsellor", showing the Spartan disapproval of his results at [[Lesbos]].  The Spartans then resolved to strengthen the fleet and send it to [[Corcyra]] where "a revolution had broken out" and to arrive speedily before the Athenians could send succor.  [[Brasidas]] and Alcidas prepared accordingly, and together they defeated a fleet of Corcyrean ships, then fled when word reached them that 60 Athenian ships from [[Leukas|Leucas]] under the command of [[Eurymedon (strategos)|Eurymedon]] had been dispatched to intercept them.
Later, Alcidas was one of the three Spartans sent to found the colony of [[Heraclea in Trachis]] in 426 BC. Heraclea was "distant about four miles and a half from [[Thermopylae]], and two miles and a quarter from the sea."  [[Thucydides]] states that the Spartans wished to found this colony "because it would lie conveniently for the purposes of the war against the Athenians.  A fleet might be assembled there to go against [[Euboea]]...and the town would also be useful as a station on the road to [[Thrace]]."
== References ==
<references />
'''Primary Source
* Thucydides, ''[[History of the Peloponnesian War]]'', Book III. See original text in [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0199 Perseus program].
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[[Category:Ancient Spartan admirals]]
[[Category:5th-century BC Spartans]]
[[Category:Spartans of the Peloponnesian War]]
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