Strombichides

Who is Strombichides?

Strombichides was an Athenian admiral and politician who lived around 400BC.

He was a son of Diotimus, was appointed to command the eight ships which the Athenians sent to the coast of Asia Minor, on the news of the revolt of Chios, in 412 BC. On his arrival at Samos he added a Samian trireme to his squadron, and sailed to Teos to check the spirit of rebellion there. But soon after he was compelled to flee to Samos from a superior Peloponnesian fleet, under Chalcideus and Alcibiades, and Teos forthwith revolted.

Not long after this Strombichides seems to have returned to Athens, and later in the same year he was one of three commanders who were sent to the Athenians at Samos with a reinforcement of thirty-five ships, which increased their whole force to 104. This they now divided, retaining the greater part of it at Samos to command the sea, and to carry on the war against Miletus, while Strombichides and two others were despatched to Chios with thirty triremes. On their way they lost three of their vessels in a storm ; but with the rest they pro­ceded to Lesbos, and made preparations for the Siege of Chios, to which island they then crossed over, fortified a strong post named Delphinium, and reduced the Chians for a time to great extremities.