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Aegospotami

Battles
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A decisive naval battle of the Peloponnesian War in 405 BCE, where Sparta captured the Athenian fleet, ending Athenian hegemony; poetically invoked as a symbol of sudden military catastrophe and imperial fall.

Detailed Definition
At Aegospotami, the Spartan commander Lysander caught the Athenian fleet unprepared on the shore of the Hellespont. The battle ended Athens' command of the sea and hastened the close of the Peloponnesian War. For poets, the name suggests ruin arriving through inattention, an empty beach after vanished sails, and the terrifying quiet that follows a civilization's last strategic mistake.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poem may mention Aegospotami as the sudden naval defeat that ended Athens’ power in the Peloponnesian War; “Like Athens at Aegospotami,” a speaker could describe confidence collapsing through surprise; A poet might use Aegospotami to symbolize a fleet stranded without protection or supplies; An elegy could present the battle as a warning that a single defeat can end a long age of greatness.
Additional Notes
At Aegospotami in 405 BCE, the Spartan commander Lysander captured the Athenian fleet while it was carelessly dispersed. The defeat led to Athens’ surrender in the Peloponnesian War. In poetry, the name can suggest naval disaster, overconfidence, or a sudden reversal of fortune.
Also Known As
Battle of Aegospotami Battle of Aegospotamos
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