Asopius () was the name of several men of

Ancient Greece Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...

related to the 5th-century BCE

Athenian Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

general

Phormio Phormio ( ''Phormion'', ''gen''.: Φορμίωνος), the son of Asopius, was an Athenian general and admiral before and during the Peloponnesian War. A talented naval commander, Phormio commanded at several famous Athenian victories in 428 BC ...

, and the events of the

Peloponnesian War The Second Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), often called simply the Peloponnesian War (), was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek war fought between Classical Athens, Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Ancien ...

: * Asopius, the father of Phormio. The geographer Pausanias wrote that this man's name was " Asopichus" instead of "Asopius". Nothing further is known of him. * Asopius, the son of Phormio, and grandson of the above. This Asopius was, at the request of the

Acarnania Acarnania () is a region of west-central Greece that lies along the Ionian Sea, west of Aetolia, with the Achelous River for a boundary, and north of the gulf of Calydon, which is the entrance to the Gulf of Corinth. Today it forms the western part ...

ns who wanted someone from Phormio's family to be in the command, sent by the

Athenians Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

in the year following his father's naval victories, in 428 BCE (that is, the 4th year of the

), with 30 ships to

Laconia Laconia or Lakonia (, , ) is a historical and Administrative regions of Greece, administrative region of Greece located on the southeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its administrative capital is Sparti (municipality), Sparta. The word ...

and thereafter to

Naupactus Nafpaktos () or Naupactus, is a town and a former Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality in Nafpaktia, Aetolia-Acarnania, West Greece, situated on a bay on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, west of the mouth of the river Mor ...

. Asopius then sent 18 ships back to Athens, and continued on to raze Oeniadae with his remaining fleet, though the people of that city remained unbowed. Very shortly afterwards, he landed his ground forces on the Leucadian coast and attacked the city of Nericus. In retreat from that assault, Asopius and most of his forces were cut off by a numerically superior force of Leucadians and some coast guards, and were killed.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Asopius Ancient Athenian admirals 5th-century BC Athenians Athenians of the Peloponnesian War 428 BC deaths