Eurylochus (

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

: Εὐρύλοχος) was a

Spartan Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the valley of Evrotas river in Laconia, in southeastern Pe ...

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

during 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 ...

. He commanded the Spartan and Ambraciot forces at the Battle of Olpae in 426 BCE, and was killed there.

Sparta's campaign in Western Greece

Six years into the Peloponnesian War, in 426 BCE, the Spartans were invited by their

Aetolian Aetolia () is a mountainous region of Greece on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, forming the eastern part of the modern regional unit of Aetolia-Acarnania. Geography The Achelous River separates Aetolia from Acarnania to the west; on the ...

allies to attack and seize

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 ...

, a major naval base belonging to their mutual enemy, the

Athenian Empire The Delian League was a confederacy of Polis, Greek city-states, numbering between 150 and 330, founded in 478 BC under the leadership (hegemony) of Classical Athens, Athens, whose purpose was to continue fighting the Achaemenid Empire, Persian ...

. Encouraged by a recent defeat of the Athenians under their general

Demosthenes Demosthenes (; ; ; 384 – 12 October 322 BC) was a Greek statesman and orator in ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess and provide insight into the politics and cu ...

in Aetolia, the Spartans agreed to invade the region, and brought an army of three thousand under the command of Eurylochus into central Greece. However, Demosthenes was able to organize the reinforcement of Naupactus's defences before the arrival of the Spartans, who therefore chose not to attack the city after all. Instead, Eurylochus, persuaded by another local ally,

Ambracia Ambracia (; , occasionally , ''Ampracia'') was a city of ancient Greece on the site of modern Arta. It was founded by the Corinthians in 625 BC and was situated about from the Ambracian Gulf, on a bend of the navigable river Arachthos (or ...

, decided to join forces with the Ambraciots and wage a campaign against the latter's enemies, Amphilochia and

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 ...

, hoping by conquering these regions to gain a major strategic advantage against the Athenians in mainland Greece. The Ambraciots attacked Amphilochia in the autumn and seized the fortress of Olpae, not far from

Amphilochian Argos Amphilochian Argos (, ) was the chief town of ancient Amphilochia, situated at the eastern extremity of the Ambraciot Gulf, on the river Inachus. Its territory was called Argeia (Ἀργεία). Foundation legend Its inhabitants laid claim to th ...

, the region's capital. Eurylochus marched his Spartan troops north from Aetolia to meet up with the Ambraciots at Olpae, and successfully evaded an Acarnanian force sent to intercept him. After joining with the Ambraciots, Eurylochus encamped at Amphilochian Metropolis, a site in the vicinity of Olpae. However, before the Spartan-Ambraciot army could attack Argos, the Athenian general Demosthenes arrived at Olpae by sea with a small force, and was given command of the Acarnanian troops. The army of Demosthenes now confronted that of Eurylochus.

Eurylochus at the Battle of Olpae

The two armies faced each other on either side of a dry riverbed for several days. Eurylochus was waiting for further Ambracian reinforcements, but when five days had passed without any sign of these, he chose to attack, a decision which has been harshly judged by historians. In the ensuing Battle of Olpae, Eurylochus led his army's left wing, which outflanked the army's opposite wing. However, Demosthenes had prepared an ambush of Acarnanian troops, which proceeded to attack the rear of Eurylochus's wing, causing a rout of the Spartan forces. By nightfall, Eurylochus, along with his fellow Spartan general

Macarius Macarius is a Latinization (literature), Latinized form of the old Greek given name Makários (Μακάριος), meaning "happy, fortunate, blessed"; compare the Latin Beatus (disambiguation), ''beatus'' and Felix (name) , ''felix''. Ancient Gree ...

, was dead, and the Athenians had won a decisive victory. Eurylochus was succeeded as commander of the remaining Spartan forces by Menedaius.

Sparta's campaign in Western Greece

Eurylochus at the Battle of Olpae

References

Further reading