Cimon

Cimon was a powerful Athenian general and politician who lived during the 5th century BC.

He served as a strategos, which is a high-ranking military leader and admiral. Cimon is remembered for his military victories against the Persian Empire. He also played a major role in how Athens interacted with other Greek cities. His leadership helped shape the power of the Athenian navy. His life involved great success, political struggle, and eventually, exile.

Cimon was born around 510 BC into a noble Athenian family. His father was Miltiades, a famous general who had also fought the Persians. Cimon inherited a large debt from his father's legal troubles. He had to pay this debt to secure his father's body for burial. As a young man, he was known for being blunt and unrefined. Some people even said his personality was more like a Spartan than an Athenian. He eventually married Isodice and had several children, including sons who became leaders.

His military career began with great bravery at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC. This was a massive naval battle during the Second Persian invasion of Greece. Because of his courage, he was elected as one of the ten strategoi. He became a central leader in the Delian League, formed in 478 BC. This league was a group of Greek maritime cities that joined to resist Persia.

Cimon commanded most of the League's operations for many years.

One of Cimon's most decisive victories occurred around 466 BC. He led a force to Asia Minor to fight the Persian army. At the Battle of the Eurymedon, he defeated both the Persian land and sea forces. His fleet captured or destroyed 200 Persian triremes, which were fast warships. Following this win, he established a new colony called Amphipolis. This colony was settled by 10,000 people. These successes helped make Athens the dominant sea power in the region.

Cimon's political views often put him at odds with other Athenians. He was a supporter of the aristocrats and opposed the growing democracy. He also acted as a representative for Sparta in Athens. In 462 BC, he convinced the Athenian Assembly to send 4,000 hoplites to help Sparta. The helots, who were a group of people in Sparta, were in revolt at the time. However, the Spartans refused the help and sent the Athenian soldiers home. This diplomatic failure was a major embarrassment for Cimon.

This embarrassment led to a period of political punishment called ostracism. In 461 BC, citizens voted to exile Cimon from Athens for ten years.

People used pieces of broken pottery, called ostraka, to cast their votes. During his exile, the political landscape of Athens changed significantly. New leaders like Pericles rose to power and reduced the influence of the old aristocracy. Cimon eventually returned to Athens in 451 BC, though he held less power than before.

Upon his return, Cimon worked to rebuild the city of Athens. He used wealth gained from his military successes to fund many public projects. He helped expand the Acropolis and built new walls around the city. He also funded public roads, gardens, and political buildings. His final mission was an expedition to Cyprus to fight the Persians. He commanded a fleet of 200 warships during this campaign. Cimon died around 450 BC during the siege of the town of Kition.

Cimon's legacy is tied to the balance of power in the ancient Greek world. His foreign policy focused on resisting Persia and maintaining Athenian naval dominance. At the same time, he sought to keep peace with the land power, Sparta. By supporting these two different goals, he helped delay the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War. His life shows how military success and political choices can change the course of history.