Ancient-Greece

Cimon of Athens 510 BC – 451 BC

cimon ancient greeceCimon, was a prominent Athenian statesman, military leader, and politician in Ancient Greece. He lived from approximately 510 BC to 450 BC. He was the son of Miltiades, a famous Athenian general known for his victory at the Battle of Marathon, and he played a significant role in shaping Athenian politics and military affairs during the early to mid-5th century BC.
Cimon initially garnered a negative image within Athens.

His chance to earn the respect of his fellow citizens arose on the brink of the Salamis naval battle, where he actively supported Themistocles’ strategic proposal for confronting the Persians at sea instead of on land. During the actual Battle of Salamis, Cimon showcased remarkable courage and valor. Subsequent to Themistocles’ exile in 470 BC, the Athenians appointed Kimon and Aristides to oversee and lead the public affairs and resources.

His abilities, political as well as military, were shown during his campaign, together with Aristides and the king of Sparta Pausanias, in Asia Minor to liberate the Greek cities there from the Persian yoke. He also fought against the Persians in Thrace. His successes resulted in him being excessively honored by the Athenians, who judged that now the Persians were not only resisting in Greece, but were also engaged in campaigns against them.

Cimon then defeated the Dolopian pirates and expelled them from Skyros, which he captured. He also captured Naxos (467 BC) after a long siege. He then turned again against the Persians.
His greatest military success can be considered the battle on the Eurymedon river (469 BC) during which he defeated the Persians who definitively lost their influence in the Aegean. This victory of his increased the political prestige of the Athenians with the result that other cities, especially in Asia Minor, became members of the Alliance (B.D. Merrit et alii, The Athenian Tribute Lists, vol. Ill, 1950, pp. 209 – 13) .

Kimon was the pioneer of the various military operations of the Delian Alliance, which he conducted successfully. This fact ensured him prestige and wealth and made him the leader of the aristocratic party of Athens. The fact that he himself came from an aristocratic family contributed to his being elected to the office of general several times.

Since the Athenian policy on Cyprus was part of the struggle against the Persians, it was logical that the Athenians would try to free it from the Persian yoke, thereby curbing Persian influence. After the victory at Eurymedon, they sent to Cyprus 200 ships led by Charitimides (Ktesias, Persian, 32) but without success. Later, a second attempt was made by Kimonas himself. Indeed, in the spring of 449 BC, a fleet with the same number of ships, as for the first time, set sail for Cyprus under the personal leadership of Cimon and with Anaxikratis as vice-captain (Diod. XII, 4). Sixty of the ships were detached from the main body of the fleet bound for Egypt, to support the rebellion of Amyrtaeus in the Delta (Thuc. I, 112,3). Judging by what followed, this contributed to the weakening of those destined for Cyprus.

In Cyprus there were Persian garrisons stationed at Salamis (Diod., XII, 4, 1) as well as at Marion and Kition, if we judge from the operations of Cimon, while the bulk of the Persian forces were stationed in Cilicia, under the command of Megabyzus.

The operation of the Athenians under Cimon began at Marion, which is the nearest point from Greece, and was the first city they would encounter. Marion seems to have fallen easily and, according to numismatic evidence, Cimon replaced the Phoenician king of Shasma with Stasioikos. Indeed, if we judge from the changes that took place at this time in the palace of Vouni, it seems that Stasioikos would extend his rule to Solos as well (E. Gjerstad, The palace of Vouni, 1932, pp. 145 – 171).

Cimon then proceeded, sailing along the western and southern coasts of Cyprus, to Kition, a stronghold of the Persians and Phoenicians on the island, which he besieged. But during the siege great difficulties arose. The Athenian forces, according to some sources, suffered from famine (=lack of food, Thucyd. I, 112.4) while other sources state that a pestilence (=epidemic) occurred. Cimon himself died suddenly during the siege of Kitium, which means that the second version is the correct one (SCE, IV, 2, p. 483 . Bengtson, The Greeks and the Persians, 1969, p. 95) .

The sudden loss of Cimon forced the Athenians to lift the siege of Kitium and call off the whole campaign. Before leaving Cyprus for Athens, however, they tried one last attack against Salamis and fought a victorious battle on land, while at the same time their fleet overwhelmed the enemy off the city.

These two victories of Cimon’s forces in Cyprus, shortly after his death, gave rise to the well-known epigrammatic phrase that the Athenian general is dead. But during the operations in Salamis, Anaxikratis, who had assumed the leadership of the Athenian expeditionary force after the death of Cimon, was also lost (Thukyd., ibid.). If we believe the testimony of Isocrates (On Peace, 86), the Athenian losses were enormous and can be compared with the disasters in Sicily, Egypt and the Aegis Rivers. Isocrates says that the Athenians lost 150 triremes in Cyprus.

With this state of affairs, the continuation of business in Cyprus was futile. Thus, with what was left, they returned to Greece without realizing their objective. The most prominent victims were buried in Kerameikos together with the most famous Athenians (Pausanias, I, 29, 13). Cyprus remained under Persian rule while the Athenians, with the peace of Callias, pledged not to attempt a similar venture again.

As the ancient philological sources mention, Cimon faced not only the Persian forces in Cyprus, but, included in them, also the forces of the Phoenicians, the Cilicians and the Cypriots. Thucydides (1.112,4) writes that the battle at Salamis, both on land and at sea, took place between Athenians on the one hand, and Phoenicians and Cilicians on the other. Diodorus Sikeliotis (12.3,3) writes that Cimon, while besieging Kition, then engaged in a naval battle against hostile forces coming against him from Cilicia and Phoenicia. Aelius Aristides (Panathinaikos, 151.19) writes that the Athenians did not miss an opportunity not to show their valor, fighting at the same time against the Phoenicians, the Cilicians and the Cypriots.

Also, according to the ancient philological sources, Kimon did not campaign once in Cyprus. Apart from the well-known campaign of 449 BC, during which he lost his life, he also came to the island earlier, immediately after his glorious victory at the Eurymedon River. As Polyaenos writes (Strategies, 1.34.1), after the victory over Eurymedon (469 BC) and after capturing many barbarian ships, he ordered the Greeks to board them, put on Persian uniforms and sail against Cyprus.

The Cypriots, deceived by the sight of their barbarous appearance, received the Athenian fleet as friendly. So the Athenians landed and defeated the Cypriots. Of course Polyaenos, speaking here of “Cypriots”, will certainly mean the Persian and allied garrisons of the island.

The historian Aristodemus also speaks of Cimon’s arrival in Cyprus after the victory over Eurymedon in surviving passages of his work. Diodorus Sikeliotis again mentions (11.61, 1-7) that his trick of dressing his soldiers in Persian uniforms, Cimon did somewhere near Eurymedon, where he defeated the Persian garrisons on land, and then sailed to Cyprus . It should be noted that in Eurymedon, the Persians also expected naval reinforcements from Cyprus, but they did not arrive in time because Cimon hastened the conflict.

Cimon’s reputation wasn’t always positive; he faced criticism for his aristocratic tendencies and his close ties to Sparta, a rival city-state of Athens. He was even temporarily exiled from Athens due to his perceived pro-Spartan stance. However, he was later recalled and played a significant role in the Athenian military successes against the Persians and in conflicts with other Greek city-states.

Cimon’s death occurred around 450 BC, but his legacy continued to influence Athenian politics and military strategies in the years that followed. He left behind a mixed legacy of military prowess, political maneuvering, and complex relationships within the Athenian political landscape.