In the summer of 424 B.C., the Athenians, with 60 ships, 2,000 hoplites, a small cavalry force, and allies from Miletus and elsewhere, launched a campaign against Kythira. Their generals were Nicias of Nikiratos, the Nicostratus of Dieitrephus and Autokles by Tolmaios.
The inhabitants of Kythira were settlers from Sparta. The governor was named Magistrate of Kythira and they sent him there every year from Sparta. The Spartans always maintained a garrison of hoplites and took great care to ensure the island’s security. For them, it served as a waystation where they intercepted merchant ships from Egypt and Libya. In addition, Kythira served as a defense against pirates, who could only threaten Laconia from the sea.
Upon arriving at Kythira, the Athenians, with ten ships and 2,000 Miletian hoplites, captured the coastal city of Skandeia. With the rest of the army, they landed on the island’s coast facing Malea and advanced toward the city of Kythira. They found the Kythireans all lined up and ready; a battle ensued, and the Kythireans put up a brief resistance, but then retreated and took refuge in their acropolis. They subsequently negotiated a truce with Nicias and the other generals, on the condition that the Athenians decide their fate, provided they were not put to death. Nicias had already reached agreements with some of the Cytherians, and for this reason the agreement was concluded quickly and on favorable terms, both regarding their immediate surrender and the future fate of the inhabitants; otherwise the Athenians would certainly have deported all the Kythireans who were Spartans. After the surrender, the Athenians also settled in Skandeia, a small town on the harbor; they left a garrison in Kythira and went to Asine, Elos, and most of the coastal villages of Laconia; they landed, set up camp wherever the terrain was suitable, and ravaged the land for about seven days.
When the Spartans saw that the Athenians had taken control of Kythira and anticipated that they would also land on their own territory, did not deploy their entire army anywhere. Instead, they sent garrisons to various locations, as many hoplites as were needed in each location, and maintained strict vigilance, for fear that some violent overthrow of their internal regime might be attempted. They had suffered an unexpected and terrible defeat at Sphacteria; the enemy held Pylos and Kythira and was encircling them on all sides, moving swiftly and dealing blows from which they could not defend themselves. For this reason, and despite their usual tactics, they organized a unit of 400 horsemen, and a unit of archers, but they were more hesitant than ever before to make decisions on military matters.
The Athenians set sail for Kythira in their ships. Some went to Epidaurus and Limera, and after ravaging part of the land, they reached Thyreia, a city-state located in the region of Kynouria, but on the border between Argos and Laconia. Previously, this region had belonged to the Spartans, but they ceded it to the Aeginetans, who had been expelled from their island.
Even before the Athenians arrived, the Aeginetans abandoned the wall they happened to be building on the beach and retreated to the upper city—where they lived—about ten stadia from the sea. The Spartan garrison (one of those stationed in the area), which had been assisting the Aeginetans in building the wall, refused, even though the Aeginetans asked them to, to shut themselves in the acropolis with them, for fear of being besieged there. They retreated to the high ground and, realizing they were no match for the Athenians, made no attempt to move from there. Meanwhile, the Athenians disembarked and advanced with all their forces toward Thyreia, which they captured. They burned it to the ground, plundered it, and took back to Athens all the Aeginetans who had not been killed in the skirmish, as well as their Spartan commander. Tantalus, son of Patroclus. They had captured him while he was wounded. They also had with them some of the people from Kythira whom they had displaced for security reasons. The Athenians decided to scatter these few people among the various islands, but to leave the Kythirians on their own island, with the obligation to pay an annual tax of four talents. As for the Aeginetans, however, they decided to kill them all, because they were long-standing, unrepentant enemies of the Athenians. Tantalus was imprisoned along with the other captives from Sphacteria.
