Pylos Pylos, known today as Pilos or Navarino, stands in the far southwestern quadrant of the Peloponnesus. (more) Battle of Pylos ancient Greek history [425 bce] Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Print Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Pylos Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Military History Encyclopedia on the Web - Battle of Pylos, 425 BC HistoryNet - Peloponnesian War: Battle of Pylos Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by Donald Sommerville Donald Sommerville is a writer and editor specializing in military history. He holds degrees in history and war studies from Oxford University and London University. His work appears in Encyclopaedia Britannica... Donald Sommerville Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Dec 2, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question Quick Facts Date: July 425 BCE (Show more) Location: Greece Pylos (Show more) Participants: Athens Sparta (Show more) Context: Peloponnesian War (Show more) See all related content In the Peloponnesian War, Athens, Sparta, and their respective allies contested supremacy in Greece and the eastern Mediterranean. Sparta was usually stronger on land and Athens at sea. At Pylos in July 425 bce, an Athenian naval success led to the surrender of a Spartan land force, an almost unprecedented event.

　　From around 460 bce, Athens and its allies in the so-called Delian League—mainly island and coastal states around the Aegean—fought a series of wars against Sparta and its allies, based predominantly in the Peloponnese and other parts of mainland Greece. Backed by its great trading wealth, Athens was dominant at sea and the city itself was strongly fortified. Athens thus held out against repeated Spartan land invasions.

　　Peloponnesian War Events keyboard_arrow_left

　　Battle of Pylos July 425 BCE

　　Siege of Syracuse September 413 BCE

　　Battle of Aegospotami 405 BCE keyboard_arrow_right Pericles, the Athenian supreme commander, had long counseled a defensive war meant to maintain the power of Athens rather than to expand it. From around 426 bce, three years after Pericles’s death, a new Athenian leader, Cleon, began a more aggressive strategy, stepping up raids on the coast of the Peloponnese. In the course of these operations, having put in there to escape a storm at sea, a small Athenian force under the command of Demosthenes set up a base in the summer of 425 bce at Pylos, on the Bay of Navarino, on the southwest coast. Faced with this threat less than 70 miles (110 km) from their home city, the Spartans attacked.

　　A three-stage battle followed. At first, superior Spartan forces under the command of Brasidas attacked the Greek camp on land, but were soon forced back. Next the main Athenian fleet arrived, defeated the Spartan fleet, and captured a number of its ships. This left a small Spartan army cut off on the island of Sphacteria in the bay. After peace negotiations failed, the Athenians attacked the island and forced the Spartans to surrender. Those surrendering included more than one hundred of Sparta’s elite warrior class, an outcome that was a shocking blow to Spartan prestige and an inspiration to Athens and its allies as the war continued.