The Battle of Syme

Charles leaned over the map spread out on the ship's table. The seas were getting rough, visibility was low, and his men were not looking forward to the storm, but there was no time to bring the fleet in to land. The Spartans would be on the move, and the port of Syme was a poor place to face them.

He went over the information in his mind: The Melian slave, Sandra, had come to his tent a week ago to warn him of an alliance Therimenes was forging with the Persians. The Melians were a canny group, and even as slaves they had contacts across the Aegean. The Spartan fleet would be sailing under Astyochus, to Knidos, to meet up with the Persian fleet there. Charles had already sent one ship back to Athens to summon the bulk of the Athenian fleet to Knidos, but in the meantime it was up to him to stop Astair's fleet from reaching the Persians.

He had sailed from Milos with eighteen fast ships, loaded with Athenian marines, ready to do their part for the war and the empire. Charles was getting old, though, and this storm irritated him. Instead he tried to focus on his plan of battle. They would first stick together and try to outmaneuver the enemy ships. Then they would fan out and force the enemy to clump up. Then one flank or the other would close in first, and the other would follow soon after. Charles had won many battles this way. They key was to avoid getting tangled in your own fleet, which is why he drilled his men on close , and precision rowing and sailing. The Spartans were substandard sailors at best, but fierce warriors. He would try to press his naval superiority as long as possible before closing for hard combat.

"Oy, ships!" The cry came from Perry, in Aaron's boat, off to the port. With a few shouts Charles swiftly turned the fleet to intercept, and told his men to row fairly. No use tiring them out before the fight.

The storm closed in.

Vince stood at the prow of his Spartan ship, staring out into the dark, rough waters. Somehow they gotten separated from Astair and the rest of the fleet, and now he was just trying to make time through the storm, hoping to rejoin the fleet in the evening.

The swells were larger now, and a few of his ships were busy bailing water, though none were in serious danger of capsizing. He saw the masts just as he heard the cry, "Athenians! It's Charminus!"

The storm closed in.

Charles started shouting orders, bringing his fleet south, upwind of the Spartans. There were fewer ships here than he had expected-- only ten. It would be easy enough for him to defeat them. The Spartans turned to flee east. That made Charles curious. Fleeing north would be faster, and surely they could see that. He brought his fleet downwind to close with the spartans, sending his fastest eight vessels ahead to cut off the Spartan's eastward tack, and swung the rest of the fleet north to flank the Spartans when they turned away.

Vince could tell he was outmaneuvered. Charminus was famous for his grasp of naval strategy. But Vince knew that if he could reach Astair and the rest of the fleet the battle would swing in their favor. He guessed they were east of here, and he told his men to put their backs into it.

The Athenian vanguard closed, and a rain of arrows and javelins from the starboard fell on the Spartan fleet. The Spartans let loose their own missiles on the ships that had cut them off, and then tacked north. Charles closed the trap, and bellowed for ramming speed. His own ship hurtled into the side of the trailing Spartan ship, as spears and javelins flew all around. A few of the Spartan marines tried to leap onto the Athenian ship as their own vessel began to sink, but they were quickly dispatched. Nearby, another Spartan ship went under, taking on too much water because of the barrage of spears.

The vanguard swung around, concentrating their fire on the starboard flank of the Spartan convoy. The fighting was fierce, but another Spartan ship sunk beneath the waves. Amid the shouting and clashing of arms, none of the Athenians noticed Astyochus and the rest of the Spartan fleet moving in behind the Athenians.

Astair noticed, but that's because it was relatively quiet on his boat. "Fan out! battle formation!"

The storm closed in.

Suddenly, Charles was surrounded, his eighteen boats against the 26 remaining Spartan vessels. This is exactly where he didn't want to be. He mad a snap decision to retreat.
"All ships, disengage, strike with me!"

Astair was a canny commander, and he knew that Charminus was cornered, and that a cornered Athenian was almost as dangerous as a cornered Spartan. So he pressed his advantage quickly, to avoid giving Charminus the time he needed to devise a plan.

The Athenian ships disengaged from the first skirmish as Vince turned his boats around to charge and rejoin the battle. He thanked Poseidon for this good fortune. Two Athenian ships failed to break free from the first clash and capsized, sending more soldiers into the water. The rest made directly for the gap between two Spartan vessels. As they broke free, the Spartans began to rain down their own missiles; arrows and javelins scoured the Athenian ships, killing more than a few before the Athenians raised their shields above their heads.

Charles's ship this time brought up the rear of the Athenian fleet as they drove toward the Spartan wall. The first two Athenian ships were stopped dead by withering javelin and spear assaults from the closing Spartans. With a shout Charles abandoned them and turned the rest of the fleet to the Port to avoid getting snared on the ongoing battle as the leading ships were overwhelmed. Rowing hard now, the Athenians made for the next Spartan ship holding the line, hoping to overrun it.

Astair was astounded at the this new tactic. Charminus was driving the Athenians right for the Spartan flagship, his ship. His ship was full of forty crack Spartan marines, and was a formidable. force in itself, and so he turned his ship in to the onslaught, so that it would not be rammed, and told his men to fight off any Athenians who came close enough to hit.

Charles knew he had made a mistake when the Spartan vessel turned to face his fleet. He could now see Astyochus through the storm, yelling to his men, the plume on his Spartan helmet blowing fiercely in the wind. No choice. "All speed, all speed, break the line!"

The Spartans waited quietly, with javelins and spears ready. The two Spartan ships on either flank turned in to help close the line.

The first Athenian boat to reach Astyochus was Perry's ship. Perry was standing tall, in front, when a Spartan spear slew him. The boat foundered. On the other side, two Athenian ships broke through to open water and turned to fire a volley at the closing blockade before making off.

Another boat got stuck behind Perry's and the Spartan trap closed on it. Charles drove the rest of his boats past Astyochus, losing some men, but holding discipline and reaching the open water.

The storm raged.

Vince and Astair met up once more, after sinking the remaining Athenian vessels and rescuing what Spartans were still afloat. They would sail on to Knidos.

Charles returned to Syme, defeated, but not crushed.

415 BC