#reading this i am beginning to think of alcibiades as always counting losses always thinking of his men

[lemurious]

Alcibiades the most exasperatingly brilliant commander. "Oh yeah, I was supposed to bring reinforcements, so what if I'm late, it's your problem for not waiting for me, but now that I'm here, how about we take this strategically important town instead?" And then he goes ahead and does just that.

(Donald Kagan, The Peloponnesian War)

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Text:

When the Athenians finally arrived, too few and too late, the Argive magistrates (who must have been oligarchs) sent them away, refusing to let them appear before the assembly. With breathtaking boldness Alcibiades, who had accompanied the force in the role of ambassador, made no apology for the Athenians' tardy arrival, but complained that the Argives had no right to make a truce without consulting the allies. Instead, he insisted, the allies should resume the war, since the Athenians were now there. Elis, Mantinea, and the other allies were easily persuaded, and the entire alliance decided to attack Orchomenus in Arcadia, a key position that could block an army coming from the Isthmus of Corinth and beyond from reaching the central and southern Peloponnesus. After some delay the Argives joined the siege of Orchomenus, which did not hold out for long and entered the new alliance. Even without a formal command Alcibiades had thwarted his Athenian rivals and given new life to the quadruple alliance.