Reaching Sphacteria (CYOAH!3)

After years of ignoring the threat at Sphacteria, the Spartans finally dispatch a naval force of sixty ships and a large number of troops to besiege the island, which has now been fortified heavily by the Athenians. Demosthenes, in command of an Athenian fleet, has arrived to aid the defenders as well, landing at nearby Pylos on the mainland.

The Spartans manage to land their forces near Pylos and launch an assault from both land and sea, but are repeatedly repulsed by the defenders. At the same time Spartans land directly on the island of Sphacteria and lay siege to the fortress. Additional Athenian naval reinforcements arrive by the next day, defeating the Spartan fleet and capturing the harbor, trapping the Spartans on the island of Sphacteria and cutting them off from reinforcements.

This proves to be a major crisis, as 420 Spartan soldiers, including 120 Spartiates, or approximately ten percent of the noble class of Sparta, are left trapped on the island.


 * Send embassies to Pylos immediately to negotiate an armistice, before the men on Spartiates are killed.