A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

(Τελευτίας), a Spartan, was brother on the mother's side to Agesilaus II., by whose influence he was appointed to the command of the fleet, in B. C. 393, in the war of the Lacedaemonians against Corinth and the other states of the hostile league. In this capacity, in the same year, he recovered from the Corinthians the mastery of the Corinthian gulf, and sailed up to Lecheum, where he co-operated with the land force under Agesilaus, and took the ships and docks of the enemy. In B. C. 390, he was sent to Asia to supersede Ecdicus as admiral [ECDICUS]. On his arrival at Samos he added some vessels to his squadron, sailed on to Cnidus, where he received the fleet from Ecdicus, and then proceeded towards Rhodes. On his voyage he fell in with and captured ten Athenian triremes, which were on their way to Cyprus under the command of Philocrates, to aid Evagoras against the king of Persia [PHILOCRATES, No. 2]. Hereupon the Athenians sent out Thrasybulus, with forty ships, to act against Teleutias, especially in the support of the democratic party at Rhodes; but Thrasybulus, on his arrival at that island, found that his friends there were strong enough to be able to dispense with his assistance, while, on the other hand, he could not hope to effect much against the opposite party, aided as it was by the Lacedaemonians. He therefore proceeded to the Hellespont, and Teleutias meanwhile remained in the south, where we find him, in B. C. 388, bringing effectual assistance to the Aeginetans, whom a body of Athenians, under Pamphilus, were annoying from a fortified post which they had established and occupied in the island while the Athenian fleet was blockading the coast. Teleutias chased away the enemy's ships, but Pamphilus still continued to hold the fort,-- and shortly after this Teleutias was superseded by Hierax, having endeared himself to his men during his command, in a very remarkable manner, as they showed by their enthusiastic testimonies of attachment to him on his departure. In B. C. 382 he was appointed general against the Olynthians, and it was chiefly hi high reputation and his popular character which induced the allies of Sparta to furnish zealously their contingents for the war. He further obtained the assistance of Amyntas II., king of Macedonia, and of Derdas, prince of Elymia, from the latter of whom, in particular, he received valuable co-operation. He did not, however gain any decided advantage over the enemy in his first campaign, while in the next year (B. C. 381), in the closing scene of his life, he somewhat tarnished the reputation he had acquired as a general. A body of his targeteers having been rotted, and their commander slain by the Olynthian cavalry, Teleutias lost his temper, and, ordering his whole force to charge, advanced too close to the walls of the city, and within reach of the enemy's missiles. His men accordingly were thrown into confusion, whereupon the Olynthians made a well-timed sally, in which Teleutias was slain, and the rout of his army then became complete. (Xen. Hell. 4.4.19, 8. §§ 11, 23, 24, 25, 5.1. §§ 2-4, 2. §§ 37-43, 3. §§ 3-6, Ages. 2. § 17; Plut. Ages. 21 ; Diod. 15.21.)

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