Gylippus

Gylippus was a Spartan general sent to Syracuse in 414 BCE to organize its defense against the Athenian expedition during the Peloponnesian War. His arrival transformed the military situation: he reinvigorated the Syracusan defenders, completed a counter-wall that defeated the Athenian siege lines, and conducted successful offensive operations that trapped the Athenian fleet in the harbor. The complete destruction of the Athenian expeditionary army and fleet in 413 BCE — one of the greatest military disasters in Athenian history — was largely due to his leadership.

• Nationality: spartan
• Roles: general