Battle of Cnidus

Persian history

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June 24, 2026

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The Battle of Cnidus was a significant naval engagement that occurred in 394 BC. It involved an overwhelming victory for the Spartan fleet, led by the Athenian admiral Conon, off the coast of Cnidus in modern-day Turkey. This victory was crucial as it led to the restoration of Athens' port fortifications, the Piraeus, which had been destroyed after the Peloponnesian War.1

Cnidus itself was an ancient Greek city on the Carian Chersonese, known as a commercial hub, a center for medical studies, and home to the astronomer Eudoxus. The city had a complex history, submitting to the Persians after 546 BC and later supporting Athens in the Delian League before revolting against them in 412 BC.2

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Anatolia
The Anatolian Greeks in the Achaemenian period
…lost at sea in the Battle of Cnidus (394). Later in the 4th century, however, Persian rule in Anatolia was severely shaken by an insurrection of the Persian satraps of the west (362–359), which subsequently resulted in a considerable measure of local autonomy for the area.
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…lost at sea in the Battle of Cnidus (394). Later in the 4th century, however, Persian rule in Anatolia was severely shaken by an insurrection of the Persian satraps of the west (362–359), which subsequently resulted in a considerable measure of local autonomy for the area.
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Artaxerxes II
…navy, however, was destroyed at Cnidus (394), thereby giving the Achaemenids mastery of the Aegean. The Greek allies of Persia (Thebes, Athens, Argos, and Corinth) continued the war against Sparta, but, when it became evident that the only ones to gain from the war were the Athenians, Artaxerxes decided to…
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…navy, however, was destroyed at Cnidus (394), thereby giving the Achaemenids mastery of the Aegean. The Greek allies of Persia (Thebes, Athens, Argos, and Corinth) continued the war against Sparta, but, when it became evident that the only ones to gain from the war were the Athenians, Artaxerxes decided to…
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