Alcibiades was born into privilege and never forgot that fact. Sometimes charming, he was more often rude and insolent to those he perceived as his "inferiors." Fabulously wealthy by birth, he was also fabulously extravagant. During the Olympics, he sent seven teams of horses and seven chariots to the games, bringing home the first, second and fourth prize. His parties were legendary throughout the city, as were his sexual flings with both men and women. When his lechery caused his wife to leave him and seek divorce, he sought her out and carried her back to their house by force; no one, not even the bride's family, dared to resist the powerful and headstrong Alcibades.
Yet even Athenian tolerance had its limits. Alcibades' wife came from the Cercyes family, the traditional torchbearers at the Eleusinian Mysteries. When word spread that Alcibades had mocked the Rites of Eleusis at one of his parties, and that he had vandalized numerous statues of Hermes, an outcry arose. Although he was busy leading a campaign in Sicily, he was ordered to return home and stand trial for his blasphemy. When he refused, he was told that the assembly had pronounced judgment of death against him. In response, he said "I will make them feel that I am alive."
If Athens had turned on Alcibiades, perhaps Sparta would be more obliging. From his hiding place in Peloponnesus he sent a request for safe passage to the Spartans, promising to right the wrongs he had done them while he was their enemy. The Spartans gave him the security he desired, and he came to Sparta. Stirred up by Alcibiades (who was also considered one of the most skilled of Athenian orators, even by his enemies) they launched an attack on the Athenian forces in Sicily, and renew the war upon the Athenians at home. If the Spartans had any misgivings, they were soon mollified when they saw Alcibiades wearing the close-cropped Spartan haircut and dining alongside Spartans on black broth and coarse meal.
Unfortunately for Alcibiades, his penchant for lechery would once again land him in trouble, as he seduced, and then impregnated, the wife of Sparta's king. When she gave birth to a son ten months after her husband had been away on business, Agis knew he had been cuckolded. Alcibiades tried to remedy the rift by assisting in several campaigns against the Athenians, but this was an unforgivable insult and everyone knew it. Once again Alcibiades tried his luck elsewhere - this time with the Persians.
Tisaphernes, Satrap to Persia's king, was well known for his hatred of all things Greek. Yet even he was not immune to Alcibiades' charm… or, more likely, he considered Alcibiades a useful tool against the warring Hellenic tribes. He convinced Tisapherenes to limit Persian support for Sparta - and secretly sent letters to the Athenian fleet at Samos, offering to aid the Athenian cause. When Alcibiades and his soldiers arrived at the Athenian port of Samos during a heated battle, the Spartans thought he was still on their side. Their surprise as he attacked the Spartan position led to an Athenian victory.
Now back on the Athenian side, Alcibiades proceeded to win back much of the territory which had been lost to the Spartans. He had left under sentence of death: he was welcomed back into Athens as a hero. Unfortunately, the aid which he had given the Spartans came back to haunt him. With financial assistance from the Persians, the Spartan Lysander was able to take Athens and level their walls. Alcibiades withdrew to a small village in Phrygia, biding his time until he could launch a counter-offensive. Unfortunately for him, he had finally made too many enemies.
Some say the Persians were behind his assassination: others say the Spartans recognized that Athens would never be subdued so long as Alcibiades was alive. (It may well have been a joint effort; both the Spartans and Persians hated Alcibiades for his treachery and feared him for his military skill). Still others say he was killed by the brothers of a Phrygian woman he seduced - an ending which would have been equally in character. While the culprits may never be known, we know that his house was set afire as he slept. Dashing out from the flames with sword in hand, he was immediately set upon by a number of armed men. By all accounts he fought bravely, but was ultimately hacked to pieces by sword and spear.
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