I am always surprised that Alcibiades gets no recognition as the very effective commander he was. While he was able to accomplish very little in Sicily before being recalled to Athens, he was already showing himself to be an able military commander. Alcibiades initiated intrigues in Messana which would likely have yielded that city to Athenian control. The Naxians, longtime enemies of Syracuse, welcomed Alcibiades and the Athenians. Catana was captured, without bloodshed, and joined the coalition against Syracuse. Clearly Alcibiades was well on his way to accomplishing the plan he had laid out (Hdt. 6.48).

Following his return to command over the Athenian forces, Alcibiades had a string of victories. His timely intervention at the Battle of Dardanus saved the Athenian fleet there and ended in a rout of Spartan forces. Alcibiades followed this up by pressing for an attack on Cyzicus which had fallen to the enemy. His plan to trap Mindarus' fleet worked perfectly. The fleets beached and the naval battle became a land battle in which Alcibiades and the Athenians defeated the Spartan forces. Cyzicus returned to Athenian control, the Spartans had lost their entire fleet and had suffered defeat on land.

Alcibiades' success had infused the men under his direct command with incredibly high morale and faith in their commander. When they were asked to unite with the men of Thrasyllus at Lampsacus, Alcibiades' men did not want to unite with them because they did not want to be tainted by the failures of Thrasyllus' men (Xen. Hellenica 1.2.15). Alcbiades then moved against Chalcedon and Bithynia. The Bithynians made a treaty with Alcibiades and he turned his attention to the Chalcedonians. They, along with Pharnabazus (a Persian Satrap) fought a battle against the Athenians. Alcibiades' forces were again the turning point in this battle, saving Thrasyllus' force and winning the battle (Diod. 13.66.2).

Alcibiades then gained Selymbria and Byzantium through intrigue. Even though admitted into Byzantium by a group of pro-Athenians, Alcibiades and his men had to fight a battle with the Spartan forces. Alcibiades announced that no harm would come to the Byzantines. Upon this announcement, the inhabitants of Byzantium switched sides and begin attacking the Spartans (an indication of harsh treatment by the Spartans?).

Alcibiades returned to Athens in triumph. He led the procession of the Eleusinian Mysteries overland. The traditional overland route had been inaccessible because of the Spartan fort at Decelea. Alcibiades escorted the procession with his army and the Spartans choose not to challenge Alcibiades. This snub of Spartan power undoubtedly brought convulsions of joy to the Athenians.

Unfortunately, Alcibiades was deprived of the chance to finish off the Spartans. The Athenians, once more led by Alcibiades' political enemies, laid blame on Alcibiades for a miniscule naval defeat and removed him as strategos. Alcibiades retired to a private fortress in Thrace.

Despite not being allowed to ever finish what he had started (and I have not even covered the Quadruple Alliance) Alcibiades showed incredible strategic and tactical acumen. He was the only Athenian commander in the final phase of the Peloponnesian War who was consistently able to defeat the Spartans, on both land and sea. Surely, the Spartans contributed to his assasination afraid that this comeback kid might somehow bring about a resurgance in Athenian power.