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The siege of Samos (356 BC) saw the rebels against Athens besiege one of the loyal members of the Athenian League (Social War).
In 357 Chios, Rhodes, Cos and Byzantium, with the support of Mausolus, the satrap of Caria, rebelled against the Athenian League. The Athenians sent a force under Chares and Chabrias to deal with the revolt, but they suffered a defeat at Chios (357 or 356 BC) in which Chabrias was killed.
In the aftermath of this victory the rebels raised a fleet of 100 ships and raided Imbros and Lemnos, in the northern Aegean, and then turned south to besiege Samos. The island was ravaged, and the city put under siege by land and sea.
Athens raised a fresh fleet, commanded by Iphicrates and Timotheus, and sent it to cooperate with Chares. The combined fleet moved towards Byzantium, the most significant of the rebel powers for Athens, as it could disrupt the crucial grain supplies from the Black Sea. The rebels lifted the siege of Samos, and moved north to deal with this threat. The two fleets met in the Hellespont, but probably then moved south before fighting, probably at Embata (356 BC).