After Athens collapsed, Chios was under the hegemony of Sparta it soon realised that the Spartans were much worse than the Athenians. While the Spartans initially declared that they fought for the freedom of the Greek cities, later they ruined the democratic regimes, they handed over the power to local groups of individuals devoted to Sparta and they garrisoned with a Spartan governor (commissioner). The Spartans also took away all the triremes from the dockyards; they ruined the Walls of the city and exiled many citizens of Chios. It was obvious that the hegemony of Sparta was much worse than that of Athens and it was pretty normal for the Chians to want to rebel against the Spartans.

The Athenian admiral named Kononas and the Persian satrap Farnavaso stroke a blow against Sparta. They organised a powerful fleet and the Spartans were defeated in the naval battle of Knidos in 394 B.C.. After that, the Spartan guards began to be withdrawn from the Ionian cities and from Chios, which gained its freedom.