The Peloponessian War 431

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The Peloponessian War431 404 B.C.
If one looks at the facts themselves, one will
see that this was the greatest war of
all.Thucydides
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The Peloponnesian War 431 404 B.C.
The Archdamian War (431 421 B.C.)
Peace of Nicias Sicilian Expedition 415
B.C.
The Sicilian War The Ionian/
Decelean War (413 404 B.C.) Oligarchic Coup of
Athens (411 B.C.) Defeat of Athens End of
Delian League (404 B.C.)
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Contents

• Historical Background
• Thirty Years Peace
• Greek World 431 B.C.
• Spartan Society
• Athenian Society
• Clash of Cultures?
• Pericles
• Declaration of War
• Battle of Sybota
• The Potidaean Affair
• Cleon
• Alcibiades
• The Great Plague
• Death of Pericles

The Archdamian War (431 421 B.C.)
Peace of Nicias Sicilian Expedition 415
B.C. The Sicilian
War The Ionian/ Decelean War (413 404
B.C.) Oligarchic Coup of Athens (411
B.C.) Defeat of Athens End of Delian League
(404 B.C.)
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Historical Background

• Both Athens and Sparta had grown as empires
  throughout the latter part of the 6th Century
  B.C. and early 5th Century B.C.
• The First Peloponnesian War had broken out in 460
  B.C. as a result of

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Empires Alliances
Athens Delian League
SpartaPeloponnesian League

• Phlius
• Orneae
• Megara
• Elis
• Mantinea
• Thebes
• Corinth

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Thirty Years Peace

• Signed between Athens Sparta in 445 B.C. which
  brought the First Peloponnesian War to an end.
  Lasted only 13 years.
• Arbitration was codified as a necessary precursor
  to any conflict between the two.
• Recognised both empires (alliances) as
  legitimate
• Allowed neutral city-states regions to join
  either alliance, but none could switch alliances
• Neither alliance could interfere with others
  allies
• Athens had to give up a few territories,
  including Megarian ports

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The Greek World 431 B.C.
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Athens Port of Piraeus
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Clash of Cultures or Hellenistic Power Struggle?
Athens
Sparta

• Leader of the
• Delian League
• Democratic
• Semi-Liberal
• Cosmopolitan
• Cultured Artistic
• Maritime Empire
• Diverse Trade Links

• Leader of the Peloponnesian League
• Oligarchic
• Ultra-Conservative, Militaristic Society
• Insular Isolationist
• Superstitious Patriarchal
• Land Power
• Homogenistic

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Spartan SocietyAn Oligarchic Complexity
King
King
Gerousia Council of 28
Spartans
Traders manufacturers
Perioikoi
like someone sitting in wait for disasters to
strike the SpartansAristotle
They would gladly eat the Spartans rawXenophon
Helots
most institutions among the Spartans have always
been established with regard to security against
the HelotsThucydides
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Sparta

• Mixed constitution containing monarchic,
  oligarchic democratic elements

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Spartas Allies The Peloponnesian League
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Athenian Society

• Cosmopolitan, mixed, democratic society
• Literature, arts and evolution of 'free
  thinking' SocratesSince the ascent of Pericles,
  Athenian democracy had taken on a more ambitious,
  outward-looking zeal

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The Delian League

• Founded in early 5th Century B.C. to resist the
  Persian threat. Other city states joined.
• Treasury initially located in Delos
• Members gave money (not ships) to combine their
  efforts in resisting Persian threat
• Treasury moved to Athens in 454 B.C.
• Monies were used to strengthen the military
  (naval) power of Athens and also used to aid the
  construction of the Parthenon

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Pericles Building Programme
Pericles initiated an ambitious building
programme in 455 B.C.
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Future ages will wonder at us, as the present
age wonders at us now.
Just because you do not take an interest in
politics doesn't mean politics won't take an
interest in you
We do not imitate, but are a model to others
Pericles495 429 B.C.
Freedom is the sure possession of those alone
who have the courage to defend it
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Pericles

• Became leader of Athens in 461 B.C. establishing
  a popular vote in the Athenian Assembly which
  ultimately resulted in the exile of the Athenian
  leader, Cimon.
• A patron of the arts
• Hostile to Sparta
• Led the ambitious building programme of Athens
  resulting in the timeless architectures of the
  Parthenon and the Acropolis
• Ambitious, democratic and a great orator
• Founded many of the democratic institutions of
  Athens
• Led the mission to recapture Delphi from the
  Spartans in 448 B.C. and the invasion of Samos
• Age of Pericles 460 429 B.C.

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The Ecclesia
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The Ecclesia Pynx

• Here at the 'Pynx', usually about 6,000 Athenians
  would voted directly on Athenian policy, law and
  elect the 'strategoi'
• Pericles democratic reforms of 452-451 allowed
  for payment of jurors, thereby opening up
  attendance to almost all levels of society.
• The Ecclesia usually met about forty times a
  year, deciding on public honours, ratifying peace
  agreements or declarations of war, electing
  strategoi, public construction, bestowal of
  honours etc.

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Corcyra CorinthEmissaries in Athens
Corcyra
Corinth

• A victim to the injustice of others
• your welcome of us under these circumstances
  will be a proof of goodwill which will ever keep
  alive the gratitude you will lay up in our
  hearts.
• yourselves excepted, we are the greatest naval
  power in Hellas
• a power that comes in quest of assistance being
  in a position to give to the people whose
  alliance she solicits as much safety and honour
  as she will receive

• Corinth is at least in treaty with you with
  Corcyra you were never even in truce.
• Why, if you make it your policy to receive and
  assist all offenders, you will find that just as
  many of your dependencies will come over to us,
  and the principle that you establish will press
  less heavily on us than on yourselves
• When you were in want of ships of war for the
  war against the Aeginetans, before the Persian
  invasion, Corinth supplied you with twenty
  vessels.

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Corinth v. Corcyra Battle of Sybota 433 B.C.

• Athens receives emissaries from both Corinth
  Corcyra over dispute
• Corcyra appeals for Athenian help BUT Corinth
  warns Athens of any involvement in internal
  Corinthian affairs
• Athens decides to help Corcyra, albeit in a
  defensive posture, sending ten ships to aid her
  defence. Just as the Corinthians were about to
  defeat Corcyra, a further 20 Athenian triremes
  arrived to bolster their defense.
• When questioned by Corinthians, Athenians
  steadfastly declare their willingness to defend
  Corcyra.
• Both Corinth Sparta interpret this as a breach
  of the Thirty Years Peace treaty.

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Battle of Sybota 433 B.C.

• Significance
• Known as the first grievance between the
  Athenians Spartans
• Athenian response to Corinthian delegation at the
  Battle of Sybota  "Neither are we beginning
  war, Peloponnesians, nor are we breaking the
  treaty but these Corcyraeans are our allies,
  and we are come to help them. So if you want to
  sail anywhere else, we place no obstacle in your
  way but if you are going to sail against
  Corcyra, or any of her possessions, we shall do
  our best to stop you." 
• Both sides claimed victory in this battle.

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Pericles Funeral Oration
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Pericles Funeral Oration

• In this funeral oration for the Athenian
  soldiers, Pericles makes his famous speech
  concerning the virtues of Athens, its citizens
  and their way of life.
• Pericles describes Athens as a model to others
  rather than an imitator.
• Pericles places Athens strength in its citizens,
  their character being a reflection of the society
  they inhabit.
• Pericles also makes subtle references to Sparta
  and the regressive nature of their military
  strength.
• Pericles extols the courage of the dead
  Athenians, imploring others to take their place
  to secure Athens destiny as the greatest, and
  most forward-thinking state in the Hellenic
  world.

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Thucydides Pericles

• For as long as he was prominent in the city in
  peace-time he guided with moderation and
  preserved her in safety, and in his time she
  became very great...The fact is that he retained
  the power of his influence by reason of his
  reputation, the quality of his mind, and his
  utter integrity, and so was able to restrain his
  fellow-citizens by his moderation, free though
  they were he was not led by the Many, he led
  them

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The City of Epidamnus
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Spartan Declaration of War
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The Potidaean Revolt 432 B.C.

• Colony of Corinth but a tributary ally of
  Athens.

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Three Phases of War

• The Archdamian War 431 421 B.C.
• The Sicilian War
• The Ionian/ Declean War

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The Archdamian War431 421 B.C.

• 431 Outbreak of Plague in Athens
• 429 - Siege at Plataea - Death of Pericles
• 428 Revolt of Mytilene
• 427 Debate of Mytilene
• 426 Battle of Olpae
• 425 Battle of Pylos Sphacteria
• 424 Battle of Delium
• 422 Battle of Amphipolis
• 421 Peace of Nicias

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Siege at Plataea 429 B.C.
"If we begin the war in haste, we'll have many
delays before we end it, owing to our lack of
preparation." - King Archidamus II (Sparta)
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Siege at Plataea 429 B.C.

• Archidamus beseiged the twon of Plataea, which
  only consisted of 800 citizens and 85 Athenians
• The Plataeans resisted courageously Archidamus
  resorted to starving the city out
• Eventually, about half of the population escaped,
  but the other half eventually surrendered
• These were brought before a Spartan court, where
  they were asked simply"Whether, during the
  present war, they had rendered any assistance to
  the Lacedaemonians and their allies?"
• These 200 citizens 25 Athenians were then
  executed. This is seen as one of the overt causes
  of the Peloponnesian War

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Thucydides Account Plataea

• "the treaty had now been broken by an overt act
  after the affair at Plataea"
• "Athens and Lacedaemon now resolved to send
  embassies to the King and to such other of the
  barbarian powers as either party could look to
  for assistance."

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Periclean Strategy Tactical Land Retreat
Naval War

• Pericles convinced his people to perform a
  tactical retreat behind the walls of Athens,
  supported and supplied by their powerful fleet
  through the port of Peiraeus
• Of a total population of 172,000, only 60,000
  citizens lived within the city

• ..the upheaval was a harsh experience, for most
  of them had always been accustomed to live in the
  country...in their grave depression they took it
  badly that they were abandoning their homes and
  the shrines that had been theirs traditionally
  from the very earliest days of the community, and
  that they were about to change their style of
  life.

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The Great Plague
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Effects of the Plague Pericles' Strategic Flaw

• Pericles' strategy had depended on the Athenian
  Navy protecting their supply ships to the Port of
  Pireus
• This strategy proved to be their undoing as the
  surrounding population of Attica retreated behind
  the walls of Athens, the over-crowding would
  contribute to the disease
• The supply ships apparently brought the plague
  with them and the whole city of Athens, walled
  in, became a hot-bed of disease
• As the disease spread, Thucydides writes of the
  physical, social and moral decay that beset the
  city.
• In his account, we see Thucydides depart from his
  usual scientific, dispassioned accounts.

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Thucydides Effects of the Plague

• Physical
• discharges of bile of every kind named by
  physicians ensued, accompanied by very great
  distress...internally it burned so that the
  patient could not bear to have on him clothing or
  linen even of the very lightest description or
  who plunged into the rain-tanks in their agonies
  of unquenchable thirst..... for it settled in the
  privy parts, the fingers and the toes, and many
  escaped with the loss of these, some too with
  that of their eyes

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Thucydides Effects of the Plague

• Socialthe bodies of dying men lay one upon
  another, and half-dead creatures reeled about the
  streets and gathered round all the fountains in
  their longing for water....sacred places also in
  which they had quartered themselves were full of
  corpses of persons that had died there......for
  as the disaster passed all bounds, men, not
  knowing what was to become of them, became
  utterly careless of everything, whether sacred or
  profane.... they threw their own dead body upon
  the stranger's pyre and ignited it sometimes
  they tossed the corpse which they were carrying
  on the top of another that was burning, and so
  went off....

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Thucydides Effects of the Plague

• Moral
• Men now coolly ventured on what they had
  formerly done in a corner, and not just as they
  pleased, seeing the rapid transitions produced by
  persons in prosperity suddenly dying and those
  who before had nothing succeeding to their
  property.....
• they resolved to spend quickly and enjoy
  themselves, regarding their lives and riches as
  alike things of a day.....
• it was settled that present enjoyment, and all
  that contributed to it, was both honourable and
  useful.....
• Fear of gods or law of man there was none to
  restrain them.....
• As for the first, they judged it to be just the
  same whether they worshipped them or not, as they
  saw all alike perishing and for the last, no one
  expected to live to be brought to trial for his
  offences, but each felt that a far severer
  sentence had been already passed upon them all
  and hung ever over their heads, and before this
  fell it was only reasonable to enjoy life a
  little.

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Death of Pericles 429 B.C.