Topic 3: Peace and Conflict 446 - 431

Question 1

Thirty years peace -
446 BC

Thucydides

Answer 1

• Each tribe kept their allies once the treaty ended.
• Athens had to give up lots of land it recently obtained.
• Revoke the Megaian decree and give Aegina independace
• # If any ally revolted it would break the teaty
• Any neutral state could ally itself with either alliance
• They could settle desputes through arbitration without war
• Argos was excluded from the peace treaty and was at peace with Athens.

Question 2

Samos and Miletus

Thucydides and Plutach

Answer 2

• Part of the Delian league, Miletus asked Athens for help so they overthrew Samos oligrrachy and replaced with democracy.
• The Samian leaders asked to the Pesian satrap for help and they pushed the Athenian leaders out.
• Athens fougbt back and after 9 months the Samians surrendered. They were forced to hand their navy to Athens and oay them tribute.
• Athens took 50 boys and 50 men as hostages
• Plutarch doesnt believe that Pericles treated the Captains that way as it was porbably exaggerated to make Athens look bad.
• Plutarch is more eliable as he doesnt blindly beleive what is written by others, and was influenced by Thucydides.
• This resulted in tention between Athens and Sparta who tried to stat a war but were stopped by th ePelopponesian league.

Question 3

Epidamnus and Cocyra

Thycydides

Answer 3

• In 435 Epidamnus asked corcyra for help and refused, so they asked Corinth who accepted.
• They wanted to gain influence in Corcyra.
• Corinth sent them militay forces leading to a seige and the battle of Leucimme.
• Corcyra were a potential ally for Athens as it had 120 ships and it was neutral.
• Corinth argued that they couldnt ally with Athens as it was in revolt.
• Corinth had given Athens 20 ships and prpevented the Pelop league from helping Samos.
• In the end Athens allied themaleves with Corcyra and in 433 the Corinthians attacked them.

Question 4

Potideae

Thucydides

Answer 4

• It was in awkwad position as it was a su bject state of Athens but also a Corinthian colony.
• Athens’ 4 demands were pull down the fortifications
• Send hostages to Atheens
• Banish Corinthian magistrates adn refuse to recieve those who wee send out annually to replace Corinth.
• In response, Sparta agreed to invade Attica uf Potidaea was attacked by Athens.
• In the edn they didnt wnat a war with Athens so when Potidaea revolted the Corimthians sent an amy to support which loed to a three year seige.

Question 5

Megara

All/Thucydides.

Answer 5

• Issues arise from the Megarian decee, which banned Megarians from using Athenian ports and agora’s. This did significant damage to Megara’s economy.
• 4 reasons for the Megarian decee were that it was to deter any other states from helping Athens’ enemies, since Megara had sent 8 ships to help Corinth against Athens.
• That they had killed an envoy which was a serious religious crime.
• To distract Athenians attention away from Pericles’ friends’ trial for embezzlement.
• Some blamed Pericles’ mistess for passing the decree.
• Thucydides suggests this tention may have been a significant cause for the Pelopponesian war.
• He also claims that it was a majo bsource ofcinflict with Sparta.

Question 6

Aegina and Ambracian Gulf

Answer 6

• Aegina was allied with Athens but not given the independance promised from the treaty.
• Thucydides says that they had a considerable pat in fomenting the war behind the scenes.
• Conflict was also taking place in the Ambracain Gulf between three groups:
• The Ambracians
• The Amphilochians
• And the Acarnanians.
• They appealed to Athens for help and they agreed, meaning that they wee yet again interfeing with Corinthian affairs.

Question 7

Spartan decision to go to war

Thucydides

Answer 7

• Thucydides blames Corinth for the increase in tention due to the Corinthian Complaint.
• In this the Corinthians accused Sparta of not listening to their grievences and instead suspecting them.
• The Corinthians warned Sparta that they had knowledge of the Athenian methods of attack.
• The Corinthians seem to be trying to warn and intimidate Sparta with their knowledge.
• Athens responds by sayin that Spatans way of life doesnt mix well with the way of othes even if they did take the Athenian empire.
• King Archidamus ii worried that they didnt have enough money or resources.
• But if they waited Athens would only grow stronger.

Question 8

Athenian decision to go to war.

Answer 8

• Sparta offeed one last time to not go to wa if Athens gave the greeks thei freedom.
• But this would mean giving up their source of wealth and trade and go against the terms of the original 30 year peace treaty.
• Acting under the advice of Pericles, Athens rejected thi final offe which made war inevitable.
• Pericles said that Sparta didnt use arbitation, instead settling complaints by war.
• It was insulting that they ordeed Athenes to give up their empire.
• Pericles argued that if the poeple firmly declared war that they would be heroic and brave rather than seemingly fearful.

Question 9

Sources

Answer 9

*THUCYDIDES - After 9 months the Samians surrendered and pulled down their walls”
* THUCYDIDES - Corinth complained thatt by “helping Corcyra they would be making war on Corinth” they cant make an alliance just because they revolted.
* THUCYDIDES - “This gave Corinth its first cause for wa against Athens.
* THUCYDIDES - “What had been done so fa had been done on the private initiative of Corinth.” - aboutb Potidaea.
* ARISTOPHANES ACHARNIANS - Perincles’ mistress.
* THYCIDIDES - “Wa could be avoided if they revolked the Megarian decree”
* THUCYDIDES - “Corinth used Aegina to accuse Athens of breaking the treaty.”