Ionian War Flashcards
(126 cards)
1
Q
What clause of the Peace of Nicias were the Peloponnesian allies most upset by?
A
The one that allowed Athens and Sparta to adjust the treaty without their allies approval
2
Q
What did Corinth do as a result of feeling that the Peace of Nicias was unfair?
A
They went to Argos who agreed to help them create a new secret alliance
3
Q
Why did Argos agree to help Corinth create a secret alliance?
A
They felt that a war between them and Sparta was inevitable, and that after Sphacteria they had a chance of winning
4
Q
Who joined Corinth and Argos’ secret alliance?
A
Mantinea and Elis
5
Q
Why did Mantinea join Corinth and Argos’ secret alliance?
A
Because they had been conquering Arcadia and feared Spartan retribution
6
Q
Who didn’t join Corinth and Argos’ secret alliance?
A
The Boeotians and Megarians
7
Q
Why didn’t the Boeotians and Megarians join Corinth and Argos’ secret alliance?
A
They didn’t trust Argos’ democratic government
8
Q
How did Sparta try to restore their alliance with Argos?
A
They asked Boeotia to ally with Argos first and then convince Argos to ally with Sparta too
9
Q
What did Sparta do after their attempt to ally with Argos through Boeotia failed?
A
They asked the Boeotians for control of Panactum
10
Q
Why did Sparta want control of Panactum?
A
They wanted to exchange it for Pylos which the Athenians hadn’t given up because Sparta hadn’t made Amphipolis return to them
11
Q
What did the Boeotians ask for in return for giving Sparta control of Panactum?
A
A fresh alliance between the two of them
12
Q
Why were Athens angry when they discovered Sparta’s alliance with Boeotia and what did they do?
A
It contradicted their alliance with Sparta, Alcibiades sought to make an alliance with Argos
13
Q
What did Sparta do upon hearing that Athens wanted to ally with Argos because they’d allied with Boeotia?
A
They sent envoys to Athens to convince the assembly of their good intentions
14
Q
What did Alcibiades do in response to Sparta’s envoys after they allied with Boeotia?
A
He tricked them into appearing weak so he could convince the assembly to support an alliance with Argos instead of the Peace of Nicias
15
Q
What did Alcibiades plan to ally with Argos mean for future conflict between Athens and Sparta?
A
Athens could surround Sparta not just with forts but 3 hostile states (Argos, Mantinea & Elis) north of them
16
Q
What did Athens and Argos do in 419 that isolated Corinth?
A
Alcibiades convinced Patrae (north Peloponnese) to join them and Argos attacked Epidaurus (south of Corinth)
17
Q
What did Sparta do in response to Athens and Argos’ actions in 419?
A
They helped Epidaurus
18
Q
Why did Sparta send an army into the northern Peloponnese in 418?
A
They feared more cities in the Peloponnese would fall to Athens and Argos
19
Q
Who allied with Sparta at the Battle of Mantinea in 418?
A
Megara and Boeotia
20
Q
Who opposed Sparta at the Battle of Mantinea in 418?
A
Argos and troops from Athens and Mantinea
21
Q
What was Argos/Athens’ aim for the Battle of Mantinea in 418?
A
To take Tegea so that Tegea and Mantinea could control the route in and out of Laconia
22
Q
Who happened at the Battle of Mantinea in 418?
A
The Spartan’s won a resounding victory
23
Q
What happened in Argos a few months after the Battle of Mantinea?
A
An oligarchic faction seized the city and made a 50 year peace with Sparta
24
Q
What did Argos’ new alliance with Sparta after the Battle of Mantinea mean for Mantinea?
A
They couldn’t remain allied to Athens on their own so made a new alliance with Sparta
25
What alliances had Sparta recovered by 417?
All their previous alliances and a peace agreement with Argos
26
Who asked Athens for help in 415?
Egesta
27
What did Egesta ask Athens for help with in 415?
They were fighting with their neighbour Selinus who was aided by Syracuse (a major power on the island)
28
What did Egesta offer Athens in return for their help in 415?
They offered to pay them
29
How did the Athenian assembly initially respond to Egesta's request?
They voted to send 60 ships under Alcibiades, Nicias and Lamachus
30
What did Nicias think of the proposed Sicilian expedition?
He thought it was bad idea because they had many difficulties at home and Alcibiades was reckless and pushing the expedition for his own benefit
31
What did Nicias try to do to stop the Sicilian expedition after Alcibiades convinced the assembly that Sicily would easily fall to Athens' naval power?
He told the assembly that they would need much larger forces in the hope of scaring them but agreed to send more
32
Roughly how many Athenians/allies died on the Sicilian expedition 415-13?
45,000-50,000
33
What strange event happened in Athens they night before the expedition to Sicily departed?
Many statues of Hermes around the city were desecrated
34
Why was the desecration of Hermes statues seen as a bad omen for the Sicilian expedition?
Hermes was the god of travellers
35
Who was implicated in the desecration of the Hermes statues?
Alcibiades
36
Why was the Sicilian expedition initially a failure?
* Egesta didn't have the money
* The generals argued with each other
* Lamachus backed Alcibiades whose plan then failed
* Alcidiades was recalled for trial so Nicias took over but half-heartedly
37
Who did Syracuse ask for help in the winter of 415-14?
The Peloponnesians
38
Which Peloponnesian city was keen to help Syracuse?
Corinth
39
Who convinced Sparta to help Syracuse?
Alcibiades
40
Why was Alcibiades in Sparta in the winter of 415-14?
He had been exiled from Athens
41
What did Nicias do in the spring of 414?
Seized the plateau above Syracuse and prepared to besiege it
42
Why did Nicias reduce his siege preparations in 414?
The Syracusans were contemplating surrender
43
What did Sparta do in early 414 in accordance with Alcibiades advice?
They sent the Spartan commander Gylippus to Sicily with a skeleton crew
44
What did Nicias do when Gylippus arrived in Sicily? in 414?
Turned his attention to the sea, allowing the siege preparations to be taken, and sent a letter to Athens asking for reinforcements or to be able to retreat
45
How did Athens respond to Nicias' request in 414?
They sent Demosthenes with more hoplites and ships
46
What happened before Demosthenes arrived in Sicily in 414?
Gylippus defeated the Athenian fleet in the harbour
47
What did Demosthenes do after landing in Sicily?
Launched an immediate night attack which ended disastrously
48
What made Demosthenes want to retreat from Sicily?
Sickness in the Athenian camp
49
Why did Nicias not want to retreat from Sicily when Demosthenes suggested it?
He was in contact with an opposing party in Syracuse and feared the Athenian assembly's reaction
50
What compelled the Athenians to start retreating from Syracuse?
2 more naval defeats
51
What happened to the Athenians retreating from Syracuse?
They were picked off on the journey and eventually surrendered at the river Assinarus, Demosthenes and Nicias were killed
52
What was the initial reaction in Athens to the disaster in Sicily?
They were shocked and turned on those who had advocated for the expedition but also vowed to control their allies and keep fighting
53
What happened to Athens' government as a result of the Sicilian disaster?
There was an oligarchic coup in 411 creating a government of 400, soon expanded to 5,000, before democracy was later restored
54
Who instigated the oligarchic coup in 411 and why?
The ship captains at Samos because the aristocracy had borne the brunt of re-equipping the fleet after Sicily
55
What did the Spartans decide in 414?
Peace with Athens was impossible and they needed to act decisively
56
What did Alcibiades advise Sparta to do in 414 when they decided to act against Athens?
Fortify Decelea like Athens had Pylos and Cythera
57
Why was Decelea a strategic position for Sparta to occupy?
It was on the road that connected Athens to the port where produce from Euboea arrived
58
What did the Spartan occupation of Decelea mean for Athens?
They had to continually guard the city walls and send cavalry against the Peloponnese so their horses became lame and 20,000 slaves deserted, and ships from Euboea had to go the long way round to deliver food
59
What are the final years of the war known as and why?
The Ionian Wars because the battles mostly happened in the east of the Aegean Sea
60
Which allies of Athens were encouraged to rebel by news of the Sicilian disaster?
Euboea, Lesbos and Chios
61
Who did Euboea, Lesbos and Chios ask for help when they decided to rebel from Athens after the Sicilian disaster?
Euboea and Lesbos sent representatives to King Agis at Decelea and Chios sent representatives to Sparta
62
Who accompanied the representatives from Chios when they asked Sparta for help rebelling from Athens?
A representative of Tissaphernes
63
Why were Persian satraps interested in the Peloponnesian War?
They could use the situation to re-assert their authority in Ionia
64
What did the Persian message to Sparta intercepted by Athens in 425 suggest?
That Sparta were asking for Persian support
65
What was the Peace of Epilycus?
The renewed peace treaty between Athens and Persia in 424-23 that may or may not have existed
66
Why did a peace between Athens and Persia make sense in 424-23?
After Brasidas' capture of Amphipolis, Athens were worried about losing control of the grain supply and Darius II was new to the throne and threatened by many rivals
67
How and why did Darius II's policy towards Athens change in 413?
He told his satraps to start collecting tribute from the Asiatic Greeks now he was secure on the throne
68
How did Sparta respond to the representatives from Chios and why?
They agreed to help because Chios was Athens' last ship-building ally and would struggle to rebuild their fleet without them
69
Why did the people of Chios initially not want to rebel in 412?
They didn't know their oligarchs had sent an embassy to Sparta
70
How were the people of Chios convinced to rebel from Athens in 412?
Alcibiades' persuasive speech
71
Who did Alcibiades convince to rebel after Chios in 412?
Miletus
72
What alliance was formed after Sparta convinced Chios and Miletus from Athens in 412?
One between the Spartan commander Chalcideus and the king of Persia through Tissaphernes
73
What did Persia gain from their alliance with Sparta in 412?
All territories previously belonging to the king and his ancestors and money previously paid to Athens by subjects
74
What did the Sparta-Persian alliance in 412 state in terms of war and allies?
They would continue the war together and anyone who revolted from either state would be an enemy of the other
75
How many times was the alliance between Sparta and Persia changed and why?
Twice because it gave Persia not just the Asiatic Greeks but states that had allied with them during the Persian wars such as Thessaly, Locris and Boeotia
76
What was the final agreement between Sparta and Persia in terms of states Persia gained?
Persia was only to control and tax the Asiatic Greeks but Tissaphernes had to pay for the Peloponnesian fleet until a Persian fleet arrived
77
What was Tissaphernes aim for the war?
To weaken the Greeks by prolonging their infighting
78
Why was Alcibiades influencing Tiassaphernes to weaken Sparta even after after their alliance with Persia?
He had fallen out of favour with the Spartans and had taken up residence at Tissaphernes' court
79
How did Tissaphernes weaken Sparta despite their alliance with Persia?
He was slow to pay for rowers for the Peloponnesian fleet then failed to bring the Phocian fleet he had mustered into the Aegean properly
80
What was the result of Chios and Miletus revolting from Athens?
Other Athenian allies were encouraged to revolt also
81
What happened in Samos in 411?
A democratic revolution
82
Who got involved in the democratic revolution at Samos in 411 and how?
The Athenian sailors stationed there who chose to be democratic
83
Why was it strange that the Athenian sailors chose democracy in 411?
Their captains had sponsored the oligarchic coup in Athens
84
Who recalled Alcibiades from exile in 411?
Athenian democrats at Samos
85
What did Alcibiades convince the democrats at Samos not to do and why?
To not sail against the oligarchy of 400 in Athens immediately because it would mean abandoning the Aegean to Persia and Sparta
86
Where did the Peloponnesians send a fleet to encourage revolt in 411?
Euboea
87
Why was Euboea so important to Athens?
It was their main source of food and they had moved their flocks/herds there at the beginning of the war
88
How did Athens respond to the Peloponnesians sending a fleet to Euboea?
They cobbled together a fleet of sorts to intercept the Peloponnesians
89
What happened to the ragtag fleet Athens sent to Euboea in 411?
They were defeated due to poor supplies then murdered by locals when they retreated to Eretria (a city in Euboea) thinking it was friendly
90
What happened in Athens due to events in Euboea/Eretria?
The oligarchy of the 400 was disposed and a new oligarchy of 5,000 was established
91
How did Tissaphernes' late payments in order to weaken both sides eventually backfire on him?
The Spartans were offered support by Pharnabazus and moved their main operations to the Hellespont
92
Why was Sparta moving to the Hellespont dangerous for Athens?
Sparta could intercept grain convoys from the Bosporan kingdom which had become doubly important after Euboea's revolt
93
What was the Bosporan kingdom?
A non-Greek kingdom on the northern shores of the Black Sea who Athens had friendly relations with
94
What was the immediate result of Sparta moving operations to the Hellespont?
The first major sea battle between Athens and Sparta themselves at Cynossema
95
What was the result of the Battle of Cynossema in 411?
Athens won a resounding victory which renewed belief in their naval prowess
96
What naval battle was fort shortly after Cynossema and who won?
The battle at Abydos which Athens won
97
What caused the Battle of Cyzicus in 410?
Mindarus was planning to cut off Athens' remaining supply chain and win the war by wearing them down so Alcibiades and 2 other Athenian generals forced him into battle
98
What happened at the Battle of Cyzicus in 410?
Athens were victorious and Sparta lost roughly 60 ships and 10,000 men including Mindarus
99
What happened in Athens after the Battle of Cyzicus in 410?
Full democracy was restored
100
Who paid to rebuild the Peloponnesian fleet after the defeats at Cynossema, Abydos and Cyzicus and how long did it take?
Pharnabazus, 3 years
101
Where did a Spartan embassy return from in 407 and with what news?
From the court of Darius II who had decided to act in Sparta's interests
102
What happened to the Athenian embassy sent to Persia c. 407 and why?
It was detained to prevent news of Persia's support of Sparta reaching Athens
103
Who did Darius II appoint to oversee relations with Sparta?
His son Cyrus
104
Who did Sparta appointed to command their forces in 407?
Lysander
105
What was the significance of Cyrus and Lysander being appointed as leaders at the same time?
They immediately took a liking to each other and ensured smooth co-operation between Persia and Sparta
106
Where was Alcibiades by c. 407?
Warmly welcomed back at Athens
107
What did the Athenian assembly do once Alcibiades was reinstated?
They gave him substantial resources but expected instant results
108
What did Alcibiades do with the Athenian fleet after his return to Athens?
Left it in the care of Antiochus whilst away on a mission
109
What did Antiochus do with the Athenian fleet whilst Alcibiades was away?
Disobeyed Alcibiades specific instructions to avoid battle and sailed towards the Peloponnesian fleet's harbour
110
What was the outcome of Antiochus disobeying Alcibiades' orders?
They Spartans defeated them easily, killing Antiochus and destroying 15 ships, Alcibiades was banished again
111
Who replaced Lysander in 406 and why?
Callicratidas, Spartan law only allowed a single year of command
112
Why did Callicratidas and Lysander not get on?
Callicratidas was one of the Spartans who believed in appeasing Athens and not allying with Persia
113
What impact did Callicratidus' outlook on the war have on his (and therefore Sparta's) relationship with Cyrus?
It (and therefore Persian support during this time) was strained
114
What was Callicratidas' first move against Athens?
He blockaded the Athenian commander at Mytilene
115
How did Athens respond to Callicratidas' blockade at Mytilene?
They sent a new fleet and engaged the Spartans at Arginusae
116
What happened at the Battle of Arginusae in 406?
Athens won, destroying 77 Peloponnesian ships and killing Callicratidas
117
What happened to the Athenian generals who were successful at Arginusae and why?
They were condemned to death for not recovering the dead from the water
118
When may Sparta have sued Athens for peace and what was the response?
After the battle of Cyzicus in 410 and Arginusae in 406, it was refused by Cleophon (Cleon 2.0)
119
What conference was held in 405 and what was the outcome?
The Asiatic Greeks got together and demanded Lysander back, he was made vice-admiral on paper but was actually in charge
120
What happened around the same time as Lysander was re-instated as commander of the Spartan forces?
Cyrus was recalled to Persia
121
What did Cyrus give Lysander before returning to Persia?
A kiss (all the money he could gather)
122
Where did Lysander go once re-instated as commander of the Spartan forces?
The Hellespont
123
What led up to the Battle of Aegospotami in 405?
Athens and Sparta positioned themselves on either side of the Hellespont and postured for 4 days
124
What happened at the Battle of Aegospotami in 405?
Lysander attacked the Athenian fleet when their ships were beached and their crews were complacent
125
What happened to the Athenians at the Battle of Aegospotami in 405?
They lost 70 ships and the sailors were executed
126
Why did the Battle of Aegospotami in 405 end the Peloponnesian War?
Athens had run out of resources
