Archidamian War 431-420 Flashcards
Spartan Strategy for the beginning of the war
Annual invasion of Athens- Included burning and pillaging land
Deprive the Athenians
Anger Athenians
They had the greatest land army in the Helles
Allies included Peloponnese, Boeotia and Greek armies in Sicily and Italy
Burning crops would only work in late summer months
Athenian Strategy
Athens wanted to exhaust the Spartans ‘Island Fortress’
Athens could flee into the city walls and said they will retaliate if Sparta ruin their crops
Athens had a lot more money and resources, and tributes
They still had the port of Piraeus so import wasn’t an issue
Navy was the Athenian strong point
This all didn’t achieve much
Hoplites
Spartan soldiers were purely hoplites
Most other Hoplites were only farmers
They were prepared for Athens to attack when Sparta attacked their land but Athens wanted to avoid this
They mainly fought with spears and shields
Athenian Navy
The Athenians were celebrated for their Navy and were the strongest
Pericles required efficiency in the navy though they did use it for the first few years
The Plague
Hit Athens 430
Killed Pericles and affected Thucydides
Athens began to stop believing in gods because of this
Caused distress within Athens and it mainly warm when this happened
Citizens started becoming restless against the law
Pericles response
in 430, Pericles made a speech about this
Citizens began to blame him for going to war and his tactic
Said that citizens should not be blaming him for this and that he is about honour within and that Athenians should stay patriotic for the war and to go forward despite pain
Attack on Plataea
Thebes had sided with Sparta and attacked Plataea which was allied with Athens
Athens came to aid and a 3 year siege followed through
Plataea then falls to Sparta in 427
Revolt of Mytilene
City on Lesbos
428- led by Oligarchs, motive was that Athens was now weak
Athens led siege to Mytilene
They asked for Spartan help bc Athens were weak and they agreed, ready to invade Attica.
The PP went home after seeing how weak
Mytilene was defeated and destroyed.
Debate of Mytilene
Cleon vs Diodotus
Cleon wanted to kill them all- ‘i say that no single city has done you the harm that Mytilene has done’
Diodotus- ‘haste and anger are in my mind, the two greatest obstacles to wise counsel’ and that it would just create more uproar and clear planning in revolts
Orignally, Athenians wanted to kill them and set out but it was quickly revoked
Spartan Defeat at Pylos
After Pericles, Cleon was in charge and he changed the strategy drastically
Athens planned forts in Peloponnese to provoke a revolt
Spartans went to cut off Athenians and placed on a island called Sphacteria but were circled and eventually surrendered
a huge knock to Spartan legacy
This ended the annual invasions
Brasidas Campaign at Thrase
Bc of Pylos and Athens rejecting peace, Brasidas planned to persuade allies to revolt and cut off Athens supply
Captured and Persuaded Amphipolis-Thucydides exile
Scione revolted and many resources were cut off
Scione Killed by Cleon, shows his aggression
Cleon and Brasidas killed at Battle of Amphipolis but the Peloponnese were victorious
Peace of Nicias
in March 421, The peace was signed
Negotiator Nicias
Athens would give up occupation of Pylos, Sparta would return Amphipolis, however this did not happen
Not all states agreed to the party
