Causes and Effects of Pelo War Flashcards
What does ἀληθεστάτην πρόφασιν transliterate to? Meaning?
alethestaten prophasin
‘the truest cause’
What does Thuc assert is the truest cause of the Pelo war?
Athenian growth of power and the fear Sparta felt about that
What state’s role in initiating war is downplayed by Thuc to emphasise that of Sparta? Two events that demonstrate their involvement?
Corinth
Potidaea and Corcyra
Why were the Corcyraeans and Corinthians engaged in dispute? Reference?
Epidamnus, the former’s colony city, was weakening and had been refused help from corc so approached corinth who gladly helped which led to a conflict over who had control/influence over the place
1.24-30
How did Athens get involved in the Corcyra affair? Reference?
Corc requested their help when they learnt of corinthian efforts to scale up their military action over the control of epidamnus
1.30
What would be the benefit for Athens in having Corcyra as an ally? (2) Reference?
en route to south italy/sicily and would be contributing to the weakening of strong pelo city Corinth
1.36
What was the outcome of Corcyra affair?
both considered themselves victors (1.54) and it ended with Athens threatening Corinth to stay away (1.53)
Name of naval battle that occured betw Corcyra and Athens vs Corinth?
Battle of Sybota
What did Athens do in Corcyra affair that meant they were deemed as having broken treaty agreements?
in protecting corc against corinth, they appear to have taken military action against them
How did Athens excuse itself from breaking peace treaty despite Corinthian accusations?
Their intention were to merely protect Corcyrean territory
Who was Potidaea revolting against? Why?
Athens, it was a member of the Delian League
Athens had requested Corinthian magistrates to be removed and the city’s wall to be removed
Who did Potidaea appeal to prior to the revolt? Reference?
Athens in negotiations, so they wouldn’t attack, and Peloponnesians for assistance should Athens do so.
1.58
Why was Corinth involved in the Potidaean revolt?
Potidaea was a daughter-city of Corinth
Why did Athens initially send fleet to potidaea? Corinth?
To enforce action upon its demands.
To protect Potidaea against the Athenians.
Why was Perdiccas of Macedonia involved in Potidaea? Reference?
They were hostile to Athens and so trying to weaken the cities the city had influence over near Macedonia and trying to get pelos on side
1.57
What were the sides in the fighting over Potidaea?
Potidaeans, Macedonians, and Corinthians vs Athenians
What did Sparta promise in negotiations with both Corcyra and Potidaea?
to invade Attica at same time
What was the outcome of Potidaea? Reference?
Athenian victory and prolonged siege of the city by Athens
1.63-4
What does Thuc present as the moment that the Corinthians became adamant for war against Athens? Reference?
when the siege is organised
1.67
What occurred directly before the agreement of war from both cities?
embassies sent from both sides but both seeming to not really aim to achieve anything but rather appear as if they would prefer peace
What did Lendon’s argument about the reasoning behind the declaration of war revolve around?
Idea of rank as a way that Greeks, esp those in power, viewed interstate dynamics
What is the ‘Great Gap’? Significance?
Absence of Thuc account for the years 439-4.
Excludes an important period of events running up to the war
What 3 key events in the run up to Pelo war does Hornblower highlight as Thuc ommissions from pentekontaetia narrative?
(* examples are those that appear later in narrative but as references in contextual digressions)
*Akarnia alliance w Athens, c438, likely motivated by growth in Corinth power.
Pericles’ expedition to Black Sea, 436, known from Plutarch.
*Amphipolis founding, 437, again related to Corinthian power.
What aspect of Athenian expansion is entirely excluded from pentekontaetia? How could this be explained?
Actions in the Greek West (Sicily, South Italy)
Makes the Sicilian Expedition, Thuc’s big crescendo in Athenian tyrannical behaviour, seem all the more inconsiderate and impulsive
In what two ways was Corcyra unique pre B of Sybota?
had no alliances with bigger powers
had second largest naval fleet in the G world
Why was Potidaea a weak point for Athens pre-Pelo war?
proximity to untrustworthy Perdiccas of Macedon
links w Corinth, its mother-city
