Importance of Allies, treaties and leadership Flashcards
Describe the importance of greek unity (6)
® Counter: Herodotus describes the Theban’s as “Persia’s firm friends” at Platea.
® Herodotus called the Battle of Mycale (479) “the second Ionian Revolt”
® Serpent’s Column shows that 31 cities opposed the Persians.
® “punish all men of Greek blood, who without compulsion yielded to the Persians” [Herodotus, Book 7]
® (490) “The Athenian troops… were joined by the Plataeans, who came to support them with every available man” [Herodotus, Histories, Book 6]
® Spartans didn’t show up in time for the Battle of Marathon, supposedly as they were celebrating the Carneia, but 2000 of them did show up after the battle was thought.
Describe the persian influence through money that ended the war (3)
® Archidamos says they make “new allies both among Hellenes and among foreigners” [Thucydides]
® Cyrus “gave to Lysander all the tribute which came in from his cities and belonged to him personally” [Xenophon, Hellenica, 2.1.13]
® “he made the ships of his enemies empty” by having Cyrus pay the sailors 4 obols instead of 3. [Plutarch, Life of Lysander, 4]
explain the threat of allies revolting with Brasidas and mantinea (2)
® “the whole of Hellas, after the great disaster in Sicily, turned immediately against Athens” + neutral states joined Sparta and “the subjects of Athens were all ready to revolt” [Thucydides]
® “The Athenians also feared that their allies would revolt, since Brasidas was […] constantly declaring wherever he went that his mission was the liberation of Hellas”. This and Athens’ defeat at Delium (424) inspired them and they “begging him to march on their territory” [Thucydides]
Describe how athens and spartas alliance created security (3)
® “security, honour, and self-interest” stopped Athens getting rid of their empire [Thucydides]
® (429) Perikles: “Your empire is now like a tyranny: it may have been wrong to take it; it is certainly dangerous to let it go” [Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, 2.63]
® (421) Post Peace of Nicias when Spartan allies were unhappy with them due to the terms of the treaty being unfair. “Sparta and Athens shall be allies for fifty years” [Thucydides, 5.23]
describe the importance of treaties during the fighting against persia (6)
® Serpent’s Column shows that 31 cities opposed the Persians.
® “punish all men of Greek blood, who without compulsion yielded to the Persians” [Herodotus, Bk 7]
® Eurymedon “so dashed the king’s hopes that he accepted the terms of that notorious peace” [Plutarch, Life of Kimon, 13]
® Theopompos said “the treaty with the Persians is a fake” [Harpokration]
® Herodotus claims that Kallias did go to Susa during the reign of Artaxerxes. [Herodotus, 7.150.1]
® (425BC) Persian embassy replying to a request for aid from Sparta was intercepted by Athenians. Soon after, seems to be a renewed peace treaty between Athens and Persia. [Thucydides]
Describe persian treaties at the end of the peloponnesian war
® Peloponnesians only get real help from Persians when Darius puts his son Cyrus in charge 407BC, and he even prevents Athenian embassy trying to win over his dad. [Xenophon, Hellenica]
® (412/11) The first treaty that the Spartans and the Persians made recognised the Persians claims over all their previous territories, which handed over Boeotia and Thessaly as well as Ionia. [Thucydides]
® (412/11) The second treaty the Spartans made with the Persians was not much of an improvement for them, but at least ensured that the Persians would pay to maintain their troops when they asked for their aid [Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, 8.37]
® (412/11) Third treaty: “it was intolerable for any agreement to stand under which the King was to rule over all the states that ever had been ruled over in the past by himself or by his fathers” [Thucydides]
Describe how treaties are irrelevant and cant last (5)
Peace of Nicias really just between Sparta and Athens and 30 Years Peace disregarded, Persian treaties don’t do much
® Counter: 30 Year Treaty (446) was very comprehensive and the fact that it had an arbitration clause shows an attempt at keeping peace and an attempt at making peace work. [Thucydides]
® Athenians needed the 30 Year Treaty (446) as they had lost their land empire (447), they were facing revolts from allies (Euboea and Megara, who invited the Peloponnesian League to invade into Attica) and the Spartans were on the offensive. Athens had no choice but to sue for peace.
® Sparta’s allies refused to sign the peace treaty (Peace of Nicias) as they didn’t find the terms fair. [Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, 5.22]
® Thucydides says Peace of Nicias did nothing, as it would be “an error of judgement to consider the interval of agreement as anything else except a period of war” as neither side gave back everything they should, and Mantinea happened during this time.
® “Corinth and various other cities in the Peloponnese were trying to upset the agreement, and Sparta found herself immediately in fresh trouble with her allies” due to the Peace of Nicias being more an agreement between Sparta and Athens than Athens and Peloponnesian League. [Thucydides]
Describe how sparta and athens use treaties so they can focus on other things (5)
® Pre-Peace of Nicias: Delium was a blow for Athens and they worried about their allies revolting. [Thucydides]
® At time of Peace of Nicias “Spartan opinion was, in fact, in favour of peace” due of Spachteria, forts in Pylos and Cythera, threat of helot revolt, their 30-year peace with the Argos was running out, and “the two people who on each side had been the most opposed to peace” were dead. [Thucydides]
® (421) Post Peace of Nicias when Spartan allies were unhappy with them due to the terms of the treaty being unfair. “Sparta and Athens shall be allies for fifty years” [Thucydides, 5.23]
® Sparta and Athens made an armistice in 423, the Athenians in order to secure what they had, the Spartans in hope the Athenians would grow used to peace and maintain it and to get the prisoners from Sphacteria. [Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, 4.108]
® Thucydides tell us about the 5 Year Peace (451) which allowed the Athenians to make an expedition against the Persians by fighting in Cyprus, Egypt and a land and sea victory at Salamis-in-Cyprus, meaning this is the alternative end to the Persian War instead of the Battle of Eurymedon (468).
Give an example of Persias bad leadership
® Herodotus Book 7 outlines a debate in the Persian court about invading Greece. It is unlikely he would have a source from there, despite Greeks being present. Xerxes is presented as arrogant, impetuous and immature. Contrast with how the Persian royal inscriptions on Gate of All Lands presents him.
Describe importance of navarchy (2)
® “the navarchy was established as virtually another kingship” [Aristotle]
® The war “concluded by the foresight and skill of one man” [Plutarch]
Describe Themistocles in Persian War: Building of fleet, long walls, forcing Peloponnesians to fight (3)
® “I think that his chief motive was apprehension of losing Athenian support” [Herodotus, 8.63]
® Themistocles persuaded the Athenians “to spend it on the construction of two hundred warships” [Herodotus Histories 7.144] Modern historians doubt Herodotus’ figure of 200 in favour of 100.
® “the wooden wall would not be taken” [Herodotus Histories 8.51]
Describe how Spartan leadership is anti-war: Archidamos, Pleistonaoax (bribe?), counter of brasidas (3)
® Thucydides says “Pleistoanax… was exiled because he was supposed to have been bribed to retreat from Attica”, but this may have been because he was pro-peace, not bribery.
® The Spartans did not send Brasidas reinforcements in 424 “because what they really wanted was to recover the prisoners made on the island and to end the war” [Thucydides]
® Archidamos argues against going to war and Thucydides’ hindsight shows through as he says what they need in order to win the war.
decribe the Importance of Perikles: Consolidation, start of Archidamian war
® Periclean strategy: “they were not to go out and offer battle, but were to come inside the city and guard it”, rely on navy and the resources of the empire. Avoid engaging the Spartans directly in full hoplite battle, it’d be impossible to win, instead use the fleet to harass and attack Spartan allies. Tighten control of allies in case of revolt, and don’t add to the empire during this time. [Thucydides]
Describe importance of hellenic and delian league: pausanias (4)
® “the other members of the confederacy had stipulated for a Lacedaemonian commander” [Herodotus, Histories, Book 8]
® “the Athenians made the insufferable behaviour of Pausanias their excuse of depriving the Lacedaemonians of the command” [Herodotus Histories 8.3]
® Sparta was not happy to give up naval hegemony as Thucydides says. [Diodorus Siculus, 11.50]
® Pausanias was seen “dressed in the Persian style of clothing” [Thucydides 1.130]
describe the importance of kimon (4)
® “the justice of Aristides and the affability shown by Cimon” [Plutarch, Life of Aristides, 23]
® “no man did more than Cimon to humble the pride of the Great King” [Plutarch Life of Kimon 12]
® Battle of Eurymedon (468) “Kimon, like a champion athlete, carried off two victories in a single day”. [Plutarch, Kimon, 13]
® Eurymedon “so dashed the king’s hopes that he accepted the terms of that notorious peace” [Plutarch, Life of Kimon, 13]
describe the importance of alcibiades (5)
® (431) Alcibiades said “you must fortify Decelea in Attica” [Thucydides, 6.91]
® Xenophon Hellenica (407) the Athenians elect Alcibiades as general “though he was still in exile”.
® On his return, some consider Alcibiades a “slave of necessity” hence working with Sparta (this contrasts with Thucydies’ presentation of a self-serving Alcibiades that bad-mouths democracy).
® Xenophon Hellenica (407) Alcibiades goes on a mission and leaves Antiochus in charge of the fleet, with orders to not engage Lysander’s forces at Ephesus. He disobeys, launching a raid from Notium that becomes a full battle and defeat for Athens. Alcibiades is blamed and stripped of generalships.
® Alcibiades comes back from his castle in Thrace in order to warn the Athenians at Aegospotami of the danger they’re in. [Xenophon]
describe the importance of miltiades at marathon (2)
® Miltiades gave Callimachus the decision at Marathon “either to enslave Athens, or to make her free” [Herodotus, Histories, 6.109]
® (490) “the Athenians advanced at a run towards the enemy” [Herodotus, Histories, 6.112]
