Peace and Conflict 446-431

Question 1

What did Athens and Sparta agree to after the revolts of Euboea and Megara in 446?

Answer 1

The 30 Year Peace

Question 2

What did the 30 Year Peace make Athens give up?

Answer 2

Two harbours belonging to Megara and two cities in the Peloponnese

Question 3

What did the 30 Year Peace allow Athens and Sparta to keep?

Answer 3

The allies they had when the treaty was agreed

Question 4

What happened to the 30 Year Peace if an ally revolted and joined the other side?

Answer 4

It was broken

Question 5

What did the 30 Year Peace allow neutral states to do?

Answer 5

Join either side

Question 6

Who was specifically excluded from the 30 Year Peace?

Answer 6

Argos

Question 7

When did the 30 Year Peace stop Athens and Sparta from making an armed attack against the other?

Answer 7

If either of them wanted to go to arbitration

Question 8

Which of Athens’ allies were at war in 440?

Answer 8

Samos and Miletus

Question 9

Why did Athens get involved in Samos and Miletus’ conflict in 440?

Answer 9

Samos was more powerful so Miletus asked Athens to intervene

Question 10

How did Athens intervene on Miletus’ behalf in 440?

Answer 10

Athens replaced Samos’ oligarchy with a democracy and left behind a garrison

Question 11

How did the oligarchs from Samos react after Athens replaced them in 440?

Answer 11

They asked the Persian satrap of Lydia for help and ejected the Athenian garrison

Question 12

What happened to Samos after the oligarchs removed the Athenian garrison?

Answer 12

After nine months, two sieges and a naval battle, the Samians surrendered and had to give up their fleet and pay tribute instead

Question 13

How did the Peloponnesian League react to Athens’ treatment of Samos in 440?

Answer 13

The debated going to Samos’ aid but the side against this action won

Question 14

What is significant about the Peloponnesian League voting on whether or not to help Samos in 440?

Answer 14

If the allies were debating then Sparta had already voted to oppose Athens despite the 30 Year Peace

Question 15

What did Corinth urge the Peloponnesian League members who had been wronged by Athens to do in 432?

Answer 15

Petition Sparta

Question 16

What were Corinth’s complaints at the debate for war in 432?

Answer 16

Epidamnus-Corcyra, Potidaea, the Megarian decree and Aegina

Question 17

What event from the late 430s did Corinth not mention in their formal complaint to Sparta?

Answer 17

Athens sent ships to help Amphilochian Argos and the Acarnanians against Ambracia, who had Corinthian connections, in the Ambracian Gulf

Question 18

Complaint: Epidamnus-Corcyra

How were Epidamnus, Corcyra and Corinth linked?

Answer 18

Epidamnus was a colony of Corcyra which was a colony of Corinth

Question 19

Complaint: Epidamnus-Corcyra

What happened in Epidamnus in 435?

Answer 19

A local conflict which caused their democratic party to ask Corcyra for help

Question 20

Complaint: Epidamnus-Corcyra

What did Epidamnus’ democratic party do when Corcyra refused to help them?

Answer 20

They asked Corinth for help

Question 21

Complaint: Epidamnus-Corcyra

Why did the Corinthians agree to help Epidamnus’ democratic party?

Answer 21

They felt that Corcyra didn’t show them enough respect

Question 22

Complaint: Epidamnus-Corcyra

What happened after the Cornthians agreed to help Epidamnus’ democratic party?

Answer 22

A siege and naval battle where the Corcyraeans defeated the Corinthians

Question 23

Complaint: Epidamnus-Corcyra

What did Corcyra do in 433?

Answer 23

They asked Athens for help

Question 24

Complaint: Epidamnus-Corcyra

Was Corcyra allowed to ally with Athens under the 30 Year Peace and why?

Answer 24

Yes because it was a neutral state

Question 25

# Complaint: Epidamnus-Corcyra What was Corcyra's argument for why Athens should ally with them?

Answer 25

War between Athens and Sparta was inevitable and their large navy would be very helpful but if they were beaten by Corinth now then the Peloponnese would gain their 120 ships

Question 26

# Complaint: Epidamnus-Corcyra What did Corinth do in response to Corcyra asking Athens for help?

Answer 26

They sent their own delegation to Athens to deter them from making the alliance

Question 27

# Complaint: Epidamnus-Corcyra What were Corinth's arguments for why Athens shouldn't ally with Corcyra?

Answer 27

Corinth had argued against Peloponnesian involvement in the revolt of Samos and Athens should allow them the same courtesy, and the 30 Year Peace did not allow neutral states to join one side just to start hostilities

Question 28

# Complaint: Epidamnus-Corcyra What did Athens decide about their alliance with Corcyra?

Answer 28

They allied with Corcyra but only in a defensive manner: they would stop Corinth landing on Corcyra but nothing else

Question 29

# Complaint: Epidamnus-Corcyra What happened when Corinth attacked Corcyra in late 433?

Answer 29

There was a naval encounter near the island but when Corinth started winning and threatening Corcyra itself the Athenians ships turned them back

Question 30

# Complaint: Potidaea How was Potidaea linked to both Athens and Corinth?

Answer 30

It was a subject state of Athens but a Corinthian colony, from whom they still recieved annual magistrates

Question 31

# Complaint: Potidaea What did Athens do in early 432 and why?

Answer 31

They ordered Potidaea to tear down their defences in expectation of a revolt

Question 32

# Complaint: Potidaea What did Potidaea do in response to Athens ordering them to tear down their defences?

Answer 32

They sent an embassy to Sparta

Question 33

# Complaint: Potidaea What did the Sparta ephors (magistrates) tell Potidaea?

Answer 33

They would invade Attica if Potidaea was attacked

Question 34

# Complaint: Potidaea What happened when Potidaea revolted against Athens?

Answer 34

Corinth sent an army to support them but Sparta did nothing, Athens sent several contingents and besieged the city for the next 3 years

Question 35

# Complaint: Potidaea What does the fact that Sparta didn't help Potidaea suggest?

Answer 35

That the ephors had been unable to convince the assembly and there were pro-peace and pro-war factions in Sparta

Question 36

# Complaint: the Megarian decree What did the Megarian decree do?

Answer 36

It banned Megara from all ports in the Athenian Empire and the market of Attica

Question 37

# Complaint: the Megarian decree How much did the Megarian decree contribute to the outbreak of war in 431?

Answer 37

It is hard to say, Thucydides suggests it mattered very little but Plutarch says it mattered more than anything else

Question 38

# Complaint: the Megarian decree What was the official reason for the Megarian decree?

Answer 38

The Megarians cultivated sacred land and killed the Athenian envoy sent to investiagte it

Question 39

# Complaint: the Megarian decree What are possible unofficial reasons for the Megarian decree?

Answer 39

Megara switching sides at the end of the First Peloponnesian War or Megara sailing with Corinth during the Epidamnus-Corcyra incident

Question 40

# Complaint: the Megarian decree Who vigorously opposed revoking the Megarian decree?

Answer 40

Pericles

Question 41

# Complaint: the Megarian decree How did Sparta react to the Megarian decree?

Answer 41

They argued for it be revoked to the point of going to war over it

Question 42

# Complaint: Aegina How did Aegina get involved in the debate for war?

Answer 42

They sided with Corinth

Question 43

# Complaint: Aegina Why did Aegina side with Corinth during the debate for war?

Answer 43

They had not been given the independence from Athens they were promised

Question 44

# Complaint: Aegina What treaty had promised Aegina independence from Athens?

Answer 44

We don't know

Question 45

What did Corinth's speech at the debate for war focus on?

Answer 45

Sparta failing to stand up to Athens

Question 46

What happened after Corinth's speech at the debate for war?

Answer 46

Athens gave a speech defending their right to imperialism

Question 47

What happened after the speeches had been made at the debate for war?

Answer 47

The Spartans debated the matter between themselves

Question 48

Which Spartan argued against war and why?

Answer 48

King Archidamus, they had no money or navy or the resources of Athens' empire

Question 49

What did Archidamus suggest the Spartans needed to do before declaring war on Athens?

Answer 49

Gain new allies such as Persia and Athens' own allies

Question 50

Which Spartan argued for war and why?

Answer 50

The ephor Sthenelaidas, nationalistic pride

Question 51

What did the Spartans vote for at the debate for war in 432?

Answer 51

Going to war immediately

Question 52

What did Sparta do before fully committing to war?

Answer 52

Sent a delegation to Athens saying there could be peace if they released the Greeks

Question 53

How did Athens respond to Sparta's final offer of peace and why?

Answer 53

Pericles strongly opposed it, it would mean giving up their empire which the 30 Year Peace had allowed them to keep