Pentecontaetia Sources Flashcards
Thucydides, 1.89 - But the Athenians and the allies from Ionia and Hellespont, who had now revolted from the King, remained and laid siege to Sestos, which was still held by the Medes. After wintering before it, they became masters of the place on its evacuation by the barbarians; and after this they sailed away from Hellespont to their respective cities
Siege of Sestos - 478 BC
Thucydides - the official aim of the League was to “avenge the wrongs they suffered by ravaging the territory of the king.”
Formation of the Delian League
- 478 BC
Thucydides - After this success he went to Byzantium and also completed a victory. Ionians resented his arrogance and treachery and asked the Athenians to take command. Mysterious that the Spartans were so content to allow the Athenians to
take over leadership of the anti-Persian alliance. Kimon and Aristeides now come to the fore. Chios, Lesbos and Samos are key instigators in this plot to rid Pausanias of command
Capture of Byzantium - 478 BC
Plutarch - Cimon first defeated the Persians in battle, whereupon they retreated to the city, and were besieged there
Delian Battle at Eion. Cimon led the Delian league as Eion was occupied by Persia. - 476 BC
Plutarch, Life of Cimon, 8 - They settled Scyros too, which Cimon seized for the following reason. Dolopians were living on the island, but they were poor tillers of the soil. So they practised piracy on the high sea from old, and finally did not withhold their hands even from those who put into their ports and had dealings with them
Delian Battle at Scyros.
Athens gained a new colony and trade route - 474 BC
Thucydides, 1.98- ‘They also made war on Carystus, independently of the rest of Euboea, and the Carystians finally agreed to the terms.’
Carystus forced to join the Delian League - 472 BC
Plutarch, Themistocles, 22 -
‘So at last the Athenians banished him. They made use of the ostracism to humble his great reputation and his authority.’
Themistocles was ostracised for ordering the re-fortification of Athens, and his perceived arrogance began to alienate him from the Athenians - 471 BC
Thucydides, 1.98 -
‘After this came the revolt of Naxos : the Athenians went to war and blockaded the Naxians into submission.’
Naxos attempted to leave the Delian League but were unsuccessful - 469 BC
Thucydides, 1.100 -
‘The Athenians won both battles on the same day, and captured and destroyed a total of two hundred Phoenician triremes.’
Battle of Eurymedon, Cimon led the Delian League and defeated the Persian Navy - 468 BC
Thucydides - the revolt was occasioned by a dispute over markets and a mine in Thrace, owned by the Thasians.
Thasos attempted to leave the Delian league - 465 BC
Thucydides, 101-102 - Helot revolt against the Spartans. The allies sent men to help, including the Athenian army (led by Cimon.) However, the Spartans believed the Athenians would betray them and help the Helots, so they were sent away. This ended the alliance between Athens and Sparta, Cimon was no longer Spartan proxenos in the Athenian assembly.
Helot Revolt - 464 BC
Thucydides, 1.102 -
‘They abandoned the alliance with Sparta first made against the Persians, and allied themselves with Argos, enemy of Sparta.’
Beginning of the First Peloponnesian War - 460 BC
Thucydides - Athenians were led by Myronides with an army of 14,000. The Spartans were led by Nicomedes with an army of 11,500 .The Spartans wanted to compel the submission of Phocis.
Clash at Tanagra, Boeotia - 457 BC
Plutarch, Pericles, 12 - ‘They cried out in the assembly that Athens had lost her good name and has disgraced herself by transferring from Delos into her own, keeping the funds that had been contributed by the rest of Greece.’
Pericles moves the Delian League treasury to Athens - 454 BC
The Erythrai Decree
States terms for Erythrai after in revolted in 453 BC. New democratic government imposed; grain must be supplied
to Athens; accept Athenian military garrison - 453 BC
