Second Peloponnesian War Flashcards
Outbreak reasons
Spartan fear
- Spartan actions suggesting war
- Spartan pressured
Athenian need to maintain empire
Corinth
Sparta actions suggesting war - immediately before war
Sparta making Megara the core reason for them going to war- 1.76
Spartan ally - Thebes - responsible for outbreak 7.18
1.126 - sought pretext for war through Athens ignoring complaints of allies
Sparta’s ultimatum being unrealistic -
Spartan fear
Thucydides’ view - what made war inevitable was the growth of athenian power and the fear which this caused in Sparta’ - prophasis - 1.23
1.88 Spartans voted ‘that the traty had been broken and that war should be declared….[not because of allies] but ‘afraid of the further growth of Athenian power….greater part of Hellas under Athenian control’
Sparta had thought it wise due to athenian actions:
‘most people’s views tended to the same conclusion -namely that Athens was already acting aggressively and that war should be declared without delay 1.7
(x.ref Plutarch Pericles 28.1 - ‘cruelty’ towards Samos)
Spartans pressured
Sparta under pressure from allies nonetheless with the majority voting for war at the congress 1.125
Aitiai brought by allies
Athens helping Corcyra (a Corinthians colony) in conflict with Corinthians (435 – 433)
A dispute over Potidaea, a Corinthian Colony (432)
Aeginetans complained their autonomy had been infringed
Complaint from Megarians that an Athenian decree had banned them from ports in Athenian Empire and Athenian agora, thus threatening their trade.
Samos? (440)
Athens not wanting war
- ‘Pericles had ten talents sent annually to Sparta….he deferred the war’ (Plutarch Pericles 23.1)
- 1.72 - ‘hoped to divert their audience from the idea of war’,
- 1.73 ‘Our aim is to show you what sort of a city you will have to fight against, if you make the wrong decision’
- Not willing to fight over Megara - but only by necessity 1.141
- Defensive alliance with Corcyra
Athens and Corinth relations
Getting involved in Potidaea and Corcyra when Athens knew of the ‘hatred felt for her by Corinth’ (1.56)
Athens preparing for war
Construction of the long walls in 479
433 shifing to war economy - increasing defence - decreasing others
Athens 1.44 - general belief war was inevitable
Plutarch Pericles 23.2 ‘not purchasing peace but time…to ensure the Athenians fought better’
Corinth involvement positive
Corinth dissuaded(allegedly) the Peloponnesians from going to Samos’ aid 1.41
Spartan actions - early - war
Sparta promising to invade attica if the athenians attacked Potidaea (1.58)
- Considered aid to Samos (1.40) 440
- Prepared to help Thasos by invading Attica (1.101) - only stopped by helot revolt
- Spartans wanted to regain hegemony - 475 - Diodorus
Corinth as a reason for war
- Th sticks to the line that it is corinth - corinth takes up more than 1/10th of book 1 - corinth-athens as mainly featuring in the causes of complaint and disputes
- ‘sending embassies urging the allies to vote for war’ 1.119
- argument that it is necessary to fight Athens now 1.122
Conditions of peace
1.115 - 30 years - Athens give up Nisaea, Pegae [harbours belonging to Megara] Troezen, and Achaea – all places they had seized from the Peloponnesians
1.140 - Each side was to keep allies it possessed at making of treaty
1.35 -If an ally sent over to the other side, the treaty was broken
1.40 -A list of allies was specified as part of the treaty
1.40 -A neutral state could ally itself with either side
5.14 -Argos was already at peace with Sparta because of a treaty from 450/1. So it was excluded from the treaty. It could be at peace with Athens
‘It happened, too, that the thirty years’ truce between Sparta and Argos was on the point of expiring.’
1.140/ 7.18 Neither side could attack the other if it wished to go to arbitration
Megara affair
