The Peloponnesian war (431 - 404 BC)

Question 1

Thucydides on the Spartan people agreeing with Stheneliadas

Answer 1

“those who held that the treaty had been broken were in a decided majority” - Thucydides, The history of the Peloponnesian War

Question 2

Thucydides on Pericles defending his strategy for the start of the war

Answer 2

“he succeeded in convincing them” - Thucydides, the history of the peoloponnesian war

Question 3

Thucydides on the plague

Answer 3

“most calamitous and awfully fatal visitation, the plague” - Thucydides, The history of the Peloponnesian war

Question 4

Thucydides on the increase of tribute

Answer 4

“average revenue of six hundred talents of silver was drawn from the tribute” - Thucydides, the history of the Peloponnesian war

Question 5

Thucydides on Sparta’s loss (Plyos and Sphacteria)

Answer 5

“causes much more surprise […] than anything else that had happened in the War” - Thucydides, the history of the Peloponnesian war

Question 6

Aristophanes on Brasidas in thrace

Answer 6

Thrace “hatched a thousand plots” - Aristophanes, Peace

Question 7

Plutarch on the peace of Nicias (421)

Answer 7

“Nicias was responsible for the peace as Pericles had been for the War” - Plutarch, Nicias

Question 8

Thucydides on the battle of mantinea (418 BC)

Answer 8

“a thousand Athenian heavy infantry had come to their aid” - Thucydides, the history of the Peloponnesian war

Question 9

Thucydides on the Sicilian expedition (415 BC)

Answer 9

Thucydides believed that this was Athens’ biggest mistake
“a host of blunders, and amongst them the Sicilian expedition”
the Athenian assembly “voted to send sixty ships to Sicily”
Nicias “put the question to vote” as he did not want to sail to Sicily

Question 10

Thucydides on Alcibiades in Sparta (Syracuse asking for Spartan help)

Answer 10

convinced them to take “a Spartan as commanding officer to discipline the forces” - Thucydides, the history of the Peloponnesian war

Question 11

Thucydides on the occupation at Decelea in 414 BC

Answer 11

this was “one of the principle causes of [Athens’] ruin”

Question 12

Thucydides Sparta wanting to help Chios

Answer 12

“the mass of the Chians were not privy to the negotiations”
Alcibiades convinced them into revolting

Question 13

terms of Sparta and Persian alliance, found in Thucydides

Answer 13

1. all territories previously belonging to Persia belong to the king of Persia
2. the war would continue with them working together
3. all enemies of Sparta are enemies of Persia and vice versa
4. Tissaphernes would pay for pelop fleet until Persian one arrived

Question 14

Xenophon on the turning point of war

Answer 14

“Cyrus [was] to support the Lacedaemonians in the war” - Xenophon, Hellenica

Question 15

Xenophon on the battle of Aegospotami (405 BC)

Answer 15

“the Athenian cause was lost” - Xenophon, Hellenica