Topic 5: End of the Peloponnesian War and its Aftermath

Question 1

Alliance with Argos, Mantinea and Elis - Battle of Mantinea in 418BC

Answer 1

• The allies felt alienated from the peace of Nicias so Corinth turned to Argos to arrange a secret alliance. Argos had a thirty year treaty with Spata but felt they were weak enough to win.
• This threatened to dplit the leaguie, as Mantinea and Elis sides with Corinth and Megara and Boetia stayed with Sparta.
• Spata tried to make Boetia side with Argos allies but instead formed a new alliance with Boetia in return for Panactujm.
• This breached the treaty but hppened anyway which made Athens super pissed.
• Alcibiades proposed a four way alliance between Argos, Mantinea, Athens ans Elis which was to provoke the Spartans .
• Athens tried to seperate Corinth frrom the rest of the league while Argos attacked Epidaurus, which sparta sent forces to depend.This meant Spata was deeply theatened to send n army to Argos which was defended by 1000 Athenian hoplites.
• A, A and M were trying to win ove the city Tegea as it cut offa land route for Sparta. Under the king Agis, the Spatans won a decisive victory at the battle of Mantinea in 418BC. Argos and Mantinea had to agree to a new treaty.

Question 2

The Sicilian Expidition -
415-413

Thucydides

Answer 2

• Segesta asked for help from Si ily after being harrassed by Selinus and Syracuse.
• Nicias was opposed to the expidition as they were technically at peace but tensions were igh after the battle of Mantinea.
• Athenians saw it as an opportunity to capture Sicily, which was high in minerals.
• Before they left Alcibiades was accused of defacing statues of Hermes and after the expidition ran away to Sparta.
• Athenian plan was to capture Syracuse and build walls between the two seas to cut off supplies.
• Syracuse defense plan was to build a counter wall to garantee supplies from Sicily.
• Nicias tried to defend the road to stop Gylippus from going to Syracuse but his negligence made it easy for them to march through. He had to send an urgent letter asking Athens for recall or reinforcements and got the latter.

Question 3

The Sicilian Expedition -
415 - 413

Thycidides

Answer 3

• In 413 Sparta invaded Attica which forced Athens to have to fight on two fronts.
• Gylippus captured 3 forts which contained mass amounts of naval equipment, gained naval superiority.
• Demosthenese attempted to capture the Syracusian counte wall at night hut ended in failure.
• Both Nicias and Demosthenses were executed after attempting to flee by land, having lost naval battles.
• Lmachus could have succeeded but was not allowed to have his way and got killed.
• Thucydides says it was the biggest departue from Pericles’ defensive stategy, so was bound to fail.
• Thycidides blames Nicias’ poor judgement and the Athenians for exiling Alcibiades.

Question 4

The occupation of Decelea.

Answer 4

• Alcibiades had encourgaed Sparta to occupy Decelea as itd pot supported food supplies so they could cut off and starve Athens.
• It would alsoo makw eit hader for Athens to reinforce their army in Sicily.
• They hoped that with two wars on her hands, Athens would be easy to crush.
• The situation at Pylos was encouraging as they felt at fault for first beaking the teaty but now Athens had done the same.
• The Pelepponese wee able to stay at Decelea year orund as garisons would releive each other, and the Spartan king Agis was thee to oversee the capaign.
• “The occupation of Decelea was one of the cheif reasons for the decline of Athenian power.”
• Thycidides says that no one thought Athens would last the year, let alone the 17 yeas that they did.

Question 5

Persian involvement and alliance with Sparta

Answer 5

• After Athenian defeat in Sicily Persia took advanatge to join the war and alloed with Sparta, but Thycidides does downplay Persian involvement.
• Sparta chose satrap Tissephernes as their ally encouraged by Alcibiades, but negotiating treaty took 3 ties.
• Tissepheres was an unreliable ally as Persia hoped thst the two sides would wesr themselves out and theyd be the strongest.
• They switchwd to satap Phanabazus and focused on encouraging revoltsd in Athens’ allies.. In 411-410 they cut off Athens’ food supply in a decisive victory.
• Athens went on the acheive victory at Cynossema and moe impotantly Cyzicus. The esult was Sparta asking for a [peace treaty.
• Athens continued to win until Sparta commande Lysander and Cyrus, son of Persian king, became a successful elationship.This mesnt Persia and Spata had geat ciommander and naval fleet.
• Lysande won at Notion, befoe being replaced by Callicratidas. He lost the battle of Aganusae and Cyrus gave Lysander all his moeny which led to final Spartan vuictory at Aegospotami in 405 BC.

Question 6

Final years of the war.

Answer 6

• Arginusae should have been an Athenian victory but the assembly at home undermined it, thee was uproar about not birnging back bodies so six out of eight commanders were executed.
• In 405 Lysander was returned as commander.
• Cyrus had executed his cousins which meant theyd be left without the kings money.
• Cyrus gave all money to Lysander and said not to fight Athens unless he had a high amount of support.
• Lysander won at the Aegospotami as his plan was to observe them before a smooth victory.

Question 7

Soiurces

Answer 7

• THUCYDIDES - “Alcibiades was genuinly convinced the best thing was to ally with Argos.
• THUCYDIDES - Under king Agis, the spartans won at the battle of Mantinea in 418.
• THUCYDIES - “Nicias’ view was that they were making a mistake”.
• THUCYDIDES - “Those who were against it were afraid of being thought as unpatriotic, so kept quiet.”
• THUCYDIDES - “The occupation of Decelea was one of the cheif reasons for the decline of Athenian power.”
• XENOPHON - “Cyrus advised him not to fight unless needed and gave him lots of money.”
• XENOPHON - Sparta won Notion, Arginusae should have been athenian vic, and Aegrspotimi afteer 4 day standoff.