Greece in conflict

• Greece in conflict: 478-446
• Peloponnesian League History

  • Originated 550s, largest by 504
  • If a city was attacked by a non-member then Sparta had to defend it
  • bi-cameral: Sparta and other states
  • If war was declared, Sparta controlled the army and provided a commander
• Thucydides; Sparta’s actions after Mycale: “returned home together with the allies from the Peloponnese“
• Thucydides; Athens’ actions after Mycale: “began a siege on Sestos“, continued through winter before returning home
• Rebuilding of Athenian walls in 478
• Thucydides; Sparta dont like Athens’ walls: “did not like the idea of Athens or any other city being fortified“
• Thucydides; Sparta and her allies are “alarmed” by Athens’ “sudden growth”
• Thucydides; Sparta suggests what Athens should do with their walls: “not only should Athens refrain from building her own fortifications, but that she should join them in pulling down all the fortifications which still existed outside of the Peloponnese“
• Thucydides; Sparta hides its true intent about the walls: “concealed their true meaning and their real fears”
• Thucydides; Sparta claim they fear Persia: “the Persians would have no strong base from which to operate“
• Thucydides; the significance of the long walls: “their future was at sea” “room for two wagons“ “Piraeus was more valuable than the main city of Athens“
• Dismissal of Pausanias in 478

  • enjoyed success in Cyprus and Byzantium
• Thucydides; Pausanias‘ bad attitude: “true arrogance of his nature and was becoming unpopular with the Hellenes“
• Thucydides; allies ask Athens to help with Pausanias: “approached the Athenians, asking them to… take them under their protection“
• Sparta stop sending generals

  • Thucydides: “Sparta sent no other commanders“
  • Plutarch: “voluntarily abandoned the leadership and caesed sending out generals“
• Plutarch; Sparta’s belief about their leaders: “their commanders were corrupted by the great power”
• Plutarch; Aristides taking over from Pausanias: “by tact and diplomacy he had stripped them of their leadership“
• Thucydides; Athens secretly building walls: “wait until they had built their fortifications high enough to be able to be defended” “kept on putting things off on various excuses“
• Thucydides; Sparta believe/respect Themistocles: “the spartans believed what Themistocles said because of the respect in which they held him“
• Thucydides; Athens can make their own decision: “the Athenians were capable of making up their own mind both about their own interest and about the interest of the rest of Hellas”
• Thucydides; Sparta’s reaction to Athens’ walls being built: “no open signs of displeasure“ “secretly they felt aggrieved“
• Thucydides; why the Delian league was formed: “gotten the command by the confederates’ own accord for the hatred they bare to Pausanias“
• Diodorus; Spartan dislike of Athenian navy: “they considered making war upon the Athenians for the sake of regaining command of the sea” “at first they (Athens) expected to have a great war with the Lacedaemonians for the command of the sea“
• Plutarch; The Delian League’s successes under Cimon: “no one who humbled the Great King himself, and reduced his haughty spirit, more than Cimon” “Asia from Ionia to Pamphylia was entirely cleared of Persian arms“
• Carystus is forced to join the Delian League in 472
• Naxos try to leave the Delian league in 470
• Thucydides; Naxos forced back into the league: “after a siege Naxos was forced back into allegiance“ “the first case when the original constitution of the League was broken and an allied city lost its independence“
• Plutarch; Delian League members not wanting war: “weary of military service and had no need of war, but a great desire to toll their land and live at their ease”
• Plutarch; Athens’ punishing its states: “prosecuting the delinquents and punishing them“
• Plutarch; Cimon’s attitude towards Athenian allies‘ contributions: “accepted money from those who did not wish to go out on service“ “unwarlike merchants instead of warriors“
• Plutarch; what Cimon turned Athens’ allies into: “tributary subjects instead of allies“
• Thucydides; Athens ability to subdue their subjects: “the Athenian navy grew strong at their expense and when they revolted they found themselves inadequately armed and inexperienced in war“
• Revolt of Thasos 465
• Thucydides; Thasos under siege appeal to Sparta: “the people of Thasos, who had been defeated in battle and were now besieged, appealed to Sparta and urged her to come to their help by invading Attica“
• Thucydides; Sparta promise to invade Attica to help Thasos: “the Spartans, without informing Athens of their intentions, promised to do so” “prevented by the earthquake“
• Why Sparta cannot help Thasos

  Earthquake and a helot revolt
• Thucydides; Sparta ask for help with the helot revolt: “appealed for help to their allies, including Athens“
• Thucydides; Athens send Cimon to help the helot revolt: “the Athenians came to Sparta with a considerable force under the command of Cimon”
• Plutarch; Athens peace with Persia after Eurymedon: “so humbled the purpose of the king that he made the terms of that notorious peace”
• Thucydides; Sparta reject Athenian aid in helot revolt: “they sent the Athenians home again, not openly saying what their suspicions were”