500 - 323 BC - Greek
Classical Period - Part II (431 - 404 BC) |
431-404 BC |
The Peloponnesian War |
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431 BC |
War between Athens, Sparta, and their allies is imminent
- Thucydides Peloponnesian War, 1.23,
49. "What made war inevitable was the growth
of Athenian power and the fear which this caused in Sparta. As
for the reasons for breaking the truce and declaring war which
were openly expressed by each side, they are as follows." Thucydides
goes into detail regarding the disputes over Epidamnus,
Corcyra, and Potidaea, in 1.24-65, pages 49-72.
- Thucydides Peloponnesian War, 1.66,
72-3. "Both the Athenians and the Peloponnesians
had already grounds of complaint against each other. The
grievance of Corinth was that the Athenians were besieging
her own colony of Potidaea, with Corinthians and other
Peloponnesians in the place: Athens, on the other hand, had her
own grievances against the Peloponnesians; they had supported the
revolt of a city [Potidaea] which was in alliance with her and
which paid her tribute, and they had openly joined the Potidaeans
in fighting against her. In spite of this, the truce was
still in force and war had not yet broken out."
The naval and military demands of the blockade against the Potidaea
drain Athens. Sparta seizes this opportunity to declare war
on Athens.
- Thucydides Peloponnesian War, 1.86,
86. " After much discussion of the issues at hand, Archidamus,
Sthenelaidas, and an ephor make an impassioned speech. " And
let no one try to tell us that when we are being attacked we should
sit down and discuss matters; these long discussions are rather
for those who are meditating aggression themselves. Therefore,
Spartans, cast your votes for the honour [sic]
of Sparta and for war! Do not allow the Athenians to
grow still stronger! Do not entirely betray their allies!
Instead let us, with the help of heaven, go forward to
meet the aggressor!"
The first Peloponnesian War begins
- Plutarch Parallel Lives, "Pericles," 33, p. 199-200. "The Spartans
and their allies then proceeded to invade Attica with an immense
army commanded by Archidamus. They advanced, devastating the land
as they went, as far as Acharnae, which is very close to Athens,
and there they pitched camp, for they imagined that the Athenians
would never tolerate this, but would march out and fight them from
sheer pride and anger." Instead of fighting, however, Pericles "behaved
like the helmsman of a ship who, when a storm sweeps
down upon it in the open sea, makes everything fast,
takes in sail and relies on his own skill and takes no
notice of the tears and entreaties of the sea-sick and
terrified passengers."
- Thucydides 4.85
Pericles delivers his funeral oration / defense of democracy
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430-426 BC |
An epidemic, similar to typhus, sweeps through Athens, killing
tens of thousands
- Plutarch Parallel Lives, "Pericles," 34, p. 201. "For
now a plague fell upon the Athenians and devoured the
flower of their manhood and their strength. It afflicted them
not only in body but also in spirit, so that they raved
against Pericles and tried to ruin him, just as a man
in a fit of delirium will attack his physician or his father."
- Thucydides 1.144
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429 BC |
Pericles dies during this epidemic
- Plutarch Parallel Lives, "Pericles," 38, p. 204. Plutarch writes, "In
his case it was not a violent or acute attach such as
others had suffered, but a kind of dull, lingering fever, which
persisted through a number of different symptoms and
gradually wasted his bodily strength and undermined his noble spirit."
Nicias succeeds Pericles.
- Plutarch Parallel Lives, "Nicias," 2, p. 209. "When Pericles died,
Nicias quickly rose to the position of leader. He owed his advancement
mainly to the backing of the richest and most prominent Athenians," who
sought to use the leadership of Nicias to their political
advantage.
|
428/7 BC |
Plato, pupil of Socrates and writer of
many "Socratic" dialogs,
including the Republic, is born |
421 BC |
First Peloponnesian War ends in a stalemate under the leadership
of Nicias
- Plutarch Parallel Lives, "Nicias," 9, p. 218. "Gradually
they came to long for the return of a life that was unspoiled
by the miseries of war...They heaped abuse on those who
said that the war was destined to last thrice nine years
[a prophecy], and, finally, having discussed in this
spirit every point at issue, they concluded the peace."
Stalemate is a product of Athenian naval superiority versus Spartan
land superiority |
415 BC |
Alcibiades makes himself head of the Athenian army and convinces
Athens to wage war against rival Syracuse
- Plutarch Parallel Lives, "Alcibiades," 17, p. 260. "Even
in Pericles' lifetime the Athenians had already cast
longing eyes upon Sicily, and after his death they went further
and tried to lay their hands on it. From time to time
they sent aid or auxiliary forces on a small scale, on the pretext
of rescuing their allies there from being oppressed by
the Syracusans."
This leads to utter defeat for Athens because of the alliance
between Syracuse and Sparta. Alcibiades is blamed for his mistake.
- Plutarch Parallel Lives, "Alcibiades," 22, p. 266. "Alcibiades
was condemned by default, his estate was confiscated,
and it was further decreed that his name should be publicly
cursed by all priests and priestesses."
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Because Athens condemns him, Alcibiades
turns to assist Sparta
- Plutarch Parallel Lives, "Alcibiades," 23,
p. 266. "The Spartans had been hesitating over
sending help to the Syracusans and putting off any
definite action, but Alcibiades so stirred them up
and encouraged them that they dispatched Gylippus
to Sicily with orders to take command and destroy
the Athenian army. Another stroke of his was to persuade
them to renew operations against the Athenians in
Attica, and thirdly, and most important of all, to
fortify Decelea. It was this more than any other
single action, which wore down the resources of Athens
and finally ruined her."
- Plutarch Parallel Lives, "Alcibiades," 23,
p. 267. "...Alcibiades was able to associate
with good and bad alike, and never found a characteristic
which he could not imitate or practise [sic]."
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413 BC |
Second Peloponnesian War begins
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412 BC |
Persians, in retaliation against Athens for defeat during the Persian
War, fund the Spartan cause |
406 BC |
Lysander leads the Spartan navy to victory over Athens near Ephesus
in Asia Minor
- Plutarch Parallel Lives, "Lysander," 5, p. 290. Alcibiades "put
into the harbour [sic] of Ephesus with two triremes
and ostentatiously rowed past the Peloponnesian fleet
as it lay drawn up on the shore, making a great commotion
and uttering shouts of laughter. Lysander was enraged
and gave chase...a major battle developed. Lysander defeated
the Athenians...whereupon there was an outburst of fury
against Alcibiades at Athens and the people relieved
him of his command." By this time,
Alcibiades had switched back to the Athenian cause.
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405 BC |
Lysander, as admiral of the navy for an unprecedented second
time, defeats the Athenians at the Hellespont at the battle of
Aegospotami
- Plutarch Parallel Lives, "Lysander," 9, p. 294. "The
Athenians were commanded by a number of generals, among whom was
Philocles, who had recently persuaded the people to pass
a decree that all prisoners of war should have their
right thumbs cut off to prevent their holding a spear, although
they could still handle an oar."
- Plutarch Parallel Lives, "Lysander," 11, p. 296-7. "Lysander
took 3,000 prisoners, including the generals, and captured
the entire [Athenian] fleet... After plundering the Athenian
camp and taking their ships in tow, [Lysander] sailed back
to Lampsacus, accompanied by the triumphal music and flutes
and hymns of victory. He had performed a prodigious exploit
with the minimum of effort. In the space of a single hour
he had put an end to a war which, for its length and for
the variety of its incidents and the uncertainty of its
fortunes, eclipsed any that had gone before."
Lysander declares a state of martial law in Athens
- Plutarch Parallel Lives, "Lysander," 13, p. 298-9. Lysander "ordered
all the Athenians he found to return to Athens, and he
proclaimed that anybody caught outside the city would
be put to death without exception. This step, which drove
all the Athenians into the capital at once, was deliberately
taken so as to produce intense scarcity and famine in
Athens as soon as possible, and to forestall the necessity for
a siege, against which the Athenians might otherwise
have been well provided."
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404 BC |
Athens surrenders
- Plutarch Parallel Lives, "Lysander," 14, p. 300. Lysander "learned
that the people of Athens were suffering terribly from famine,
and so he sailed into the Piraeus and reduced the city, which was
forced to accept the terms he laid down." The terms are as
follows, "The Spartans have come to these decisions.
Demolish the Piraeus and the Long Walls: withdraw from
all other cities and keep to your own territory: if you
comply with these conditions and recall your exiles,
you may have peace, if you want it. As regards the number
of your ships, whatever is decided by those on the spot,
comply with it."
Second Peloponnesian War ends
- Causes instability in Greece
- A possible turning point from progress to decline of ancient
civilization
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