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Thirty Years Peace 446 & Why it Failed 431 - Coggle Diagram
Thirty Years Peace 446 & Why it Failed 431
Terms of the Treaty
was to last 30 years
both sides were to keep their allies at the time the treaty was agreed
any neutral state could ally with either side
if an ally revolted and joined the other alliance, the treaty was broken
The Samoan Rebellion 440
Six year into the peace, Athens' powerful ally Samos rebelled against Athens
The rebels secured the support of a Persian satrap, the Persians were willing to try and reassert their authority
If the spartans intervened at that moment they would have been able to crush the Athenians
However, when the Spartans had decided that they would renew hostilities with Athens, the Peloponnesians League did not agree and so they did not
The Corinthians were notable for opposing the war with Athens
Epidamnus-Corcyra-Corinth
war between Corinth and its colony, Corcyra
quarrel over small land of Epidamnus
in 433, Corcyra appealed to Athens for help, it was a neutral state so was free to ally
They argued that if Athens accepted, they would have the Corcyra's 120 ships on their side, and if they didn't accept, then the Corinthians would defeat them and have the 120 ships on their side
However, the Corinthians argued that, although the neutral states could ally with who they liked, it was not right to do so just with the intention of future attack
The Athenians decided to enter into an alliance that was defensive only, and they would not engage into full attack. This is the first agreement like this we hear of in Greek history
However, when the Corinthians attacked the Corcyraeans at Sybota, the Athenians engaged which enraged the Corinthians and hurt the peace
Potidaea
Potidaea was a subject state of Athens but a Corinthian colony
Athens instructed Potidaea to tear down its walls in 432 in expectation of their revolt
The Corinthians were outraged by this and encouraged Potidaea to revolt, promising they would ally with them if they did
They revolted and the Corinthians sent an army to support them which was a direct violation of the thirty years peace
The siege lasted for three years and caused further unrest between the Corinthians and Athenians
Megarian Decree 432
a set of economic sanctions levied upon Megara by the Athenian empire
It meant that Megarians couldn't trade at any of the Athenian markets or ports which strangled them economically
left them 'slowly starving' (Aristophanes)
Others suggest it was Pericles trying to provoke war with Sparta, others say it was revenge for the Megarians siding with Corinth and sending ships in the Corcyra-Corinth battles
seen by many as the greatest impediment for peace, for this reason many blame the Athenians for the outbreak of war, however some say that the Megarians overreacted to this decree for an excuse for the Spartans to instigate war
said to have been put in place because the Megarians had profaned sacred land (known as Hiera Orgas) and killed the messenger sent to complain about this
'everyone blames Pericles for the fact that it was not overturned' (Plutarch)
Aristophanes suggests Pericles didn't overturn it to divert attention from attacks against him and his associates
Therefore, Plutarch suggest that Pericles was the man most responsible for war in 431
The Ambracian Gulf Late 430s
dispute between a community which had corinthian connections, and two who didn't
the two who didn't appealed for, and received Athenian help
another example of Athenians dabbling in Corinthian affairs
Outbreak of war 431
in 432, the Corinthians urged the Peloponnesian allies who felt wronged by Athens to petition Sparta to instigate war
The Corinthian Complaint urges war against Athens and blames Sparta as hegemon for not standing up to Athenian expansion
However, king Archidamus II urged against this due to their inferior naval power and advised they seek new alliances - perhaps with Persia
however he was opposed and the Spartans decided on war
There was a second assembly of the Peloponnesian allies where they also agreed
there was a last peace offering to the Athenians by the Spartans but it meant that they would have to give up their empire, so it was declined, especially by Pericles who was confident they could win the war