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events leading up to and causes of war in 431 - Coggle Diagram
events leading up to and causes of war in 431
'what made war inevitable was the growth of athenian power and the fear which this caused in sparta' thucy, history of the peloponnesian war 1.23
spartan fear of athenian growing power was the cause of the war - two causes of complaint, the events at epidamnus-corcyra and potidaea
additional complaints concerning megara and aegina
epidamnus-corcyra complaint
epidamnus was a colony of corcyra
435 - local conflict in epidamnus led to the democratic party there asking for help - first fro corcyra
request was sent to corinth
corinthians felt corcyra didnt show them enough respect and was happy to interfere - notable that corinth was an oligarchic state
resulted in a seige and naval battle off leucimme on corcyra where the corinthians were defeated - corinthians prepared for further attacks and in 433 they appealed to athens for help - corinth was an accomplished naval power with 120 ships
free to ally with athens as it was a neutral state - according to terms of the 30 year peace
corcyraeans argued that war between athens and sparta was inevitable - suggested that their own navy they could be a powerful support to the athenians in a forthcoming conflict
also pointed out that if they were defeated by corinth their ships would become part of the peloponnesian navy
megara - thucy 1.67 - 'in particular the delgegates from megara after mentioning a number of other grievances, pointed out that, contrary to the terms of the treaty they were excluded from all the ports in the athenian empire and from the market of athens itself'
thucy - ' but the chief point and the one that they made the most clear was that war could be avoided if athens would revoke the megarian decree which excluded the megarians fro all ports in the athenian empire and from the market in attica itself'- 1.139
plutarch puts the blame for war on pericles - also mentions that the reason for the megarian decree was that the megarians profaned sacred land and then killed an athenian envoy sent to complain about this
decree therefore passed that the athenians were to0 be irreconcilable with the megarians
killing an envoy - serious religious offece
megarian decree revoked
the megarian decree may have been a punitive action as megara changed sides at the end of the first peloponnesian war- may also have been a punishment for the megarans siding with corinth or a detterent.
potidaea
sat on the isthmus of pallene in chaldice - subject state of athens and a corinthian colony
after events at epidamnus-corcyral, corinth was searching for a means of retaliation
corinthians now felt a deep hatred towards the athenians - went back to first peloponnesian war
as a result by early 432, athens ordered the potideans to tear don their defences - in anticipation that they would revolt
in response the potidaeans sent an embassy to the spartans whos ephors agreed to invade athens if potidaea was attacked
agreement was not fulfilled - spartan ephors must have been unable to persuade the assembly - indicating not all spartans were inclined towards war at this time
potidaeans revolted and the corinthians sent an army to supoort them
athens sent several contingents as the situation deterioated and besieged the city - went on for 3 years - formed second complaints
corinthians sent embassy to deter the athenians from making an alliance with corcyra
athens allied with corcyra but only in a defensive manner - would engage to stop the corinthians landing on the island of corcyra
would also mean that the athenians could claim that the corinthians had started hostilities if battle was joined
in september 443 corinthians attacked the corcyrans in a naval encounter off the island - corinthians looked to be gaining the upper hand and threatening corcyra but athenian ships engaged and turned the corinthians back - corcyra left unharmed - first complaint