A. Peloponnesian War began with peace negotiations which failed.1. Two Spartan offers were rejected.
2. The first was serious: end the Megarian decree.
3. The second was symbolic: give up the empire.
4. Athens asked for peace in 430 but no terms were reached.
B. Concentrating on the peace of Nikias lets us have conspectus of the war.
C. The standard question: was it a good or a bad peace?
1. This is inevitably slanted: good or bad for whom?
2. The usual slant for westerners: was it good or bad for Athens?
D. We might say, peace is always better than war.
1. But we might also say, not if it is a bad peace.
2. Premise: there is such a thing as a bad peace.
Retrospective: where was Athens now, after 10 years of war, compared to the outset?
A. Perikles' strategy had always been defensive.
1. He was able to ram it through even after his fall from grace in 430.
2. It remained the same after his death?
3. Only one truly offensive action taken under Perikles vs Peloponnese.
a. Raid on Epidamnus ... to get a base in the Peloponnese?
b. B-M say yes, so most; Kagan "no".
4. Later moves on Pylos and Cythera are departure.
B. Invasions of Attica
1. Every year 431-426, except 429 (Plataea) and 426 (Carneia/Earthquake).
2. Gauge effects from Aristophanes Acharnians 509-517.
Myself, I hate the Spartans with all my heart,
and hope the god Poseidon once again
will send a quake that shakes their houses down.
I too have vines the Spartans have cut down.
Myself, I hate the Spartans with all my heart,
But friends -- for there are only friends here listening --
why blame these things entirely on the Spartans?
It was men of ours -- I do not say our polis;
remember that, I do not say our polis --
3. Thuc. on the difficulty of getting Athenians into the city.4. But these ended in 425.
C. The Athenian Navy
1. Intact and still dominant. Also still expensive to maintain.
2. Two signs of this financial pressure:
a. First eisphora introduced, 428.
b. Treasury after rebellion of Mytilene down below 2000 T.
c. Increase in tribute amount and payers, 425. (Fornara, 136)
d. Cost of war was near 2000 T per year.
D. Athenian success at Pylos and Sphacteria
1. Remarks on Thuc's presentation: the element of tyche.
a. Demosthenes just happens to land there and fortify.
b. Spartans happen to get stuck on the island.
c. Luckily a fire burns away their cover.
d. A ship happens by with new weapons for the Athenians.
e. Cleon's insane plan works: 292 Captives.
2. Massive repercussions of this.
a. Ascendancy of Cleon and signs of Athenian confidence.
b. Raising of the tribute.
c. Bold seizure of Cythera. Fort at Methana near Epidauros.
d. Spartans offer peace repeatedly (Thuc. 4. 41).
E. The Northwest
1. Mostly a bleak looking picture for the Athenians late in 420's.
2. Potidaea had fallen to Athens c. 430; Corinth still steamed on that.
a. Resettled, 429 (Fornara, 129).
3. But a series of setbacks follows Brasidas' trip up there in 424.
a. Brasidas wins allegiance of Perdiccas.
b. Brasidas takes Acanthus, Torone, Scione, Mende in Chalkidike.
1. Note his rhetoric (e.g. 4. 85-86, 114).
c. Exped under Nikias late in 423 regains some ground.
1. Mende retrieved.
2. Perdiccas back on board.
d. But NW still weighs as big Spartan advantage.
e. Cleon retakes Scione in 422, then dies at Amphipolis.
f. Brasidas died there too.
4. NB Brasidas vis-a-vis internal Spartan politics.
a. Not a king, he has a force only of perioikoi & helots.
b. Formally Athens and Sparta have a truce in effect (after Scione)
c. Brasidas formally receiving no support from Sparta.
d. But he implies existence of war party there.
5. So deaths of Cleon and Brasidas set up peace negotiations.
F. Other Athenian Setbacks
1. Loss of 1000 hoplites in defeat by Boeotians at Delium. (4. 94-101)
2. Plataea also in Theban hands.
The Peace: Terms and Implications
A. Agreement reached, Spring of 421.
1. Terms: status quo ante bellum.
a. Except Athens gets to keep Nisaea.
b. Crucial point for economic hypothesis.
2. Athens could deliver, Sparta could not.
a. Boeotia, Corinth, Megara, and Elis all refused the peace.
b. This was tantamount to rebellion vs Sparta.
3. Temporary alliance of Athens and Sparta.
B. Conclusions
1. With Kagan: a bad peace for Athens?
2. Yes because war aims were not achieved.
3. Perikles' strategy had not worked; he would have opposed peace in 421.