The Debate at Sparta
- Purpose of assembly = to hear the complaints of Sparta's allies and anyone who claimed to have suffered Athenian aggression
- The Spartans and the Peloponnesian League could then consider whether war against the Athenians and the Delian League was justified
- Key term in the Thirty Years Peace: "Neither side was allowed to make an armed attack on the other, if the latter wished to go to arbitration"
Corinth Denounces Athenian Imperialism (1.69)
"For all this you (Sparta) are responsible. You it was who first allowed them to fortify their city after the Median war, and afterwards to erect the long walls-you who, then and now, are always depriving of freedom not only those who have as yet been your allies. For the true author of the subjugation of a people is not so much the immediate agent, as the power which permits it but has the means to prevent it"
Who do the Corinthians blame for Athenian imperialism? Does this seem like a legitamate charge from the Corinthians based on what we have seen?
Corinth Speech Continued: The "National Character" of Sparta and Athens (1.70)
"The great contrast between the two national characters; a contrast of which, as far as we can see, you have little perception, having never yet considered what sort of antagonists you will encounter in the Athenians, how widely, how absolutely different from yourselves. The Athenians are addicted to innovation, and their designs are characterized by swiftness alike in conception and execution; you have a genius for keeping what you have got, accompanied by a total want of invention, and when forced to act you never go far enough... they are never at home, you are never from it: for they hope by their absence to extend their acquisitions, you fear by your advance to endanger what you have left behind. They are swift to follow up a success, and slow to recoil from a reverse. Their bodies they spend ungrudgingly in their country's cause; their intellect they jealously husband to be employed in her service"
Athens: Innovators, swift in executing plans, never at home (brave), swift to follow up success, sacrifice themselves for their country
Sparta: Procrastinators, too conservative, slow to act, too scared of losses
What contrasts does Corinth make between Sparta and Athens? Why do you think they deliberately characterise both states in this way?
Corinth's Threat
"Do not sacrifice friends and kindred peoples to their bitterest enemies, and drive the rest of us in despair to some other alliance"
- The Corinthians clearly hint towards the Delian League as the "other alliance", suggesting that if the Spartans do not act now the Athenians will begin to conquer Peloponnesian allies too
- This clearly plays to Sparta's fears of Athenian imperialism, and strongly hints at Corinthian manipulation of the Spartans in foreign policy
Athenian Rebuttal (1.75)
"Surely, Lacedaemonians, neither by the patriotism that we displayed during the Persian Wars, nor by the wisdom of our counsels, do we merit our extreme unpopularity with the Hellenes, not at least unpopularity for our empire. That empire we acquired by no violent means, but because you were unwilling to prosecute to its conclusion the war against the barbarian, and because the allies attached themselves to us and spontaneously asked us to assume the command. And the nature of the case first compelled us to advance our empire to its present height; fear being our principal motive, though honour and interest afterwards came in. And at last, when almost all hated us, when some had already revolted and had been subdued, when you had ceased to be the friends that you once were, and had become objects of suspicion and dislike, it appeared no longer safe to give up our empire; especially as all who left us would fall to you. And no one can quarrel with a people for making, in matters of tremendous risk, the best provision that it can for its interest"
What arguments do the Athenians make to justify their empire?
Athenian Justification of their Empire
"You, at all events, Lacedaemonians, have used your supremacy to settle the states in Peloponnese as is agreeable to you. And it was not we who set the example, for it has always been law that the strong do what they can and the weak endure what they must. Men's resentment, it seems, is more excited by legal wrong than by violent wrong; the first looks like being cheated by an equal, the second like being compelled by a superior. At all events they contrived to put up with much worse treatment than this from the Persians, yet they think our rule severe, and this is to be expected, for the present always weighs heavy on the conquered. This at least is certain. If you were to succeed in overthrowing us and taking our place, you would speedily lose the popularity with which fear of us has invested you, if your policy of today is at all to tally with the sample that you gave of it during the brief period of your command against the Mede. Not only is your life at home regulated by rules and institutions incompatible with those of others, but your citizens abroad act neither on these rules nor on those which are recognised by the rest of Hellas"
What arguments do the Athenians make to justify their empire?
Spartan Discussion following the Congress
Discussion took place but ended in divided opinion
- Athens' alliance with Corcyra could not be considered illegal in the light of the Peace of 445 BC
- Potidaea was a complicated issue: if there was to be someone to blame it was Corinth
King Archidamus and the Doves
"A man who had a reputation for both intelligence and moderation"
- He pointed out the dangers in rushing unprepared into a war against a much wealthier, better-armed naval power
- He suggested that the Spartans should not declare war immediately - rather approach Athens with their allies' grievances and in the meantime make new allies with financial and naval forces
"And the slowness and procrastination, the parts of our character that are most assailed by their criticism, need not make you blush. If we undertake the war without preparation, we should by hastening its commencement only delay its conclusion: further, a free and a famous city has through all time been ours. The quality which they condemn is really nothing but a wise moderation"
Sthenelaidas and the Hawks
"The long speech of the Athenians I do not pretend to understand. They said a good deal in praise of themselves, but nowhere denied that they are injuring our allies and the Peloponnese. And yet if they behaved well against the Mede then, but ill towards us now, they deserve double punishment for having ceased being good and for having become bad. We meanwhile are the same then and now, and shall not, if we are wise, disregard the wrongs of our allies, or put of till tomorrow the duty of assisting those who must suffer today. Others have much money and ships and horses, but we have good allies whom we must not give up to the Athenians"
What arguments does the Spartan Sthenelaidas make as to why war should be declared?
Final Decision put to the Assembly of Sparta
- Majority of Spartan votes indicated their belief that the Thirty Years' Peace had been broken
- War could only be declared by a majority decision of the Peloponnesian League - this was immediately called
"The Lacedaemonians voted that the treaty had been broken, and that the war must be declared, not so much because they were persuaded by the arguments of the allies, as because they feared the growth of the power of the Athenians, seeing most of Hellas already subject to them" (1.88)
Sparta's Main Concern
- There were no legal grounds for Sparta to declare war
- Athenian ambitions were to be feared and Athens had shown an unfriendly attitude towards Megara and the influence it could already exert across the Aegean
- What influenced Sparta was the need to maintain her own prestige with an ascendancy over her allies
- Her allies had been so insistent about Sparta staying inactive that if this were to continue she could no longer be their leader
The Spartan Ultimatum
Though war had been decided upon, the Spartans headed to Athens with one last ultimatum which:
- "Ordered Athens to raise the siege of Potidaea"
- Demanded that Athens "respect the independence of Aegina"
- Said "That war may be prevented by the revocation of the Megarian Decree"
- Ordered them to drive out the "Curse of the Alcmaeonidae" as in the family, of which Pericles was a member
Pericles Convinces the Athenian Assembly to Reject the Ultimatum
"There is one principle, Athenians, which I hold dearest, and that is the principle of no concession to the Peloponnesians. Now it was clear before that Lacedaemon entertained designs against us; it is still more clear now. The treaty provides that we shall mutually submit our differences to legal settlement, and that we shall meanwhile each keep what we have. Yet the Lacedaemonians never yet made us any such offer, never yet would accept from us any such offer; on the contrary, they wish complaints to be settled by war instead of by negotiation; and in the end we find them here dropping the tone of reason and adopting that of command. I hope that you will none of you think that we shall be going to war for a trifle if we refuse to revoke the Megara decree, which appears in front of their complaints. Why, this trifle contains the whole seal and trial of your resolution. If you give way, you will instantly have to meet some greater demand, as having been frightened into obedience in the first instance; while a firm refusal will make them clearly understand that they must treat you more as equals"
What reasons does Pericles give as to why the Spartan ultimatum must be rejected by Athens?
Athenian Refusal
- Athens sent the Spartan envoys away with the message that:
- They would give the Megarians access to their markets when Sparta ceased expelling strangers from her cities and restored full independence to her own allies
- They offered to accept arbitration on the various complaints under the terms of the Thirty Years' Peace Treaty on a fair and equal basis
- The Spartan envoys never returned to Athens, and could not submit to arbitration as she had declared the treaty was broken and would not risk the loss of her allies by taking such a step
War
War broke out in 431 BC when Thebans attacked Athens' ally Plataea
"In this affair of Plataea the treaty had quite obviously been broken, and now the Athenians made ready for war, as did the Spartans and their allies"
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