Casting Through Ancient Greece
Casting Through Ancient Greece
93: Breaching the Peace
The fragile Peace of Nicias shatters as competing interests and broken promises drive Athens and Sparta back toward conflict. At the heart of this diplomatic unraveling stands Alcibiades, a charismatic young general whose ambition would reshape Greek politics and alliances.
When Corinth, feeling betrayed by peace terms that threatened their colonial claims, encouraged Argos to form a rival power bloc, the seeds of renewed warfare were planted. Sparta's subsequent alliance with Boeotia directly violated their peace agreement with Athens, while the contentious destruction of Panactum's fortifications by Boeotian forces created a perfect opportunity for anti-peace factions in Athens to gain traction.
Alcibiades emerges as the perfect character for this moment of political intrigue. Wealthy, handsome, well-connected to Athens' most prestigious families, and raised in the household of Pericles himself, he possessed all the qualities needed for Athenian leadership. His masterful deception of Spartan delegates—convincing them to deny their negotiating authority before the Athenian assembly, then exposing this "lie" to undermine both Sparta's credibility and his rival Nicias—demonstrates the cunning that would make him one of history's most fascinating figures.
The resulting alliance between Athens and the Peloponnesian democracies of Argos, Elis, and Mantinea represented a dramatic shift in the Greek power balance. Sparta's humiliation continued with their exclusion from religious ceremonies at the 420 BCE Olympics, creating a perception of weakness that emboldened their enemies throughout Greece.
What makes this period so compelling is watching how individual ambition intersects with international relations. City-states maneuvered to protect their interests while ambitious leaders like Alcibiades exploited these tensions to advance their personal agendas. The stage was now set for the Battle of Mantinea, the largest land confrontation of the war thus far, where Sparta would attempt to reassert its dominance on the Peloponnese.
Have you considered how peace agreements can sometimes create more problems than they solve? Join us as we explore one of history's most consequential diplomatic failures and the ambitious individuals who shaped its outcome.
💬 Stay Connected with Casting Through Ancient Greece
Follow us for updates, discussions, and more ancient Greek content:
🌐 Website
📸 Instagram
🐦 Twitter
📘 Facebook
🎙️ Love the show? Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with fellow history enthusiasts. Your support helps keep the stories of ancient Greece alive!
Now that relations between Athens and Sparta had taken a turn for the worse, the party in Athens also, which wanted to put an end to the peace, began to make itself felt immediately. The leader of this group was Alcibiades Thucydides. Hello, I'm Mark Selick, and welcome back to Casting Through Ancient Greece, episode 93, breaching the Peace. Last episode, we looked at the immediate aftermath and consequences of the peace that had been established between Athens and Sparta, this playing out in the early moves towards a new league being created with Greece. For a couple of generations now, athens and Sparta had been at the head of their respective leagues, influencing and, as they had become more powerful, directing policy as they saw fit. Many of the Greek city-states had come to fall under one of these leagues, with most looking to secure themselves in a land where two powers were coming to dominate. If one were to attempt to remain neutral, they risked being forced into either, especially if they held economic or strategic value. However, now that peace existed between the two powers, the dynamics of the leagues and those within them were shifting. Many city-states had voiced their displeasure with the terms that had been arranged between Sparta and Athens. Some of Sparta's largest allies had felt they had been cheated out of territorial rights that they held. Although these members had been under the Peloponnesian League, with its rules governing how the league operated, they were now in a position where the interests were being threatened. Those within these leagues often put up with the terms and rules put in place, as there were trade-offs for being members, but when the impositions outweighed the benefits, the self-interest of these city-states came to the forefront. On the side of the Peloponnesians, the Corinthians, who were one of the most powerful city-states behind Sparta, had become extremely dissatisfied with the terms arranged. They had been.
Speaker 1:The city-states behind Sparta had become extremely dissatisfied with the terms arranged. They had been the city-state that had seen the flash of hostilities break out with Athens and that would end up leading to the Peloponnesian War. Further to this, these hostilities had centred around their own territorial claims with areas that had been originally colonised by the expedition sent out by Corinth. With the terms in place as they were, corinth would lose all claim to many of these places, this seeming as though Sparta was handing over to Athens and its allies what Corinth saw as rightfully theirs. Corinth saw this move as being the first in a policy where the smaller city states would effectively become enslaved to the larger powers of Athens and Sparta. Now that they had technically held an alliance between each other Previously, one of the leagues held a counter to the other when it came to territorial ambitions. This being a large reason, many smaller states would become members of one of these leagues, since it protected their independence to a degree.
Speaker 1:The peace of Nicias in place meant that there was no longer an entity powerful enough to challenge either Athens or Sparta should they move on the new territories. As we saw last episode, corinth would take action to see if a new league could be established that could provide a counter to the power of either. For this they would look towards Argos, sparta's traditional rival on the Peloponnese. Argos had been spared during the fighting of the Peloponnesian War so far as they had technically remained neutral. However, over the period of their last war with Sparta, a couple of generations ago, they had recovered in manpower and economically, seeing them become quite powerful. They were also on the verge of the expiration of a peace treaty that existed between themselves and Sparta. Political maneuverings would develop, seeing Corinth look to convince Argos of taking on this leadership role, while also pushing for smaller city-states on the Peloponnese to shift their alliance towards Argos. More diplomatic involvement would take place, seeing Sparta look to discourage Corinth, while Athens would be approached by the Corinthians through Theban channels for arranging some sort of truce. In the end, the birth of the Argive League would take place, seeing a new league emerge on the scene. However, they were still in their early stages and Sparta would turn to force in an attempt to break up the league. This attempt would, in the end, fail and the league would remain intact.
Speaker 1:This episode will be picking up developments now that the Argive League was established. This will see us look at their influence and power grow through the support coming from Athens, while we will also be looking at the man who would make this possible, as this would be the point where the Athenian political figure of Alcibiades would come into prominence. So let's now continue our look at the Peloponnesian War and the many twists and turns that would keep developing as it continued. As we saw last episode, there was a series of confusing diplomatic meetings taking place behind the backs of many parties, this even seeing some within the Spartan government seeking a way to return to hostilities, as they believed their honour was being threatened. Athens still held control of Pylos, seeing them still within Spartan territory, though this was a contentious issue, as not all their territories had been relinquished as yet. However, within Sparta, what we have been calling the Peace Party that led to the signing of the Peace of Nicias would also see the presence of Athenian troops within their territory. Concerning, though holding the influence for now, the Peace Party would look to find a way to regain Pylos without fighting. This would now see Sparta attempt negotiations with Boeotia in another attempt to regain Pylos from the Athenians.
Speaker 1:Within Boeotia was the town of Panactium, which had been occupied early in the war by the Boeotian troops. It was located near the border of Attica and Boeotia, holding a strategic road that led to Plataea. However, the terms of the Peace of Nicias called for all territories to return to their state that existed before the war. So Sparta saw that if they could convince the Boeotians hand Panacneum back to the Athenians, then Pylos would be abandoned by the Athenians. Here again we see the problems of the peace, with the allies of Sparta having to make concessions to meet the terms of the peace. Spartan delegates travelled to Boeotia where they, as Thucydides says, begged them to place Panacteum and the Athenian prisoners they held under Spartan control. This was so that the Spartans could offer them back to Athens and, in return, gain Pylos. However, boeotia was not going to just hand over them without attempting to gain something to their benefit.
Speaker 1:In the wake of the Peace of Nicias, the diplomatic dynamics had been shaken up and the Boeotians were looking to regain their security. In return for Panactium and the Athenian prisoners, they wanted a separate alliance with Sparta. This put Sparta in a position where, in their attempt to fulfil one clause of the Peace of Nicias, they would have to breach another clause within it. During the agreements, sparta and Athens had agreed that neither would make war or peace with any city without the other. However, the offer from these negotiations were taken back to Sparta, where they would be discussed. This now gave the other factions within the Spartan government an attempt to influence policy. They would be for the alliance with the Boeotians, as they were interested in gaining control of Pylos and wanted to see the breakdown of the Peace of Nicias.
Speaker 1:The Peace Party in Sparta seems to still have the majority here, so for a vote to go in favour of the Boeotian alliance, supporters would need to be found from within their ranks. This also leads us to another question would need to be found from within their ranks. This also leads us to another question. If the Spartans violated another term within the peace, why would Athens still be willing to hand over Pylos? We have no insight into the discussions taking place, but Donald Kagan provides a possible answer. They could have seen some of those within the peace party prepared to vote for the alliance. Remember, here both sides were extremely interested in gaining back Pylos. Kagan suggests the only plausible explanation is that the Spartans put their faith in the apparently limitless forbearance of the peace faction at Athens and its ongoing control of Athenian policy. So, in short, it is suggested that some Spartans were banking on the fact that Athens, with the peace faction in control, would accept some breaches to maintain the overall peace.
Speaker 1:So Sparta, in the early stages of 420 BC, agreed to an alliance with Boeotia in the hopes of regaining Pylos and removing the Athenians from their territory. However, this agreement saw that Sparta was guaranteeing the security of the Boeotians against an Athenian attack. As we have seen so far, the allies of Sparta had guaranteeing the security of the Boeotians against an Athenian attack. As we have seen so far, the allies of Sparta had been no fan of the peace made between Sparta and Athens. So it is reasonable to conclude that they were looking at how their alliance could be disrupted. It appears Corinth, already looking to find a way to establish a power block to match this new reality, could have also had the intention to see peace fall apart. We also find, after the agreement was made between Boeotia and Sparta, they had taken an action that would potentially see a rift between Sparta and Athens. Boeotia and Athens were still on hostile terms, so it was in Boeotia's interest to see Sparta back at war with Athens. They would have known that the ultimatum they gave for handing over Panactium and the prisoners was a breach of the peace of Nicias. But once the alliance was arranged between themselves and Sparta, they had destroyed the walls of Panactium, so Sparta would be handing over an indefensible strategic town. Though, in Boeotian eyes, if Athens was going to get this fort back, they wanted to make sure that it could not be used against them. No-transcript.
Speaker 1:As we saw last episode, argos had been negotiating with the Boeotians, with encouragement from Corinth. They were still waiting for their ambassadors to sign the alliance that had been promised. In theory, however, no delegation for the purpose would materialise. Instead, the government and Argos would descend into panic, as they would learn of the Boeotian destruction of Panactium and their alliance with Sparta, panacteum and their alliance with Sparta. They had assumed that they were betrayed by the Boeotians where they had concluded Sparta had convinced Athens to accept the destruction for bringing the Boeotians into the Spartan-Athenian alliance. If this had been the reality, then Argos, with their still-growing league, would potentially have to face the might of these three largest city-states and territories within Greece. This now prompted the Argive government to send off ambassadors in an attempt to see a peace arranged between themselves and Sparta. On the arrival of the Argive ambassadors, negotiations would commence, with both sides enthusiastic for an arrangement that would see peace between them.
Speaker 1:Argos, due to the perceived danger they were in based off their assumptions, while we had seen Sparta had already been taking steps to see the Argive League not develop, argos had been a factor that they did not want to contend with, especially if war with Athens was to come about again. Argos first broached the subject of arbitration over the disputed territory of Senuria, bordering both Laconia and the Argyllus, but Sparta was initially cold over this point. They simply wanted the old treaty that was soon to expire to be renewed, this leaving the disputed territory in Spartan hands. The Argyll ambassadors proposed the treaty to be extended for another 50 years. However, they also proposed that any time in the future a request for battle in a limited scope, could be sought over the question of Saneria. Initially, the Spartans saw this last point as ridiculous, but after some consideration they accepted all that was proposed. Sparta, despite what Argos thought the situation was, were keen to see them out of the picture as a threat. The treaty agreed to in theory was now taken back to Argos by the ambassadors to be voted on in the assembly for it to be binding. The people approved what had been negotiated, so the ambassadors were on the verge of making the trip back to Sparta.
Speaker 1:However, by this stage it was now June 420, and in the delay taken for Argos to fulfil its constitutional duties, when it came to diplomacy, the situation had changed and the events were now to take an alternate course. With their alliance now established with the Boeotians, the Spartans set off to officially take Panactium and the possession of the prisoners in Boeotian territory. The Spartans had been unaware of the Boeotian destruction of the fort. Although taken aback, they took possession of it and the prisoners in preparation to hand them over to Athens for the return of Pylos. The Boeotians had justified their actions to the Spartans by citing some supposed ancient oath where the peoples of the area had agreed that no one should build there. Nevertheless, the Spartans took what they had received from the Boeotians and travelled to Athens. They were received by the Athenians, where the prisoners were handed over.
Speaker 1:However, the Athenians were outraged at the state of Panacteum that the Spartans had described. The Spartans' attempt to argue that handing over the city in the state it was was still equivalent to fulfilling the terms of the peace, since no hostile power to Athens could use it against them. The Athenians did not accept the reasoning that the Spartans gave, but were also incensed at other matters that had revealed themselves to the Athenians. Athens learnt of the alliance that had been made with the Boeotians outside of the terms within the peace of Nicias. This had also led the Athenians to believe Sparta was acting in bad faith over the restoration of Panactium, since agreements had been made with the Boeotians behind their backs. Due to these matters, the Athenians were unwilling to accept the offers made by the Spartans for the return of Pylos and they sent them away after berating them with harsh words.
Speaker 1:This latest interaction between the Spartans and Athenians had placed the two on even more fragile ground since the signing of the Peace of Nicias. The exchange also now opened the way for those within Athens who had opposed the peace to be more vocal. This faction within Athens had been fairly quiet since the death of Cleon, but there still had been some activity amongst them, seeing them still remain on course with their views on policy, while figures would continue to look to gain influence within the faction. All that was needed was a rift in relations with Sparta that could be potentially exploited to see their policies once again come to the forefront of Athenian policy. Fortunately for them, sparta had provided them with this opportunity in 420, when a young general named Alcibiades was emerging as a promising leader. Alcibiades had only just come of age to where he was eligible to be elected general. It was thought he was around 30 to 33 years old when elected to take up this position.
Speaker 1:By many accounts, he held certain qualities that would see him rise to a position of influence within Athens. He was wealthy, being in a position to have entered chariots in the Olympic Games extremely handsome to where he was pursued by many women from the noble families and also sought by a number of men, while he also possessed the talent of effective public speaking, being trained by some of the best orators within Athens. He was also celebrated for intellectual abilities, being associated with some of the best orators within Athens. He was also celebrated for intellectual abilities, being associated with some of the best thinkers of his day. These were some of his most notable attributes that had helped him rise to prominence, though he did have flaws, but curiously these seem to have also helped in his popularity rising. We would hear of him having a slight speech impediment, but most would find this imperfection somewhat charming. He would also be described as spoilt, obnoxious and unpredictable. However, he must have had a good level of competence, as these qualities would just add to his popularity. The disapproval he experienced seems to have mostly been motivated by envy. However, when it comes to influence in public life in Athens, personal qualities normally only go so far.
Speaker 1:Family and one's ancestry was also a major factor in reaching the heights of government. Alcibiades was no different, with him being connected to the noble Athenian clan, the Salamonoi, through his father, who had also been an associate of Pericles and had died fighting at the Battle of Coronea in 447. His grandfather had been deemed important enough in Athenian politics that he would be ostracised. His great-grandfather fought during the Persian War, commanding a trireme and maintaining it at his own expense. Then there was his great-great-grandfather, who had been an ally of Cleisthenes, who had liberated Athens and founded democracy as a meaningful form of government. Alcibiades would also have a connection to Sparta, as his own name was Spartan in origin. Although he had no personal connection to Sparta, his family in the past had been representatives for Sparta inside Athens, and the name Alcibiades appears to have been used in the family since the 6th century BC. However, by the time of the Peloponnesian War, this role that connected the family to Sparta had since lapsed.
Speaker 1:These wouldn't be the only family connections that helped Alcibiades rise in prominence. On his mother's side, he was descended from the leading Athenian family, the Alcmeonidae. When Alcibiades' father died, pericles would become the guardian of him and his brother, this seeing him being raised in the household of the leading statesman of Athens. At the time of becoming eligible to serve as a general in Athens, alcibiades would be able to point to an exceptional military service. He had received a prize for valour under the General Fulmio and also served with a distinction at Potidaea and Delium.
Speaker 1:At the time of the Spartan disaster at Facteria, alcibiades had attempted to renew his family relationship with Sparta. When the Spartan captives were transferred to Athens, he would take the role of ensuring they were looked after. When the truce was coming into effect between the two powers, closing the first phase of the war, he would try to position himself to negotiate so as to take credit for the peace. However, sparta felt more comfortable dealing with Nicias, who, at this stage, was more experienced and reliable, while also holding more influence in Athens. This rejection in favour of Nicias would see Alcibiades shift his opinion and see him cease attempting to renew Spartan friendship. He would take an about turn and now attack the alliance made with Sparta, leading to his current position on the direction of Athenian policy towards Sparta. It isn't clear if this was purely out of jealousy or if he believed the peace was negotiated in bad faith on Sparta's part. However, he would attempt to highlight the latter as being the reason for opposing the peace was negotiated in bad faith on Sparta's part. However, he would attempt to highlight the latter as being the reason for opposing the peace. The biggest issue with the peace he would raise was that he thought it was clear Sparta had only made peace with Athens so that they would have a free hand to deal with Argos. He had further argued that once Argos was dealt with, then Sparta would once again turn to hostilities against Athens. As we have seen, this was in fact a policy that those in favour of war in Sparta thought to be Sparta's best option moving forward. Rather than the alliance with Sparta, he argued that an alliance with Argos would be much more at advantage to Athens.
Speaker 1:Alcibiades, for the time being, had been working on establishing his policy within the Athenian political apparatus, while also building a following to help advance his influence. However, when Sparta came negotiating with Athens in 420, the destruction of the fort at Panactium and the Boeotian alliance created an opportunity to press his policy forward. These breaches by Sparta helped reinforce Alcibiades' position that Sparta was acting in bad faith. However, this would only go some way into shifting some of those within Athens to his line of thinking. To really take advantage of the situation, alcibiades needed to attack Nicias himself and how harmful his policies had been for Athens. Simple name-calling and personal attacks were not going to cut it. He would make plausible accusations on decisions Nicias had taken and would argue how these had placed Athens in a dangerous position. Alcibiades accused Nicias of refusing to have captured the Spartans as Fecteria and left it to others to do so. However, when negotiating the peace, he had allowed the release of these prisoners very quickly for favour with the Spartans. He would continue to argue. While in making these arguments, he further accused Nicias of failing to persuade the Spartans of steering clear of making separate alliances with the Boeotians. He would point to the current situation resulting from Nicias' willingness to carry favour with the Spartans, giving them much but not holding them accountable.
Speaker 1:Given the situation that was developing, alcibiades recognised that Athens was in a position where a change in policy was now much more likely. He was in the process of building doubt over the policies of Nicias. Given the rift that was now developing within Sparta, however, he would take measures to attempt to further encourage a more aggressive stance against the Spartans. While laying accusations against Nicias, alcibiades would secretly send requests for representatives from Argos, elis and Mantinea to attend Athens' seeking alliance. The invitation Alcibiades sent off would arrive in Argos while the formalisation of the proposed agreement with Sparta was still taking place. This process that the Argives had to go through to meet their constitution would end up saving them from making an alliance that would be formed on false assumptions.
Speaker 1:Argos had been willing to form an alliance with Sparta purely to secure their own position. They had seen, if Sparta were allied with the Boeotians and also now working with Athens, then all those who opposed them would end up being subjected by this powerful group of city-states. The newly born Argive League, in its current state, would be nowhere near powerful enough to provide any resistance. However, with the news from Athens, argos was able to reverse their course. Now that they saw Athens had no hand in the Boeotian alliance that had formed with Sparta, they were able to see that, in fact, athens was on very bad terms with Sparta at this stage. With this realisation, they completely abandoned the negotiations that had been taking place with the Spartans and now looked towards Athens. They would embrace this turn of events with Thucydides telling us thinking that it was a city that had been friendly to them in the past, that it was a democracy like theirs, that it had a great power on the sea and it would fight on their side if war should break out.
Speaker 1:With the Argives breaking off negotiations with Sparta, the Spartans would learn quickly what had taken place to change the Argives' mind so suddenly. In response, sparta sent out a delegation towards Athens. At the same time, delegations from Argos, elis and Mantinea were heading to the Athenians. The men that the Spartans had chosen were all respected by the Athenians, hoping this would give them the best chance of negotiating to the Spartans' advantage. Once arriving in Athens, they would first address the council before being able to present their case to the Athenian assembly. In the talks with the council, they would attempt to prevent an alliance with Argos taking place, while also continuing their negotiations on receiving back Pylos and also assuring the Athenians that their alliance with Boeotia would not threaten Athens in any way. The Spartan delegation also revealed that they had full Spartan authority to negotiate on matters at hand, so an agreement could be settled on quickly.
Speaker 1:This last point had worried Alcibiades, as it meant a decision could be reached in the heat of the moment of discussions. Knowing he did not yet have the majority of influence on policy, he was afraid the vote could go either way. He would now take matters into his own hands, where he would employ a strategy to discredit the Spartans while also making Nicias and those seeking a continuation of the peace look foolish. Alcibiades would arrange to meet the Spartan delegation before they were to address the Athenian assembly. Alcibiades would convince the meet the Spartan delegation before they were to address the Athenian assembly. Alcibiades would convince the Spartans they were not to reveal that they had full powers to enact any negotiations that should come about. In return for this, alcibiades assured them that he would make sure Pylos was handed back over to them and would also see that other issues, such as their alliance with Boeotia, would not be cause for concern For the Spartans.
Speaker 1:Their whole aim of attending Athens was to secure these very things. So to do as Alcibiades asked seemed a far better option than putting their case forward to the Athenian assembly to be decided upon. Perhaps they thought that Alcibiades could be trusted, as his family had a friendly relationship with Sparta in the past. However, alcibiades' intention here was not to only prevent the handover of Pylos and ensure an alliance be signed with Argos, but was also to discredit Nicias in front of the entire Athenian assembly. So with these agreements made, the Spartans would continue on to address the Athenian assembly with their request they had brought forward from the Spartan government. However, when asked, presumably by Alcibiades or one of his supporters, about their authority to any terms arranged, they, as agreed, said they had not come with full authority. This had the effect Alcibiades was banking on, with the Athenians in the assembly losing all patience with the Spartans. This then opened the way for Alcibiades to address the assembly and attack the Spartans, driving a wedge between them and Nicias. He would jump on the fact that the Spartans had no sincerity in their intentions, as many would have known what had been presented at the council and now seeing the Spartans say otherwise in the assembly. This would also have the effect of making Nicias look weak in front of the Athenians, since he had been the architect of the peace with Sparta. Capitalising on the situation and the Athenians' annoyance at the Spartans, arsabites ensured that the Argive delegation would be brought in to also address the assembly on the matter of forming an alliance. However, before anything could be formally agreed on, an earthquake would see the assembly have to be abandoned prematurely.
Speaker 1:The following day, another assembly was held, but it appears Sparta had departed after the tensions of the previous day. Nicias had lost some face and had been put on the spot who had been tricked into not revealing to the assembly they were under full Spartan authority. Nicias would, however, attempt to save his position by putting forward his proposal that negotiations with Argos should be placed on hold while delegates be sent to Sparta to find out their true intentions. He continued to argue if Athens convinced Sparta to remain at peace, then the Athenians were the biggest winners in the deal. Nicias was able to successfully argue his point on sending representatives to Sparta, in which he would be one of. He was given a list of complaints and terms that needed to be fulfilled. With it, looking like the faction Alcibiades was a part of having some influence on what was to be delivered, as what was to be taken to Sparta was unlikely to be agreed to. On what was to be delivered, as what was to be taken to Sparta was unlikely to be agreed to, nicias would address the Spartans, basically requesting they honour the peace terms already agreed to.
Speaker 1:The main points were for the Spartans to hand back over Panacteum intact, deliver Amphipolis and rescind their alliance with the Boeotians. Sparta was not really in a position to fulfil any of these terms, which the Alcibiades probably knew all too well. In short, panacteum's defences had already been raised by the Boeotians, with Sparta either not willing to or not having the resources or time to reconstruct them. As for Amphipolis, they had abandoned the city to the Athenians, but the locals of the city were unwilling for the Athenians to occupy it. Sparta, given their disconnect from Thrace, was in no position to force the city over to the Athenians, while the alliance with the Boeotian League had been formed in response to the unstable diplomatic situation after the signing of the Peace of Nicias. To rescind this would be weakening their position within Greece, threatening their security in the face of new coalitions forming.
Speaker 1:Nicias had also been informed that if the Spartans were to reject these terms, then he was to inform them that Athens would have no choice but to pursue its alliance with Argos. These demands and threats had basically destroyed any chances of saving the peace and with it the end of the wider war, destroyed any chances of saving the peace and with it, the end to the wider war. However, in an attempt to save some face with his fellow Athenians, nicias would ask the Spartans to renew their oaths to the peace of Nicias. As Thucydides tells us, nicias was frightened at the prospect of returning home with nothing accomplished. These oaths were merely just lip service. As for the time being. The Spartans were not keen on resuming hostilities right away. So they would agree to this request, as it would buy some time for them to prepare themselves internally and externally.
Speaker 1:On his return to Athens and presentation to the assembly, nicias was still berated, with the Athenians flying into a rage over the failure to obtain any meaningful outcome. This anger was intensified due to Nicias being the one who had drawn up and convinced Athens to make the peace with Sparta, and now he was unable to have the Spartans deliver on what had already been sworn upon by both sides. With this failure, athens immediately formed a treaty with Argos, elis and Mantinea, the three Peloponnesian democracies. The treaty was to last a hundred years and would see a non-aggression pact formed as well as a defensive alliance on land and sea. This had now seen Alcibiades' influence grow in Athenian politics and Athens' policy was now shifting away from the terms of the Peace of Nicias. Both sides were now openly defying the terms within it. However, both still formally recognised the peace, staving off open hostilities for now.
Speaker 1:All of this diplomatic manoeuvring would also complicate matters with Corinth. All of these negotiations that had been happening over the past year can make the diplomatic situation between all the city-states seem a little hard to follow. But, as you may remember, corinth had been instrumental in helping see the Argive League established and had also signed on in a defensive alliance with those in the League. However, with these developments, corinth would keep clear of negotiations with Athens. The Corinthians' intentions had been to create a separate power block that would help protect their own security and to entice hostilities between Sparta and Athens. With the alliance now formed with Argos, her democratic allies and Athens, corinth now looked back to Sparta with a friendlier gaze. However, always looking out for their own interests, they would still keep intact the initial defensive alliance they had with the Argive League, should the strategic situation change.
Speaker 1:The developments that had been taking place over the year and Athens' new alliance with Argos can be seen as marking a point where a shift in politics in Athens had now taken place. We had seen that Nicias and his policies had been dominating Athens, which led to the truce and eventual peace of Nicias. However, cracks had been forming early on, and now Alcibiades, rising in the ranks of Athenian politics, was able to exploit these and push his policies that were more hostile towards Sparta. However, these diplomatic manoeuvrings had not only seen a shift in Athens take place. Those who had seen Sparta as an enemy but had been unwilling to take any action action would now find themselves emboldened.
Speaker 1:The city of Elis, now with the powerful backing of Athens, would accuse the Spartans, during the 420 Olympic Games, of breaching the Olympic truce. This breach had taken place when the Spartans had sent an army into Leprium that we saw last episode. The fine for such a breach, as laid down in the law, was two mina to be paid for each soldier that had marched. This would see Ellis looking at enforcing a fine of 2,000 mina against the Spartans. Sparta would look to challenge the fine, attempting to argue a discrepancy in timing of the Olympic truce coming into effect. However, ellis would not budge, as the truce had already been called in Elis before the Spartan invasion and had caught the aliens off guard due to them observing the truce. With continued negotiations over the matter being rejected by Sparta, elis would see to it that Sparta was now banned from the temples, therefore unable to make sacrifices during the games. We have seen how the religious component of the Olympic Games was just as important as the games themselves, if not more so. So to enforce this ban would have been quite humiliating for the Spartans.
Speaker 1:Tensions were quite high over this period, with some of the cities placing armed men at the ready in case a Spartan army should show. However, the Spartans would allow the Olympic Festival to pass by quietly. The Spartans standing idle during the Olympics would also feed into the general perception that they had become weak. This would see further embarrassment when their colony in Heraclea in Trachis was attacked and the Spartan governor killed. The city would only be saved due to the Thebans arriving to prevent its capture, though the Thebans would end up taking control of the city in their own right, justifying this action due to the Sparta being too distracted on the Peloponnese to intervene where they then feared Athens would capture it otherwise. However, as Donald Kagan suggests, it seems likely, although an ally of Sparta had also capitalised on their inability to act. For now, with Heraclea being in central Greece, this fell in an area where Thebes was projecting its sphere of influence. It might have been seen as an opportunity to remove Spartan influence from their areas while also increasing Theban influence. This episode would also see relations between the two become strained, where, thucydides tells us, the Spartans nonetheless were angry at them, also showing us that there doesn't appear to have been any agreement over assisting in the initial crisis of the city.
Speaker 1:So in this episode, we have seen the diplomatic situation in Greece continue to shift for the initial formation of the Argive League. The League had been formed due to the inherent issues contained within the formation of the Argive League. The League had been formed due to the inherent issues contained within the terms of the Peace of Nicias. Those who had been connected to either Athens or Sparta were seeking ways to protect their own self-interests. For some, such as Corinth, this meant attempting to find ways for hostilities between the two to continue. Left in a state of peace and friendship, corinth was going to lose out, not having the power or backing to protect their interests around Greece. Others, such as Argos, who had managed to remain neutral in the Peloponnesian War so far, were now in a position where they needed to protect their security, with the treaty they had with Sparta due to expire. If Athens were friendly with Sparta, this would allow the Spartans to focus wholly on the Argive threat. If Athens were friendly with Sparta, this would allow the Spartans to focus wholly on the Argive threat. The interests of these two city-states would collide when Corinth would convince Argos to head a new league to provide a counter to Athens and Sparta. However, the diplomatic situation would be further complicated with the continued failures around Athens and Sparta fulfilling their commitments under the terms of the peace. This would lead to further breaches in the peace, such as Sparta's alliance with the Boeotians. This would then continue, with Argos misinterpreting the interactions of all the major powers.
Speaker 1:This was also the time that the policies of the peace towards Sparta were being challenged by the up-and-coming figure of Alcibiades. He would begin to grow in influence as the cracks in the peace of Nicias began to appear. He would also take measures to exploit these cracks to help see a shift in Athenian policies. He would employ tactics to discredit the Spartans in front of the Athenian assembly, while also showing Nicias to be an unreliable leader with his peace crumbling. In a move to create further hostilities for Sparta, he had cleared the air with Argos, extending a hand of friendship which delighted the Argives, who were also a democracy and concerned with their position on the Peloponnese.
Speaker 1:This point would be where the Athens would shift. The Athenians were now far more hostile towards Sparta due to the diplomatic interactions over the year, while they had also now agreed to establish an alliance with Argos, adding further breaches to the peace of Nicias. Although the relationship between Sparta and Athens had deteriorated to such an extent, open hostilities had not yet broken out again. However, as we continue, next episode, we will see a further step to the continuation of the war take place, as, instead of just continuing diplomatic negotiations, campaigning on the Peloponnese would start to develop, to attempt to influence matters. This would ultimately lead to the largest land battle yet fought in the Peloponnesian War at Mantinea, and with it help the Spartans re-establish their power and dominance on the Peloponnese.