Despite the
Peace of Nicias still being in effect,
Sparta's King
Agis II gathers a strong army at Philus and descends upon
Argos by marching at night from the north. His allied Boeotian forces fail him, but he is able to conclude a treaty with Argos.
King
Agis II of
Sparta escapes being fined 10,000
drachmae and having his house razed for his failure to press his advantage by promising more successful outcomes in the future.
The
Battle of Mantinea is the largest land battle of the
Peloponnesian War (with as many as 10,000 troops on each side). Sparta under King Agis II has a major victory over
Argos (and its allies
Athens, Ellis and
Mantinea), which has broken its treaty with Sparta's King Agis II at the insistence of
Alcibiades. Agis II's major victory makes amends with the Spartans for his earlier truce with Argos. The commander of the Athenian forces,
Laches, is killed in the battle.
Impressed with the Spartan victory, the inhabitants of Argos change their government from
democracy to
oligarchy and end their support for Athens in favour of an alliance with Sparta. Many of Argos' allies do the same. Athens becomes increasingly isolated.
Alcibiades urges the Athenians to conquer
Syracuse, subdue
Sicily and
Carthage and thus gain added forces that will enable them to finish the war against Sparta. His bold offensive plan wins the support of the Athenians.
Following the loss by
Athens and its allies in the
Battle of Mantinea, a political "
tug of war" takes place in Athens.
Alcibiades joins forces with
Nicias against
Hyperbolus, the successor of the
demagogue politician
Cleon as champion of the common people. Hyperbolus tries to bring about the
ostracism of either Nicias or Alcibiades, but the two men combine their influence and induce the Athenian people to expel Hyperbolus instead.
With the encouragement of
Alcibiades, the
Athenians take the island of
Melos (which has remained neutral during the
Peloponnesian War). Its inhabitants are treated with great cruelty by the Athenians, with all the men capable of bearing arms being killed, while the women and children are made slaves.
In
Sicily, the
Ionian city of
Segesta asks for Athenian help from the
Dorian city of
Selinus (which is supported by the powerful Sicilian city of
Syracuse). The people of Syracuse are ethnically Dorian (as are the
Spartans), while the Athenians, and their allies in Sicily, are Ionian. The Athenians feel obliged to assist their ally and therefore prepare an armada to attack Sicily.
By topic
Drama
The tragedian
Agathon wins first prize at the
Lenaia.
Athenianorator and
politician,
Andocides is imprisoned on suspicion of having taken part in the mutilation of the sacred busts called "
Hermae" shortly before the departure of Athens' military
expedition to Sicily. These mutilations cause a general panic, and Andocides is induced to turn informer. Andocides' testimony is accepted, and those whom he implicates, including
Alcibiades, are condemned to death. Andocides is sent into exile.
The Athenian expedition to Sicily sets sail under
Nicias,
Lamachus and Alcibiades. After his departure with the armada, Alcibiades is accused of
profanity and is recalled to Athens to stand trial.
After learning that he has been condemned to death
in absentia, Alcibiades defects to
Sparta and Nicias is placed in charge of the Sicilian expedition. The Athenian forces land at
Dascon near
Syracuse but with little result.
Hermocrates heads the Syracusan defence.
Alcibiades openly joins with the Spartans and persuades them to send
Gylippus to assist Syracuse and to fortify
Decelea in
Attica. He also encourages
Ionia to revolt against Athens. As a result, a Spartan fleet soon arrives to reinforce their allies in Syracuse and a stalemate ensues.
Construction of the
Temple of Hephaestus in Athens is completed. Construction had begun in 449 BC.
The Athenian army moves to capture Syracuse while the larger fleet of Athenian ships blocks the approach to the city from the sea. After some initial success, the Athenian troops become disorganised in the chaotic night operation and are thoroughly routed by
Gylippus, the
Spartan commander. The Athenian commander
Lamachus is killed. Nicias, although ill, is left in sole charge of the siege of Syracuse.[1]
After suffering a defeat in which the
Athenian commander
Lamachus is killed,
Demosthenes suggests that they immediately give up the siege of
Syracuse and return to Athens, where they are needed to defend against a
Spartan invasion of
Attica.
Nicias refuses, but the Syracusans and Spartans under
Hermocrates are able to trap the Athenians in the harbour and the Athenians sustain heavy losses in the
Battle of Syracuse. Demosthenes is ambushed by the Syracusans and is forced to surrender. Nicias is soon captured as well, and both are executed, with most of the surviving Athenian soldiers sent to work in the Sicilian quarries. Ten proboulos (including
Sophocles) are elected to help run Athens.
Tissaphernes, the
Persiansatrap of
Lydia and
Caria, forms an alliance with Sparta. The Spartans, with strategic advice from
Alcibiades and limited assistance from the Persians under
Pharnabazus, advance almost to the gates of Athens. King
Agis II leads the Spartan force that occupies
Decelea in Attica.
Archelaus I becomes King of
Macedonia following the death of his father, King
Perdiccas II. Archelaus seizes the throne after murdering his uncle, his cousin, and his half brother, the legitimate heir.
The
Spartans sign a treaty of mutual help with the Persian satrap of Lower Asia, Tissaphernes. By the treaty of
Miletus, Persia is given complete freedom in western Asia Minor in return for agreeing to pay for seamen to man the
Peloponnesian fleet.
Greece
Alcibiades helps stir up revolts amongst
Athens' allies in
Ionia, on the west coast of
Asia Minor. However, Alcibiades loses the confidence of the
Spartans and antagonises their king
Agis II. As a result, he flees to the court of the
PersiansatrapTissaphernes.[2] Alcibiades advises Tissaphernes to withdraw his support from Sparta while conspiring with the
oligarchic party in Athens, as Sparta's allied cities break away in a series of revolts.
The
Athenians vote to use their last reserves to build a new fleet.
Clazomenae revolts against Athens.[3] After a brief resistance, however, it again acknowledges the Athenian supremacy.
An
epidemic of an unknown disease hits Northern Greece.
June 9 – The
democracy of
Athens is overthrown by the
oligarchic extremists,
Antiphon,
Theramenes,
Peisander and
Phrynichus in an effort by the oligarchists to exert more control over the conduct of
the war with
Sparta and its allies. A "
Council of Four Hundred" is set up.[4] The total defeat of the
Athenian expedition to
Sicily and the consequent revolts of many of the subject-allies has weakened Athenian finances severely; the acknowledged purpose of the revolutionary movement is to revise the constitution to better run Athens' finances. However, its rule is high-handed and the Council of Four Hundred is only able to maintain itself for four months.
When a mutiny breaks out amongst the troops who are fortifying
Piraeus (the harbour for Athens), the Council sends
Theramenes to quell it. Instead, he puts himself at the head of the mutineers. After Phrynichus, the leader of the extremists, is assassinated, an ensuing meeting of the Athenian Assembly deposes the Council and restores the traditional constitution, but restricts some of the privileges of citizenship to a body called the Five Thousand. The Assembly resumes its old form in being a committee of all citizens.
The Athenian navy under
Thrasybulus recalls
Alcibiades from
Sardis. Alcibiades' election is confirmed by the Athenians at the request of Theramenes. A Spartan fleet in the
Hellespont at
Cynossema is then defeated by an Athenian fleet commanded by Thrasybulus and Alcibiades.
Antiphon defends himself in a speech
Thucydides describes as the greatest ever made by a man on trial for his life. Nevertheless, Antiphon is unable to persuade his accusers and he is executed for
treason.
Alcibiades installs a garrison at
Chrysopolis under
Theramenes to exact a tithe from all shipping that comes from the Black Sea. This revenue enables the Athenians to put an end to the regime of the Five Thousand and restore their traditional institutions in full.
Democracy is restored in Athens. The new
demagogueCleophon dismisses peace overtures made by Sparta.
Evagoras re-establishes his family's claim as kings of
Salamis which has been under
Phoenician control for a number of years.
By subject
Art
A relief decoration from the
parapet (now destroyed), Nike (Victory) adjusting her sandal is constructed in the Temple of Athena Nike on the
Acropolis in
Athens and is ready in
407 BC. It is now preserved at the
Acropolis Museum in
Athens.
^William Smith (ed.).
"Phry'nichus". A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University. Retrieved 1 February 2024.