PeloponnesianWar:SpartaBackgroundGuide

EagleMUNC

BostonCollegeModelUnitedNationsConference

Chair: JackMcGrath

mcgratjw@bc.edu

Website: www.EagleMUNC.org

March18-202016

PeloponnesianWar

ALetterfromtheChairἈσπάζομαι,Λακεδαιμόνιοι!

Greece,thecradleofWesterncivilization,nowsitsinyourhands!Thebirthplaceof

literature,philosophy,mathematics,andmore;alandfragmentedby“politicalparticularism,”

butunifiedbya“sharedsenseofnationality.”1Thecomplexitiesofancientrulearenearly

impossibletoenumerate,butitisthetaskofthisbody,theSpartanγερουσία(Gerousia—the

CouncilofElders),tomaintainandexpandthecity-state’sinfluencecommercially,culturally,

andmilitarilydespitethemovesofyourrivals.

Whiletheintricaciesofforeignaffairswillcertainlyaffectthecouncil’spath,itis

necessarytorecognizetheoft-misunderstoodstatusofGreekpopulations.Itwouldbe

inaccuratetopresumethateveryGreekpossessedthecunningofOdysseusorthestoicpower

ofPallasAthena.Evenin“democratic”Athens,womenandslaveswerecompletelyneglected

inpoliticalprocesses.Nonetheless,theseunderrepresentedgroupsweretheglueofsociety.In

Sparta,womenwerestrongmatriarchsduringtimesofwar.Tensionsofthissortwillplayakey

roleinthissimulation.

Sparta,attheheartofthePeloponnese,wasoneofthefewGreekcity-statestohave

agriculturaldiversity.Thevastmajorityofthelandstothenorthandeastareuntenable—

mountainousorinfertile.Thescarcityofnaturalresourcesisoneofthereasonsthatmany

Greekcivilizationslookedbeyondtheirboundariestoaddresstheneedsoftheirrespective

populaces.Athens,forexample,developedastrongnavy,beginningcross-culturalexchanges

withAnatolianpeoplesandEgyptianmerchants,buildinganetworkofinfluenceacrossthe

1 Sarah B. Pomeroy, et al., Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 10.

PeloponnesianWar

Aegean.Thus,thisbodysitswithdistinctadvantagesanddisadvantagesvis-à-visitsGrecian

rivals.

WilltheGerousiaforgealliancesandpushforaunified,Spartan-ledGreece?Willthe

idiosyncrasiesofdifferentcity-statesleadtoirreconcilabledifferences?Theseareyour

questionsthatyouwillanswer.MaythegodsofOlympusblessyouwiththeirwisdom!

ἴθιεὐτυχής!

JackMcGrathClassof2016,BostonCollegeHistory/PoliticalSciencemcgratjw@bc.edu

PeloponnesianWar

HistoricalBackground

AlthoughSpartanruleofthePeloponnesewasvirtuallyunchallengedafterthe

eliminationofthePersianthreatin449B.C.,themakeshiftpeacebetweenGreekcity-states

wastenuousatbest.TheGreekshadachievedagreatdealinscience,philosophy,thearts,

extendingtheirinfluencefarbeyondtheirformalborders,profitingfromexchangingideaswith

othercultures.Consequently,therewasageneralwilltopreserveHelleniccivilizationby

avoidingin-fightingwheneverpossible.

ThedynamismofGreekculture,bornoutoftheincrediblediversitythatonecould

observefrompolistopoliswasincreasinglyanissue.Forexample,thegrowthofdemocracy

lookedincrediblythreateningtocertainpoliticalorders,butoligarchicalsystemspersisted

everywhere,despitenominalclaimstowardselectedrule.

TheSpartansandAtheniansachievedpeacein445B.C.Fromthatpointon,Athens

increasedtheirinfluenceinthewestandnortheast,desiringgreateraccesstoportstofurther

theirincreasinginterconnectednesswithothercivilizations.TheyfoundedacolonyinItalyin

443B.C.SicilyadoptedAtheniancurrencyasaformofpayment.Thracebecameincreasingly

important,aslucrativetradesindyes,furs,andgrainwhettedthepalettesofAthenianelites.

Essentially,AthenswasstrivingforPanhellenisticexpansion,wherebyculturalfactors

wouldleadtoitsincreasedpower.Nonetheless,militaryconcernspersisted.Samos,an

importantport,rebelled,nearlybeatingtheAthenianmilitaryawayfromoneofitsmost

preciousseaholdings.ThisrevoltspreadtoByzantium.Toaddresstheformer,anine-month

siegeultimatelyresultedinthecapitulationoftheSamianmilitaryin440B.C.Byzantiumwas

cutoffthroughstrategicsettlementsalongkeysupplypoints.Critically,Spartadeterminedto

PeloponnesianWar

notinvolveitselfintheSamianrebellionontheadviceofothermembersinthePeloponnesian

League.

TheThirtyYears’Peacedisintegratedonaccountoffurthercrisesinthe430sB.C.

Corcyra,anislandoffofGreece,wasembroiledincivilwarin435B.C.betweenoligarchsand

democrats.Corinth,anoverseeroftheisland,sentafleettobeatbacktherebelling

democrats,butwasdefeated.

TheSpartanandAthenianDivisionsinGreece

TheCorcyreansdidnotbelongtothePeloponnesianLeagueorAthens’networkof

alliancesinitially.Corcyradidpossessasubstantialfleet,andthusAthensdidnotwanttosee

thecity-statefalltooneofitschiefrivals,Corinth.AtSybotain433B.C.,thetwoforcesclashed

PeloponnesianWar

asAthensintervened,seeingCorcyra’sfleetindistress.Thebattlewasastalemate,withboth

sidesclaimingvictory.

AthenscontinueditsmeddlinginthePeloponnesianLeague’saffairs.Potidaeawasa

politicalanomalyinGreece—anallyofCorinthandthePeloponnesianLeague,yetaformal

memberofAthens’alliance.AthensorderedPotidaeanstodismisstheirCorinthianoverlords,

rejectCorinth’sinfluence,deconstructseadefensesystems(presumablytoallowavastly

superiorAtheniannavytoexercisecontroluninhibited),andhandoverhostages.Potidaea,

closeinproximitytoMacedonia,wasgeographicallysignificant,containingmuchofthetimber

necessaryfortheproliferationofAthenianships.

Perdiccas,kingoftheMacedonians,hasencouragedamoveagainstAthensand

compelledCorinthiansympathizerstorevoltinPotidaea.Twothousandmen,“volunteers”by

allaccountshailingfromCorinthandotherPeloponnesianstates,headtotheembattledcity-

statenow.

Concurrently,AthenshasprovokedMegara,claimingthatthepolisisholdingits

escapedslaves.MegarahadalsogivenCorinthsupportduringtheBattleofSybota.Megarian

merchantswerebannedfromallAthenianports.Theeconomywasdevastatedbythese

sanctions,andAthensrefusedtorevokethem.Thiscrisissawtheintroductionofopenconfict

betweenAthensandSparta,inauguratingtheArchidamianageofthePeloponnesianWarin

431B.C.(namedfortheSpartanKingArchidamus).

Pericles,themanintegralintheAtheniandecisiontofight,onlyfoughtduringthis

portionofthewar,institutingadefensivestrategy—acounterintuitivemaneuverthat

supportstheleader’sfamedeloquence.Byavoidingopenbattleandattackingtradinginterests

PeloponnesianWar

acrossthePeloponnesebyconcentratingitscitizenryinitsurbanbase,Athenshopedto

frustrateSpartatothepointofpeace.PlaguestruckAthensafewyearslater,creatingan

addedlevelofchaos.

Havingbeendemoralizedbydisease,theAtheniansbegansuingforpeaceagainstthe

willofPericles,whohimselfperishedfromtheplaguein429B.C.Anti-Athenianrevoltsat

strategictradingpostslikeMytileneintheAegeanaidedtheSpartansduringthe420sB.C.

Athenscontinuedtoexploititsstrongnavy,raidingtownsalongthecoastsundertheirnew

leader,Demosthenes.

Inmanyways,classdefinedSpartanlife.Slaves,knownashelots,tendedtofieldsand

servedtheirmastersathomewhilecitizenstrainedforwar.Intheabsenceofmasters,the

helotswereamassiveliabilitytotheSpartanstate,astheythreatenedtodestabilizethe

regime.Athenstargetedthisweaknessin425B.C.atPylos.Thisiswherethewarturnedin

Athensfavor.

AttemptingtorecoveraSicilianoutpost,anAthenianfleetseizedthepeninsulaof

PelosandsupportedMessenianpoliticalexilesthatweredecidedlyanti-Spartan.Sparta

attemptedtorecovertheland,butwasisolatedatSphacteria,whereupwardsof100Spartan

soldierssurrenderedascallsforpeacebegan.Athensoptedtocontinueleveragingits

supremacy.

In424B.C.,theAthenianarmymadearareforayatDelium,wheretheyweredecisively

defeatedbytheBoeotians.AtAmphipolis,astrategicallyimportantcitythatprotected

Atheniangoldinterests,anAtheniancontingentwasforcedtosurrender,asThucydideswas

PeloponnesianWar

unabletoreachthecitybeforetheSpartaninvasion.Cleon,aleadingAthenianpolitician,

madeeffortstoregainthecityin422B.C.tohisownperil.

ThePeaceofNiciaswasachievedin421B.C.,asAthenianpoliticianNiciasnegotiated

termswiththeprimarySpartanforces,butthedecentralizednatureoftheSpartanalliance

networkensuredthattheceasefirewouldremainprecarious.Thedealincludedaprovisionfor

fiftyyearsofpeace,therestorationoffortresses,tradingofprisoners,theneutralityofDelphi,

andthereturnofAmphipolisandPanactumtoAthensinexchangeforPylos.Therewere

additionalprovisionsthatAthenswouldsupportSpartainthecaseofanotherhelotrevolt.

CurrentIssues

Corinth,Boetia,andMegararefusedtoacceptthePeaceofNicias,preventingSparta

fromreturningPanactumandAmphipolos.Corinthians,nowmistrustingtheirSpartanallies,

haveattemptedtoforgeanewalliancewithArgostopreventSpartan-Athenianhegemony—

theArgivealliance.Elis,acity-statethatcontendedwithLepreium,enteredintothisleagueto

avoidSpartanarbitration.ThracianChalcidansfollowedsuit.BoeotiaandMegararemained

neutralonaccountoftheirpoliticalsystems,asmistrusthasonlycontinuedtogrow.

ThedomesticpoliticalsituationinSpartahasalsoshifted,astheephors,whosplit

powerwiththekingthatnegotiatedthePeaceofNicias,hasleftoffice.Now,Spartasitsonthe

precipiceofdisasterifitsinternalandexternalnetworksofsupportcollapse.Spartahascritical

geopoliticaldecisionstomakeinthecomingyears.Thesurvivalofthemilitaristicstateisin

jeopardyifthecurrentsituationcontinuesunresolved.

PeloponnesianWar

BlocPositions

ThisbodywillconsiderthesecondpartofthePeloponnesianWar,followingthePeace

ofNicias,fromtheperspectiveofSparta.Theprimaryconcernofthedelegatesshouldbe

consolidatingSpartanpowerandorganizingtheirrelationshipswithpossibleallies.Somemay

wanttofocusonestablishingrelationshipsbetweenSpartaanditsallies,whileothersinthe

bodymaywanttoconsiderSparta’smilitaristicapproachtopowerasawayofsecuringitshold

overSparta.Alliancesareever-changingandwiththeeverincreasingdesireofthePersiansto

interfereinGreekaffairs,itisuptothedelegatestoconsidertheamountofcooperationand

involvementthatSpartawillhavewiththosewhoitinitiallyopposed.

ThegoalofthisbodyistoensurethesurvivalofSpartainthecomingyears.Thestate

facesthreatsfromitsneighborsthatmayleadSpartadownaturbulentpath.Itisuptothis

bodytoensurethatSpartaachievesmilitaryandforeignpolicyvictories,whilesecuringcontrol

athome.

AthensandSpartaBalanceofPower:AthensisinYellow.SpartaisinRed.

PeloponnesianWar

QuestionstoConsider

1. WhatistheoptimalwaytomaintainlegitimacyamongallieswithoutrenegotiatingthebasictermsofthePeaceofNicias?

2. Whatdiplomaticleveragecanbeusedtomaintainpeace?3. Isthemaintenanceofpeacenecessary?Woulditnotbebetterforaunified,Spartan-led

statetoensurepeacewithouttheencumbrancesoftheAtheniansorArgives?4. WhatlessonshavebeenlearnedfromthewarwithAthens?5. WhatexternalmaneuverswillunsettleAthenstoleveltheplayingfield?

WorksCited SarahB.Pomeroy,etal.,AncientGreece:APolitical,Social,andCulturalHistory(Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,1999).Thucydides,TheHistoryofthePeloponnesianWar,trans.RichardCrawley(London:Longmans,Green,andCo.,1874).R.F.Tannenbaum,“WhoStartedthePeloponnesianWar?”inArion:AJournalofHumanitiesandtheClassics2,no.4(1975):533–546.DonaldKagan,TheOutbreakofthePeloponnesianWar(Ithaca,NY:CornellUniversityPress,1969).Image1:http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/orig/110462903.pngImage2:https://www.college.columbia.edu/core/sites/core/files/images/DPLeagues.JPG