Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- CHAPTER XLVII From the Thirty Years' Truce, fourteen years before the Peloponnesian War, down to the Blockade of Potidæa, in the year before the Peloponnesian War
- CHAPTER XLVIII From the Blockade of Potidæa down to the end of the First Year of the Peloponnesian War
- CHAPTER XLIX From the beginning of the Second Year down to the end of the Third Year of the Peloponnesian War
- CHAPTER L From the Commencement of the Fourth Year of the Peloponnesian War down to the Revolutionary Commotions at Korkyra
- CHAPTER LI From the Troubles in Korkyra, in the Fifth Year of the Peloponnesian War, down to the end of the Sixth Year
- CHAPTER LII Seventh Year of the War.—Capture of Sphakteria
- CHAPTER LIII Eighth Year of the War
- CHAPTER LIV Truce for one year.—Renewal of War and Battle of Amphipolis.—Peace of Nikias
CHAPTER LIV - Truce for one year.—Renewal of War and Battle of Amphipolis.—Peace of Nikias
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 October 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- CHAPTER XLVII From the Thirty Years' Truce, fourteen years before the Peloponnesian War, down to the Blockade of Potidæa, in the year before the Peloponnesian War
- CHAPTER XLVIII From the Blockade of Potidæa down to the end of the First Year of the Peloponnesian War
- CHAPTER XLIX From the beginning of the Second Year down to the end of the Third Year of the Peloponnesian War
- CHAPTER L From the Commencement of the Fourth Year of the Peloponnesian War down to the Revolutionary Commotions at Korkyra
- CHAPTER LI From the Troubles in Korkyra, in the Fifth Year of the Peloponnesian War, down to the end of the Sixth Year
- CHAPTER LII Seventh Year of the War.—Capture of Sphakteria
- CHAPTER LIII Eighth Year of the War
- CHAPTER LIV Truce for one year.—Renewal of War and Battle of Amphipolis.—Peace of Nikias
Summary
Eighth year of the war—began with most favourable promise for Athens—closed with great reverses to her
The eighth year of the war, described in the last chapter, had opened with sanguine hopes for Athens, and with dark promise for Sparta, chiefly in consequence of the memorable capture of Sphakteria towards the end of the preceding summer. It included, not to mention other events, two considerable and important enterprises on the part of Athens—against Megara and against Bœotia; the former plan, partially successful—the latter, not merely unsuccessful, but attended with a ruinous defeat. Lastly, the losses in Thrace following close upon the defeat at Deliuna, together with the unbounded expectations everywhere entertained from the future career of Brasidas, had again seriously lowered the impression entertained of Athenian power. The year thus closed amidst humiliations the more painful to Athens, as contrasted with the glowing hopes with which it had begun.
Desire of Spartans to make peace in order to regain the captives—they decline sending reinforcenuents to Brasidas
It was now that Athens felt the full value of those prisoners whom she had taken at Sphakteria. With those prisoners, as Kleon and his supporters had said truly, she might be sure of making peace whenever she desired it. Having such a certainty to fall back upon, she had played a bold same and aimed at larger acquisitions during the past year—and this speculation, though not in itself unreasonable, had failed: moreover a new phenomenon, alike unexpected by all, had occurred, when Brasidas broke open and cut up her empire in Thrace.
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- A History of Greece , pp. 582 - 677Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010