Was Melos an ally of Athens?

Was Melos an ally of Athens?

Despite being one of the few island colonies of Sparta, Melos had remained neutral in the struggle between Sparta and Athens. Its neutrality, however, was unacceptable to the Athenians who, accompanied by overwhelming military and naval power, arrived in Melos to pressure it into submission.

What are some of the arguments for the significance of the Athenian downfall?

Three major causes of the rise and fall of Athens were its democracy, its leadership, and its arrogance. The democracy produced many great leaders, but unfortunately, also many bad leaders. Their arrogance was a result of great leadership in the Persian Wars, and it led to the end of Athenian power in Greece.

What is the outcome for the melians of their debate with the Athenians and the subsequent siege as described by Thucydides?

The Melians rejected the ultimatum. The Athenians laid siege to the city and withdrew most of their troops from the island to fight elsewhere. The Melians made a number of sorties, at one point capturing part of the Athenian circumvallation, but failed to break the siege.

What is the main argument of the Athenians in the Melian dialogue?

The Melians argue that they are a neutral city and not an enemy, so Athens has no need to conquer them. The Athenians counter that if they accept Melos’ neutrality and independence, they would look weak: Their subjects would think that they left Melos alone because they were not strong enough to conquer it.

What event ended the truce between Athens and Sparta?

The end came in 405 when the Athenian navy was destroyed at Aegospotami by the Spartan fleet under Lysander, who had received much aid from the Persians.

Why did Athens and Sparta not get along?

The reasons for this war are sometimes traced back as far as the democratic reforms of Cleisthenes, which Sparta always opposed. However, the more immediate reason for the war was Athenian control of the Delian League, the vast naval alliance that allowed it to dominate the Mediterranean Sea.

What did Thucydides write about?

Thucydides wrote about the civil war between Athens and Sparta. Together these ancient Greek writers became the first true historians in Western civilization. We know little about the personal life of Herodotus.

What in your opinion caused the fall of Athens?

What was the focus of the Mytilenian debate?

The Mytilenean Debate (also spelled “Mytilenaean Debate”) was the Athenian Assembly concerning reprisals against the city-state of Mytilene, which had attempted unsuccessfully to shake off Athenian hegemony during the Peloponnesian War.

Why were the terms of Athens surrender so strict?

Athens’ Surrender After the Peloponnesian War To protect themselves from attack by Sparta, the people of Athens had built the Long Walls. Sparta couldn’t risk letting Athens become strong again, so it demanded stringent concessions at the end of the Peloponnesian War.

Why did Athens lose to Sparta?

In 430 BC, an outbreak of a plague hit Athens. The plague ravaged the densely packed city, and in the long run, was a significant cause of its final defeat. The plague wiped out over 30,000 citizens, sailors and soldiers, including Pericles and his sons. Roughly one-third to two-thirds of the Athenian population died.

Was Athens and Sparta a rival?

The cities of Athens and Sparta were bitter rivals in ancient Greece. Geographically they are very close to each other, but have sometimes had very different values, lifestyles, and cultures.

Why was Thucydides exiled from Athens?

Thucydides’ Life He was born in the Athenian suburb of Halimos and was in Athens during the plague of c. 430 B.C., a year after the war began. In 424, he was given command of a fleet, but was then exiled for failing to reach the city of Amphipolis in time to prevent its capture by the Spartans.

What factors led to the rise and fall of ancient Athens Greece?

Democracy, colonialism, military strategy, and much more – all can be traced back to origins in early Greek history. In this timeline, we’ll mark the rise of Greece from its preliterate beginnings to its decline and eventual fall to Rome’s superior forces more than 2,100 years ago.

Is the Thucydides Trap a theory?

Definition. The term describes the theory that when a great power’s position as hegemon is threatened by an emerging power, there is a significant likelihood of war between the two powers.

What did the Athenians ultimately decide to do about the Mytilenaeans?

Ultimately, the Athenians were swayed by Diodotus’ argument and chose to spare the lives of the Mytilenians and to execute only the leaders of the revolt: another trireme, double-manned to row overnight, was promptly dispatched, and in a dramatic scene arrived at Lesbos just in time to prevent the previous orders from …