Herodotos:My name is Herodotos, and I am a traveler from Halikarnassos. I retrace the cause of various events, such as wars and great calamities. I describe what I see and record what I am told - all with the aim of providing a better understanding of why these things occur. Look for me to introduce you to many sites.
("What do you think of this place?")
Herodotos:The Battle of Amphipolis was surely an interesting one. One might even call it anticlimactic. But that does not mean it wasn't important in the greater scheme of the Peloponnesian War.
("Let's begin the tour.")
Herodotos:The city of Amphipolis was the site of one of the more unique battles of the Peloponnesian War. Two generals, the AthenianKleon and the SpartanBrasidas, fought for this land in an effort to control the resources it provided. In the end, though, neither got what they wanted. Look for me when you finish your visit, and we can speak of what you've learned.
View of the Strymon river and the plain of Amphipolis / 2016
The land that would come to be known as Amphipolis was originally part of Thrace, a region inhabited by formidable semi-nomadic horsemen.
Thrace was rich in gold and silver mines. It was surrounded by lush forests, making it very attractive to outside parties like Greece and Persia.
By 513 BCE, Persia had managed to conquer much of Thrace, but after their defeat in 479 BCE, Athens made a play for the land.
They conquered the nearby island of Thasos in 465 BCE, but the military prowess of the Thracian riders kept them out of the country's interior.
It was only in 436 BCE that Athens established a solid foothold in thrace with the founding of Amphipolis, a city of the banks of the river Strymon.
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In 513 BCE, the Persians controlled the mines in the region of Thrace, and imposed a silver tribute on the resident Greeks and Thracian tribes.
After the Persians' defeat in 480/479 BCE, Athens took advantage of the strength of its naval fleet to try to conquer and control of the region's mines themselves. In 465 BCE, they besieged the nearby island of Thasos and forced the city to surrender.
Later on in 436 BCE, the Athenians founded the city of Amphipolis in Thrace, giving them a foothold in the resource-rich region.
Peltast depicted on shield of a hoplite, scene from an attic red-figure kylix / 520-490 BC (Archaic / Classical Greece)
During the Peloponnesian War, the Spartan general Brasidas sought a way to subvert Athenian power across the Greek world.
He set his sights on capturing the coast of Thrace, hoping to seize the resources the area provided.
Brasidas knew that many of the Greeks living in Thrace hated the greed and brutality of their Athenian neighbors, and decided to take advantage of the situation.
He set off on a expedition to Amphipolis accompanied by 1,000 hoplites and 700 helots, and arrived before the city in the winter of 424 BCE.
At Amphipolis' ramparts, Brasidas announced that he preferred to take the city peacefully, and promised to allow safe passage to any inhabitants who wished to leave – in addition to sparing those who wanted to cooperate.
This proposal was well-received by the city's residents, and he was able to capture Amphipolis without striking a single blow.
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Brasidas' army was made of men who signed on to his expedition voluntarily. However, the soldiers also received a "misthos", which was an allowance that was paid to them in silver.
In the 4th century BCE, the term "misthios" was used to refer to mercenaries who fought for monetary compensation.
Artistic maps of Greece, with the location of Sparta, Athens and with details on Amphipolis, Strymon River & Eion Port / 2019
Brasidas' march on Amphipolis blindsided the Athenians.
By the time they heard the news, and dispatched the general Thucydides to defend Amphipolis, Brasidas had already rallied several nearby cities to help him defend the region from Athens' so-called "tyranny".
After half-a-day's journey from Thasos, Thucydides arrived at the port of Eion, but was unable to retake Amphipolis.
Athens held Thucydides responsible for the loss of Amphipolis, and forced the general into exile.
In spite of Brasidas' achievements, Sparta did not send him reinforcements, which forged the general to negotiate a truce with Athens to hold on to the ground he'd gained.
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In the 8th century BCE, silver and gold mines were discovered in the region of Thrace, piquing the interest of both the Thracians and the Greeks.
This discovery had a significant impact on the region's population and political organization. The Thracians had the slaves necesary to mine resources, but they lacked the experts and technicians to do so efficiently. Fortunately for them, the Greeks had the mining expertise they required – as well as wine, which was very appreciated by the Thracians. An alliance was born and the Thracians and Greeks lived and worked together to profit off the land's rich resources.
Black-figure hydria with scene of soldier and horseman / 560 BCE (Archaic Greece)
The matter of how to deal with Amphipolis divided Athens.
The politician Nikias, as well as the city of Sparta, hoped that peace could be negotiated.
However, the popular Athenian statesmen and general Kleon wanted to continue fighting the war.
Indecision continued untill 422 BCE, when Kleon as one of Athen's strategists. This decision made it clear that the city's people were in favor of war.
The truce was ended, and Kleon began his journey to Amphipolis, retaking small towns that had been conquered by Brasidas along the way.
On arriving at the port of Eion, Kleon requested troops from the King of Makedonia.
He's also hired several Thracian mercenaries to bolster his force's numbers.
Afterwards, all Kleon could do was wait for the remainder of his reinforcements.
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Eion was a port located around five kilometers from Amphipolis. Possibly built by the Persiansm it eventually became the residence of a Persian governor.
Despite the Persians general retreat from the region in 480 BCE, a Persian garrison remained in Eion until 476 BCE. This was when Athens laid siege to the port in the hopes of gaining access to the area's mines, forests, and hinterlands.
The Athenian general leading the siege offered the Persians the chance to freely withdraw, but the offer wasn't accepted. According to Herodotos, when the Persians ran out of food, their commander Boges killed his wife, children, concubines, and servants, dumped Eion's riches into the water, and then threw himself into the water, and then threw himself into the raging flames of a giant pyre.
Afterwards, the Athenians occupied Eion, but they were unable to exploit the nearby mines until the construction of AMphipolis decades later.
Bronze helmet of Korinthian type / Early 5th cent. BCE (Classical Greece)
While they waited, the Athenian forces began to resent Kleon's hesitation to attack.
They saw him as soft and incompetent, especially compared to their opponent, Braisdas.
Sensing the tension, Kleon decided to act without waiting for reinforcements to arrive.
He set out from the port of Eion to observe Amphipolis, setting up a camp on a nearby hill.
To Kleon's surprise, Amphipolis appeared to be completely unprotected, with no guards stationed at the city's gates and ramparts. However, the city's lack of protection was only an illusion.
Even so, upon seeing this, Kleon regretted that he did not bring wooden towers, which would have allowed him to easily recapture the city.
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The battle between Brasidas and Kleon was indicative of many changes that would soon affect Greek warfare.
For example, the battle precipitated a change in how armies recruited their soldiers. Instead of recruiting soldiers hailing from a city's traditional elite, armies began hiring professional soldiers with skills worth paying for. This shift led to the eventual introduction bronze coins that could be used by soldiers to purchase food from merchants, who also began accompanying armies on their campaigns.
Marble head of a Greek general. Roman era copy of a Greek original from the 4th cent. BCE / 1st-2nd cent. CE (Roman period)
Brasidas positioned his own troops in a nearby wooded area to get a better view of Kleon's army.
When the Athenians began moving to set up camp, Brasidas returned to Amphipolis.
He believed his army was less well-trained than the Athenians', and decided to rely instead of cunning tactics and Kleon's inexperience as a millitary leader.
Brasidas organized a two-pronged attack: he would personally lead a small raid, then one of his lieutenants would follow up with a second attack shortly after, disorienting the enemy.
He had barely finished formulating his plan when he saw Kleon's army pack up and retreat back towards the coast.
The cowardly display made Brasidas realize that perhaps victory would be easier than he thought.
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According to Thucydides, Brasidas said the following to his men after spying on Kleon's forces:
"These men stay not for us; it is apparent by the wagging of their spears and of their heads: for where such motion is, they use not to stay for the charge of the enemy; therefore open me some body the gates appointed, and let us boldly and sppedily sally forth upon them".
Attic marble grave stele with hoplite battle scene / 390 BCE (Classical Greece)
After seeing Brasidas' troops return to Amphipolis, Kleon decided to fall back to the port of Eion and once again wait for reinforcements.
Unfortunately, his exact orders were confusing and contradictory, which left the Athenian forces in disarray.
Brasidas took advantage of this confusion and began his attack.
Kleon's forces panicked, which made them easy prey for the Spartans.
Six hundred Athenians were killed, while the Spartans only lost seven men.
Kleon's remaining forces took refuge in Eion, where the bodies of their comrades were eventually returned to them – though only after being stripped of their weapons.
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Sparta had a complicated and ambiguous relationship with its helot soldiers.
Allegedly, helots who proved their worth in battle could be granted their freedom. One story tells of how 2,000 helots who showed great courage in the face of the enemy were crowned and sent off to sanctuaries to celebrate their freedom. However, all of these helots vanished soon after, having possibly been massacred by the Spartans.
Artistic map of Greece with details on Amphipolis region and annotation of places of death of Brasidas and Kleon / 2019
During the pitched battle between the Spartans and the Athenians, both Brasidas and Kleon were killed.
The reports of their respective deaths reflect how they were perceived as military leaders.
We known almost nothing about Kleon's death, other than that he was killed by a Thracian soldier.
Brasidas, meanwhile, survived long enough to be taken back to Amphipolis, where he was informed of his victory.
He was buried inside the city, which was considered an honor bestowed only upon heroes, and was celebrated as the true founder of Amphipolis.
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The Peloponnesian War appeared often in the plays of the comic playwright Aristophanes.
Aristophanes frequently criticized the war and those who encouraged it, such as Kleon. He ridiculed speakers who used verbal trickery to fool naïve men, and emphasized the cruelty of war in contrast with women's desire for peace.
Fragment of a tribute list recording payments to Athens by members of the confederacy / 425-424 BCE (Classical Greece)
The Battle of Amphipolis temporarily put an end to the hostilities between Athens and Sparta.
The Athenian forces returned to Piraeus, while Sparta called back the reinforcements they'd sent for Brasidas.
The death of both Brasidas and Kleon encouraged the two cities to push for peace.
The negotiations took time, but Sparta and Athens eventually agreed to return to the way things were before the Peloponnesian War.
The resulting treaty became popularly known as the Peace of Nikias.
Throughout the Greek world, it was mostly agreed that Sparta had lost the war in spite of Brasidas' heroic efforts.
The sentiment was rooted in the fact that Sparta had failed to end Athens' domination over Greece – something they had promised to do at the start of the war.
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The so-called "Fifty-Year Peace" lasted less than six years. This was mostly due to the fact that Athens was not held in high-esteem in the rest of Greece.
Aristocrats from other Greek cities in the Delian League hated the imposted annual tribute they had to pay to Athens, and hated Athens' frequent intervention in their cities' affairs. Furthmore, the glory Athens had earned at the battles of Marathon and Salamis had long since faded, overshadowed by the city's constant repression of all those who dared to rebel against its authority.
Athens' unpopularity, along with the fact that it never managed to retake Amphipolis, ensured the peace was doomed from the start, and it wasn't long before the Peloponnesian War resumed.
Herodotos:I see you're done with your tour. The Battle of Amphipolis may have briefly put an end to the Peloponnesian War, but the so called Peace of Nikias was only temporary. It would not be long before Sparta and Athens once again. Now, is there something else you'd like to do?
("I'm ready for the quiz.")
Herodotos:Feeling up to a test? Then let us begin! Which Athenian politican wanted to negotiate peace with Sparta?
Herodotos:Perikles died in the early days of the war. Try again.
Herodotos:Correct! Nikias wanted to build on the truce that was negotiated after Brasidas captured Amphipolis. Now for the second question. Where did Thucydides and Kleon arrive before moving to retake Amphipolis?
Herodotos:Yes! Eion is where both Thucydides and Kleon's forces arrived before trying to retake the city. I have one last question for you. Amphipolis was located in which region?
Herodotos:Amphipolis was not located in Argolis. Try another answer.
Herodotos:No, Amphipolis was not in Thessaly. Try again.
Herodotos:Yes! Amphipolis was located in Thrace. it seems there's nothing I can ask that you cannot answer. Congratulations, traveler.
Herodotos:Amphipolis was not part of Euboea. Keep trying.
Herodotos:No, Piraeus was closer to Athens. Keep trying.
Herodotos:Phaleron was one of Athens' ports. Try again.
Herodotos:No, Marathon was the site of a famous battle between the Greeks and the Persians. Try another answer.
Herodotos:Kleon wanted to continue hostilities with Sparta, not end them. Try another answer.
Herodotos:Lykourgos was a legendary Spartan lawgiver. Keep trying.
("Take on the next suggested tour.")
("Take me on a random tour.")
([LEAVE] "That's all for now.")
Herodotos:Very well. I hoped you enjoyed your visit.
