Battle of Potidaia
| date | 432 BC Chr. |
|---|---|
| place | Potidaia |
| output | Athens wins |
| consequences | Siege of Potidaia |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
|
Athens, |
Corinth, Olynth, Chalkidians, Macedonia |
| Commander | |
|
Aristeus; |
|
| Troop strength | |
| 3,000 hoplites (later another 1,600), 600 Macedonian horsemen; 70 ships |
1,600 hoplites , 400 lightly armed, 200 Macedonian horsemen; 12 ships |
| losses | |
|
150 hoplites |
300 |
Sybota - Potidaia - Spartolus - Stratos - Naupactus - Plataea - Olpai - Tanagra - Pylos - Sphacteria - Corinth - Megara - Delion - Amphipolis - Mantinea - Melos - Syracuse - Miletus - Syme - Eretria - Kynossema - Abydos - Kyzikos - Ephesus - Chalcedon - Byzantium - Andros - Notion - Mytilene - Arginus - Aigospotamoi
The Battle of Potidaia was held in 432 BC. Fought immediately before the start of the Peloponnesian War between troops from Athens and its allies on the one hand and troops from Corinth and its allies on the other.
Potidaia in Chalkidike was a Corinthian colony, but at the same time it was also a member of the Attic Sea League and owed tribute to it. After Athens had already decided in the previous year, 433 BC. Chr. , In conjunction with Kerkyra in Sybota Islands had provided a naval battle with the Corinthians, it is now called Potidaia to expel the Corinthian officials from the city to grind its walls and to make the Athenians hostages. Potidaia rejected this as an encroachment on his autonomy and called the mother city of Corinth to help.
Athens feared losing its influence on the north coast of the Aegean, especially since the Macedonian King Perdiccas II opposed Athens. Athens now sent a fleet of 30 ships with 1,000 hoplites under the command of Archestratos to the region. The Potidaians made another attempt to mediate; but after this was unsuccessful, Sparta also sided with Potidaia and Corinth. Corinth, meanwhile, sent 1,600 hoplites and 400 light infantry under Aristeus after Potidaia, prompting Athens another 40 ships and 2,000 hoplites under the command of Callias losschickte. At first the Macedonians involved the Athenians in smaller skirmishes, but then the Athenians landed at Potidaia, while Perdiccas sent an auxiliary force of 200 horsemen to Aristeus, with whom he advanced to Potidaia.
There it finally came to a battle, in the course of which the wing of the Corinthians, commanded by Aristeus, successfully broke through the Athenian lines, while the Athenians retained the upper hand in other sectors. An army of the Potidaians held in reserve near Olynthos tried to come to the aid of Aristeus, who was now in distress, but was themselves thrown back by the Athenians. The Corinthians and Potidaians lost 300 men, the Athenians 150, including Callias; the Macedonian cavalry did not intervene in the fighting.
The Athenians now besieged the city of Potidaia, with a reinforcement of 1,600 hoplites under Phormion to help them. The Athenians succeeded in cutting off Potidaia from supplies over the sea, but their inhabitants were able to hold their own against the besiegers for two years. While the siege was still going on, the official declaration of war between Athens and Sparta took place during an Athenian ambassador's visit to Sparta, with which the Peloponnesian War began. The Athenians finally succeeded in taking Potidaia, but the siege cost the Athenians 1,000 talents per year.
Socrates and Alcibiades also took part in the battle of Potidaia, and according to tradition, Socrates is said to have saved Alcibiades' life.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Thucydides , I, 56-65.
- ^ Plato , Banquet , 219-221.