The Landmark Thucydides 5.1 To 5.116

Brasidas was mortally wounded in the rout at Amphipolis because he took the wound while leading a surprise charge from the front. This suggests that Brasidas was at the forefront of the battle, leading his troops in a surprise attack. By taking the lead and charging forward, he exposed himself to danger and ultimately suffered a fatal wound. This strategy proved successful for the Spartans as they were able to kill 600 Athenians, including Cleon, while only losing 7 Spartans.

Melos was the Spartan colony that was surrounded by Athenian forces in the 5th year of the peace treaty and demanded to surrender. This event took place during the Peloponnesian War, a conflict between Athens and Sparta. The Athenians sought to control Melos due to its strategic location and resources. The Melians resisted surrender, but ultimately, they were defeated and the Athenians took control of the colony. This event is known as the Siege of Melos and is a notable example of the brutal realities of ancient warfare.

Corinth and Argos formed a new alliance that posed a potential threat to the general peace of Greece. This alliance between two powerful city-states could have disrupted the balance of power in the region and potentially led to conflicts or wars.

Alcibiades is the correct answer because his interference with the Argive-Spartan truce caused a series of events that led to a brief alliance between Argos and Sparta, followed by a revolution and ultimately a war between the two. Alcibiades, an Athenian politician, played a significant role in these events by manipulating the truce and contributing to the conflict between the two city-states.

The Athenians justified their demand for a Melian surrender by arguing that in the natural order of the world, the strong are able to do whatever they want, while the weak must endure whatever suffering is imposed upon them. This argument suggests that the Athenians believed in the principle of might makes right, asserting their dominance and power over the weaker Melians. They believed that they had the authority and ability to enforce their demands, disregarding any moral or ethical considerations.

The correct answer states that the result of the Melian surrender to Athens was that the men were killed, and the women and children were enslaved. This suggests that Athens imposed a harsh punishment on the people of Melos after their surrender, resulting in the loss of life for the men and the enslavement of the remaining population.

Cleon's past successes at Pylos, Torone, and Galepsus might have given him a reputation for being competent. However, Brasidas concluded that Cleon was incompetent because he exposed his army to an enemy army without expecting battle. This suggests that Cleon did not properly assess the situation and failed to anticipate the possibility of an enemy attack. This lack of strategic foresight and preparedness would lead Brasidas to view Cleon as incompetent despite his previous successes.

The peace treaty made after the battle of Amphipolis between the Athenians and the Spartans and their allies was supposed to last for 50 years. This indicates that both sides were aiming for a long period of peace and stability between them. It suggests that they wanted to avoid any further conflicts and establish a lasting agreement.

The Athenians rejected the Melian offer of friendly neutrality because they believed that it would not benefit them in any way. They saw more advantages in either completely crushing the Melians or forcing them to surrender, rather than forming a friendship with them. They did not trust the Melians due to their blood ties to Sparta, and they also suspected that the Melians were only hoping to buy time until Spartan reinforcements could arrive. Additionally, the Athenians may have been influenced by the Corcyrans, who were encouraging them to attack Melos.

During the winter that followed the treaty made in the spring, Sparta entered into an alliance with Athens because several of Sparta's allies, including the Boetians, refused to accept the treaty. This suggests that Sparta sought an alliance with Athens in order to strengthen their position and counterbalance the opposition from their own allies who were not in favor of the treaty. By forming an alliance with Athens, Sparta could ensure their own security and maintain a strong alliance network despite the resistance from their allies.

The four Boetian councils refused to ally with the new league constructed around the Argos-Corinth alliance because they did not realize that the Spartan ephors favored it. This suggests that if they had known about the support from the Spartan ephors, they might have been more inclined to join the league.

The explanation for the given answer is that Sparta's failures to abide by the terms of the peace treaty were not entirely their own fault. They were dependent on the actions of unwilling third parties, suggesting that there were external factors beyond Sparta's control that hindered their compliance with the treaty. This implies that Sparta may have been willing to abide by the terms but faced obstacles from other parties involved.