Ancient Greece, Early Classical Period, Thirty Years’ Treaty (446-431 BC): Samian Revolt

The Spartans accused and exiled Pleistoanax for taking a bribe, probably from Pericles, to withdraw. However, some believe that a more probable reason for the withdrawal was that Pericles offered good terms for what would become the Thirty Years’ Treaty. Athens surrendered all of its Peloponnesian territory, the Megarian ports of Nisaea and Pegae, as well as most gains in Central Greece. Athens and Sparta recognized each other’s sphere of influence – Athens in the Aegean and Sparta in the Peloponnese. It was agreed that allies could not change sides; neutrals, however, could join either side.

Fragments of accounts show that funds from the league treasury were used to begin work on the Parthenon by 447 BC. The new conservative leader, Thucydides, son of Melesias and kinsman of Cimon, possibly related to the later historian, voiced the complaints of the allies that Pericles was using their money for building statues and temples rather than on the war against Persia. Pericles argued that the allies paid the money for their protection and for as long as Athens continued with this service it was no one else’s business what she did with the surplus. The Assembly accepted this argument. Thucydides also censured the moving of the treasury from Delos to Athens. In c.443 BC after a trial of strength he was ostracized, and his supporters disbanded.

Athens’ power was enhanced by the extension of its cleruch system e.g. Histiaea in Euboea (445 BC) and Sinope on the south coast of the Black Sea (436 BC); and by the planting of colonies e.g. at Brea (c.446 BC) and Amphipolis (437 BC) both in Thrace, and Thurii on the instep of the foot of Italy (444 BC). Survivors of Sybaris in south Italy asked for assistance in refounding their city. Volunteers sent out by Athens expelled the Sybarites and founded Thurii. Taras, together with Thurii, founded a joint colony at Heraclea (433 BC).

Samian Revolt (440-439 BC)

In 440 BC war broke out between Samos and Miletus over the possession of Priene. Having had the worst of this war, the Milesians complained to Athens. The Athenians sailed to Samos with forty ships and easily drove out the oligarchic government, and left a garrison behind in the city. But with the support of Pissuthnes (before 440-415 BC), the Persian governor of Sardis, the oligarchs soon returned, recaptured the city and declared their revolt from Athens.

A larger fleet was dispatched under the command of Pericles. A Samian fleet returning from Miletus was intercepted and defeated off the island of Tragia. Pericles then landed on Samos and invested the city. To deal with a Phoenician fleet that was approaching from the south, Pericles detached sixty ships from the blocking fleet. During its absence the Samians managed to regain control of the sea around their island.

The Phoenicians, however, turned back before the two fleets could meet. Pericles returned to the island, and after a nine-month siege the Samians capitulated. Under the terms agreed the Samians had to demolish their walls, give up hostages, surrender their fleet and over twenty-six years pay the cost of the war, a sum of 1276 talents. During the war Samos apparently had appealed to Sparta for aid but was refused.