|
History — Military
history — List of battles
The Battle of Amphipolis was fought in 422 BC during the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. It was the culmination of events that began in 424 BC with the capture of Amphipolis by the
Spartans.
Capture of Amphipolis, 424 BC
In 424, around the same time as the Battle of Delium, the
Spartan general Brasidas besieged Amphipolis, an Athenian colony in Thrace on the Strymon river. The city was defended
by the Athenian general Eucles, who sent for help from Thucydides, who was
stationed at Thasos with seven Athenian ships. In order to capture the city before
Thucydides arrived, Brasidas offered to let everyone who wished to stay keep their propery, and offered safe passage to those who
wanted to leave. Amphipolis surrendered, despite protests from Eucles. Thucydides arrived at the nearby port of Eion on the same day the city surrendered, and defended
it with help from those who had left Amphipolis. Meanwhile Brasidas began to ally with more Thracian towns, as well as Perdiccas of Macedon, and he attacked other
towns in the area, such as Torone. The
Athenians were afraid that their other allies would quickly capitulate, as the Amphipolitans had, if Brasidas offered them
favourable terms of peace.
Thucydides, who recounted the capture of Amphipolis in his History of the Peloponnesian War, is often considered to be partially or entirely
responsible for the fall of Amphipolis. Some have seen his actions as "gross negligence," although he claimed he was unable to
arrive in time to save the city.
Armistice of 423 BC
In response to the fall of the city, Athens and Sparta signed an armistice.
Athens hoped they could fortify more towns in preparation for future attacks from Brasidas, and the Spartans hoped Athens would
finally return the prisoners taken at the Battle of
Sphacteria earlier in 424. According to the terms of the truce, "It is proposed that each side should remain in its own
territory, holding what it now holds...The armistice is to last for one year." (Thuc. 4.118) While the negotiations were going
on, Brasidas captured Scione and refused to
give it back when news of the treaty arrived. The Athenian leader Cleon sent a force to
take it back, despite the treaty.
Battle of Amphipolis, 422 BC
When the armistice ended in 422, Cleon arrived in Thrace with a force of 30 ships, 1200 hoplites, and 300 cavalry, along with many other troops from Athens'
allies. He recaptured Torone and Scione; at Scione, the Spartan commander Pasitelidas was killed. He then took up position at
Eion, while Brasidas took his position at Cerdylium. Brasidas about 2000 hoplites and 300 cavalry, plus some other troops in Amphipolis, but he did not
feel that he could defeat Cleon in a pitched battle. Brasidas then moved his forces back into Amphipolis, and Cleon moved towards
the city in preparation for battle. When Brasidas did not come out, Cleon assumed there would be no attack, and he began to move
his troops back to Eion.
At this point, Brasidas moved out from Amphipolis and charged the disorganized Athenian troops. In the rout that followed,
Brasidas was mortally injured, although the Athenians did not realize it. Cleon was also killed when he was attacked by the
Spartan commander Clearidas. The entire Athenian army fled back to Eion, although about 600 of them were killed before they
reached the port. Only seven other Spartans were killed.
Results
Brasidas lived long enough to learn of his victory, and was buried in Amphipolis. The Amphipolitans began to regard him as the
founder of the city. After the battle, neither the Athenians or the Spartans wanted to continue the war, and the Peace of Nicias was signed in 421
BC. This treaty was also eventually broken. Thucydides was exiled for his failure to protect Amphipolis, thus ending the
period of the war that he observed firsthand.
|