# Peace of Nicias # Peace of Nicias ## Overview The Peace of Nicias (421 BCE) was a treaty intended to end the first phase of the Peloponnesian War (the Archidamian War) between Athens and Sparta. It was supposed to last 50 years but effectively collapsed within a few years. ## Key Facts - Date: 421 BCE - Parties: Athens and Sparta (and their respective allies) - Context: Ended the Archidamian War (431–421 BCE), first phase of the Peloponnesian War - Duration: Nominally 50 years; effectively ~6 years ## Terms - Return of prisoners and captured territories - Mutual non-aggression for 50 years - Disputes to be settled by arbitration [^1] ## Failure - Key Spartan allies (Corinth, Boeotia) refused to sign - Neither side fully implemented the terms - Alcibiades undermined the peace by forming an anti-Spartan alliance - The Sicilian Expedition (415–413 BCE) effectively ended any pretense of peace [^2] --- [^1]: Thucydides, *History of the Peloponnesian War* 5.18–19 [^2]: Kagan, D. *The Peace of Nicias and the Sicilian Expedition* (Cornell, 1981) --- ## Review Queue - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 10: "Date: 421 BCE" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. 421 BCE. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 11: "Parties: Athens and Sparta (and their respective allies)" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 12: "Context: Ended the Archidamian War (431–421 BCE), first phase of the Pelopo..." - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 13: "Duration: Nominally 50 years; effectively ~6 years" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 16: "Return of prisoners and captured territories" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 17: "Mutual non-aggression for 50 years" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 18: "Disputes to be settled by arbitration [^1]" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 21: "Key Spartan allies (Corinth, Boeotia) refused to sign" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 22: "Neither side fully implemented the terms" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 23: "Alcibiades undermined the peace by forming an anti-Spartan alliance" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 24: "The Sicilian Expedition (415–413 BCE) effectively ended any pretense of pea..." - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 10: "Date: 421 BCE" - what is the source? > Thucydides 5.18-19 [^1] and Kagan (1981) [^2]. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 11: "Parties: Athens and Sparta (and their respective allies)" - what is the source? > Thucydides 5.18-19 [^1] and Kagan (1981) [^2]. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 12: "Context: Ended the Archidamian War (431–421 BCE), first phase of the Pelopo..." - what is the source? > Thucydides 5.18-19 [^1] and Kagan (1981) [^2]. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 13: "Duration: Nominally 50 years; effectively ~6 years" - what is the source? > Thucydides 5.18-19 [^1] and Kagan (1981) [^2]. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 16: "Return of prisoners and captured territories" - what is the source? > Thucydides 5.18-19 [^1] and Kagan (1981) [^2]. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 17: "Mutual non-aggression for 50 years" - what is the source? > Thucydides 5.18-19 [^1] and Kagan (1981) [^2]. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 21: "Key Spartan allies (Corinth, Boeotia) refused to sign" - what is the source? > Thucydides 5.18-19 [^1] and Kagan (1981) [^2]. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 22: "Neither side fully implemented the terms" - what is the source? > Thucydides 5.18-19 [^1] and Kagan (1981) [^2]. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 23: "Alcibiades undermined the peace by forming an anti-Spartan alliance" - what is the source? > Thucydides 5.18-19 [^1] and Kagan (1981) [^2]. - [x] `@q[stale]` Line 24: "The Sicilian Expedition (415–413 BCE) effectively ended any pretense of pea..." - Kagan source from 1981 may be outdated, is this still accurate? > Still accurate. Kagan (1981) remains a standard reference. The underlying historical facts are well-established.