Battle of Amphipolis: Encyclopedia II - Battle of Amphipolis - Capture of Amphipolis 424/3 BC

Battle of Amphipolis - Capture of Amphipolis 424/3 BC

In the winter of 424/3, around the same time as the Battle of Delium, the Spartan general Brasidas besieged Amphipolis, an Athenian colony in Thrace on the Strymon river.¹ The city was defended by the Athenian general Eucles, who sent for help from Thucydides, who was stationed at Thasos with seven Athenian ships.²

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.³ Amphipolis surrendered, despite protests from Eucles.⁴ 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.⁵ 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. He was recalled to Athens where he was tried and exiled.⁶.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Capture of Amphipolis 424/3 BC", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki