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| 2. The Argive War |
| 420 |
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| The Boeotians refused to sign the Peace of Nicias and left the Peloponnesian League, as did Elis, Mantinea, Corinth, and Argos. These last four made an alliance (called the Quadruple Alliance), which Corinth soon left and Athens joined, and went to war with Sparta. | 1 |
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| 418 |
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| The Spartans, led by King Agis II (427–399), invaded Argos, decisively defeating the Quadruple Alliance at the First Battle of Mantinea and restoring Spartan hegemony. | 2 |
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| 416 |
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| The island of Melos refused to join the Delian League and was besieged by Athens. When the city was taken the Athenians massacred all the men and enslaved the women and children. | 3 |
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| 416 |
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| Selinus, in Sicily, called on Athens for assistance in its war against Segesta. A new Athenian leader, Alcibiades, proposed an expedition to Sicily, which the assembly approved over Nicias's objections. | 4 |
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| 415 |
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| THE SICILIAN EXPEDITION was organized under the joint command of Alcibiades, Nicias, and Lamachus. Soon after the Athenians' arrival in Sicily, Alcibiades was ordered to return to Athens and face charges of having mutilated the Herms (sacred pillars) and of profaning the Eleusinian mysteries. His guilt or innocence is unknown, but Alcibiades fled, eventually going over to the Spartans. | 5 |
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| 414 |
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| The Athenians began their attack on Syracuse, which was defended by Hermocrates. A small Spartan force under Gylippus arrived and prevented an Athenian circumvallation by taking the heights of Epipolae. | 6 |
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| 414 |
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| The Spartans invaded Argos, and an Athenian fleet supporting the Argives raided the coast of Laconia. | 7 |
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| 413 |
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| Athenian reinforcements arrived in Sicily under Demosthenes. Help for Syracuse came from Sparta, Corinth, and Boeotia. An Athenian assault on the heights of Epipolae failed, and their position became untenable. Nicias delayed too long in retreating, and the entire force, some 50,000 men including both generals, was killed or captured at the Battle of Assinarus. | 8 |
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| c. 413 |
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| Archelaus (c. 413–399) succeeded his father Perdiccas as king of Macedon. He built up Macedonia's military strength, particularly in infantry. Archelaus moved the court to Pella and encouraged Hellenistic culture among the aristocracy, inviting many Greek artists, including Euripides, to Macedon. | 9 |
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