1. 30 Years Peace To The Peace of Nicias
Peloponnesian War
30 Years Peace To
The Peace of Nicias

2. Thirty Years Peace,
That's right. It only lasts 14 years. Genuine commitment to peace? (In Athens' case, perhaps: Arbitration Clause)
Sparta doesn't come to his Pan-Hellenic Congress in Athens. No matter, Pericles reaffirms Delian League and legitimizes Athenian activities:
Rebuild Persian destruction
Keep the seas free
Congress Decree

3. Thurii, 443
Sparta approached by cities in Magna Graecia to send a colony to help out. They say no. So Italian Greeks go to Athens-
Pan-Hellenic Apoikia
Democracy with ten tribes, only one is Athenian
Herodotus goes as record keeper
Hippodamus goes to plan the city
Protagoras writes the constitution
Athenian Imperialism or desire to give Greece an example of her greatness and international intentions?

4. 440, Samian Rebellion
Priene claimed by Samos (Delian League) and Miletus
Samian oligarchy rejects Athenian arbitration and they prepare to make war on Miletus
Pericles puts together a fleet and puts down Samos, exiles oligarchy, sets up democracy
Oligarchs go to Persian satrap and overthrow democracy and re-establish themselves
Byzantium takes advantage of the time and revolts also
Sparta calls allies and considers an invasion of Attica, but Corinth calls it off. Why? Thurii. They're convinced Athens is not bent on empire in the west.

5. The Final Crisis - Epidamnos
Colony of Corcyra, which itself is a colony of Corinth. They hate each other–at least one battle a year for 200 years. Corcyraean ambassadors regularly abuse Corinthians.
Civil war in Epidamnos, Corcyra says they won't help either side. Democrats ask Corinth who sends all manner of help: army, navy, new colonists, everything.
Corcyra feels dishonored that Corinth attempts to recolonize their colony, so they enter on the oligarchic side.
435, Corinth defeated at Battle of Leucimne!
Corcyra knows it was lucky, and Corinth has been making a big fleet in the mean time so in September of 433…
Dyrrachium to the romans. democrats v oligarchs

6. The Final Crisis – Corcyra and Corinth speak to the Ekklesia
Corcyra and Corinth send ambassadors to the Pnyx
Corcyra: "It's legal for us to join you under the Peace. Corinth is full of jerks. Our fleet will join you. Btw, we're near Italy and a good forward base 'cause you'll probably fight Sparta soon. Everyone knows. If Corinth beats us, they'll take our 120 ships, add it to their new fleet, and it'll be hard to rule the seas."
Corinth: "You'll violate the Peace if you take them because it will violate the spirit of it. No one thought a neutral would be fighting. Each side can punish it's allies as it sees fit and you should let us do that! The war isn't inevitable. Join us, let's pwn them, and then we'll be friends."
Corinth is in the Peloponnesian league

7. Ekklesia's Decision
As they look at the bits of Attica that may be invaded again, and realizing that they themselves will have to fight they decide – right then it gets dark.
The next day they reject a total alliance with Corcyra, symmachia, but go for a defensive alliance, epimachia.
Diplomatic, will of Pericles? Athens sends 10 ships to Corcyra as a stop gap.
One of the Athenian polymarchs sent is Lacedaimonios, son of Cimon.

8. Battle of Sybota Corinth readies to attack Corcyra
Athens' 10 ships are sent at the end of the line
Pericles probably hopes Lacadaimonios will be a deterrent.
Corinth attacks

9. Battle of Sybota
As Corinth is on the verge of winning, they spot an Athenian fleet on the horizon!
The Ekklesia dispatched 20 more ships just in time
Corinth retreats

10. 432, Rebellion of Potidaea
Remember these guys? The Oedipus colony still super close with Corinth? Well it's them.
Corinth sends an army (of volunteers) to help fend off Athenians
Siege ensures…

11. Megarian Decree
Athens bans Megara, Peloponnesian League, from trading in the Agora or using any Imperial port.
Remember the alliance then Megairian hatred? BTW, Megara had executed the last Athenian garrison in town, the leftovers of the first alliance.

12. Corinth asks for an audience with the Spartan Assembly
They admit Athens never breaks the treaty, so they ask Sparta to break it on their end.
Why? They say the Athenian character won't allow others to live in peace. Athens always strives to be better, insatiable ambition that always grows stronger. They destroy freedom with their democracies.
Athenian ambassadors happen to have showed up remind the Spartans of their naval hegemony…and the oath. If you have a problem, submit it for arbitration.
Spartan King Archidamos urges continued peace & delay on a vote to attack Athens: 'If you attack now, you will leave this war to your sons.'
Sthenelaidas the ephor calls for a vote
Athenian representatives are there on 'other business' – crazy story. They were there just in case

13. 'Drive out the curse'
Sparta sends envoys to Athens with this demand, which of course means Pericles.
Then they ask the Meganian Decree be withdrawn with the promise of no war.
Pericles makes the don't appease out of fear speech: if we give in here how can we justify ever being free again?
Besides, Sparta isn't going to arbitration.

14. Winter, 431 Thebes attacks Plataea
Plataea gets Athenian help
Thebes summons the Spartans to the boarder of Attica
Sparta sends one more envoy to Athens saying, 'Free the Greeks'
So the two sides are irrevocably caught up in all three of Thucydides' rationales for war:
Fear
Honor
Interest
Meaning give up your empire and evoking the Spartans delphic oracle that kept saying free the Athenians. It also makes them feel better for breaking the treaty. Sorry, I'm a little pro-Athenian in case you haven't noticed yet.

15. The Archidamian War Named for the lone Spartan King at the time
No one, especially Sparta, anticipated Athenian response to siege.
Pericles anticipated that
Sparta would act rationally.
Everyone was wrong and
the disaster irrevocably
alters Hellenic Destiny.