This page relates to the year -431 Calendrier Julien proleptic.

Events

Greek world

• Brasidas, éphore of Sparte (fine in 430 av. J. - C.).
• Début of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparte under the pretext that Athens had brought its assistance to Corcyre at the time of a conflict with Corinthe (fine in 404 av. J. - C.):
• In spring, Thébains, called by the oligarchs of Foundations, seizes the city, but is massacred or made captive by the people. The large one of the forces thebaines invades the territory of Foundation then, then is withdrawn under the promise that the 180 prisoners thébains will have the safe life. They are massacred, in spite of Athens, which would have liked to save them. Athens installs a garrison with Platée, while 60  000 hoplites péloponnésiens or philistines go on the Attic. Périclès makes come to Athens the population from the Attique which is devastated by Sparte. Athens, besieged, is supplied by the fleet (431/428 av. J. - C.).
• War of attrition: Sparte invades every year the Attique, destroying harvests, until in 425 (except in 429 and 426). The Athenians, cut off behind their walls, use their fleet to devastate the coasts of the Peloponnese and to cut the communication with Large Greece.
• the Athenian fleet devastates the Élide and seizes Céphalonie, which makes it possible to the Athenians to control the exit of the gulf of Corinthe.
• Athens expels all the inhabitants of Égine shown to have contributed to the release of the war and repopulates the island with Clérouque S.
• the allies of Sparte (Ligue of the Peloponnese): the Peloponnese, except Argos and the Achaïe, the Isthmus (Corinth and Mégare), the Béotie, except Foundations, the Phocide, the Locride, Leucade, Ambracie and the Macedonia (at the beginning of the conflict). They have the advantage on ground.
• Athens and the Ligue of Délos dominates over sea (300 trières, plus 150 to 200 trières of Chio, Lesbos and Corcyre) and has financial means superiors (tribute of combined and mines of the Laurion). Athens has 13.000 Hoplite S of active (from 20 to 49 years).

Roman world

• With Rome, Consul At of T. Quinctius Pœnus Cincinnatus and C. (or Cn.) Iulius Mento.

• June 18th: Battle of the mount Algide of Rome against the Èques and the Volsques. Camille is noticed for its explois and is named critic.

Art & culture

• the date of the Peloponnesian War is the first absolute date of the Greek history, ensured thanks to an eclipse (August 3rd) noted by Thucydide.
• Lawsuit and died of the Athenian sculptor Phidias.
• the philosopher Anaxagore must leave Athens.

• Médée , of Euripide.
• Writing of History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydide where he reports in particular the Expéditions of Perdiccas II of Macedonia against Lyncestes.
• Hérodote writes its Histoire of the Persian wars about this time.

Births

• Denys Old the, tyrant of Syracuse.

Death

• Phidias (or -430)