Thucydides 1.24–1.55: Epidamnos’ dispute between Corinthos and Corcyra and Athens’ role
After discussing a bit about Thucydides’ methods, it’s time to examine the first dispute that contributed to the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War and it was between Corinthos and Corcyra (modern Corfu).
Corcyra had been founded by Corinthos as a colony. However, Corcyra gradually stopped paying her “parent” city the usual honours and their relationship deteriorated.
Corcyra established another colony called Epidamnos (modern Durazzo) in the coast of modern Albania, but to do that Corcyra invited a person from her “parent” city to be the “official” founder, according to the tradition.
A few years before the Peloponnesian War, there was a conflict in Epidamnos between the democratic faction and the oligarchs and the Democrats won. Then, the oligarchs joined some “barbarians”(in ancient Greek this word meant those who did not speak Greek) and started attacks against Epidamnos. Epidamnos asked help from Corcyra but Corcyra ignored the request.
When Epidamnos understood that her “mother” city would not help, people said “Hey, we also have a grandmother”. And then they went to Corinthians, they reminded them that the city had been officially founded by a Corinthian and asked for help. Corinthians utilized the chance they had to take revenge from Corcyra and accepted to help Epidamnos. They sent some colonists from Corinthos and other friendly cities, while they prepared an expedition to Epidamnos.
Nevertheless, when Corcyraeans were informed about this, they got angry. In the meantime, the exiled oligarchs of Epidamnos had asked help from Corcyra. So, Corcyra sent ships to Epidamnos and demanded that they move away Corinthos’ colonists and accept back the oligarchs. Epidamnos denied and Corcyra besieged the city. Corinthos prepared an even bigger fleet and army to send for help to Epidamnos.
Corcyra got afraid of that and sent ambassadors to Corinthos asking for arbitration. They wanted to agree about some neutral cities that would judge and decide whether Corcyra or Corinthos should keep Epidamnos as their colony and threatened that, should Corinthians reject the arbitration, they would try to find new allies to protect them. Corinthians replied that they would accept the arbitration provided that Corcyra would withdraw from the siege of Epidamnos. Corcyra replied that they would only agree in that if Corinthos agreed to take back their colonists that still were in Epidamnos. Corinthians rejected and, as a result, there was no agreement. The two cities went finally to a naval fight and Corcyra won.
Corinthians started constructing ships intensively and recruiting rawers from all over Greece. Corcyraeans got scared of that, because Corinthos was a part of the Peloponnesian League, but Corcyra was not a member of any big alliance. Hence, they decided to ask from Athenians to join the Delian League. They sent ambassadors to Athens and Korinthos did the same to prevent Athenians from accepting Corcyra in their alliance.
Corcyraeans’ main argument was that it was clearly to the benefit of Athens to accept them in their alliance. Athens was the biggest Greek naval power, Corcyra the second one and Corinthos the third. If Corcyra was conquered by Corinthos, Athens would have to fight against the Peloponnesian navy plus the Corcyarean fleet in the future war (Corcyaeans claimed that it was just a matter of time until the war would break out). But if Athens joined forces with Corcyra from now, the two most powerful fleets would be unbeatable by the Peloponnesian navy. If, however, Athenians got scared of the Peloponnesian League’s reaction to this alliance and rejected Corcyraeans, this “appeasement” would make them look even more weak to their enemies.
It is very interesting that Corcyra mostly focuses on the interests of Athens and not on who is right in this conflict. Thucydides’ realism about politics is once more apparent since geopolitical alliances, according to him, do not have to do with the fair and right of each country but with the interests of each participant. Corcyra’s argument “the fact that we have common enemies is the biggest evidence that we will be faithful to our alliance” is one more realist, political argument presented by him.
In Corinthians’ speech it is easily detectable that they are deprived of powerful arguments against the forecoming alliance of Athens with Corcyra and that’s why they mostly either accuse Corcyra for their politics or threaten Athens. They blame Corcyra for their “ungrateful” behavior to their mother city (as if Athens cares about justice). They also remind Athenians that, when Samos ( a Greek island) tried to leave the Delian League and Athens attacked Samos, Corinthians voted in the Peloponnesian League against helping the Samians. Of course, they clearly know that those arguments are not enough to persuade Athens so they end up threatening and in the same time offering a wolf-friendship. The main idea is the following : “even if we did not have the best relationship till now, if you help us now, we could forget everything and become very good friends. But if you help Corcyareans now, even if we were good friends till now, we will become acute enemies after that”. Corinthians tried also to present a future war as not very probable so that they can undermine Corcyraeans’ arguments.
Athens finally chose the alliance with Corcyra, but not officially. Typically, it was just a defensive agreement in case one of them was attacked and not a full alliance for any kind of war, but it was exactly what Corcyra needed.
Finally, there was the seabattle of Sybota between Corinthos and Corcyra (who also had ten ships of Athens for help) and Corinthians won. Despite that, when Corinthians saw twenty more Athenian ships arrive, they imagined that even more of them would arrive and they decided to recede. Although they had won against Corcyra, they could not reap the fruits of their victory due to Athens’ intervention.
And this conflict was the first reason that led later in the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War. Athens had helped an enemy of one of the most important city-states of the Peloponnesian League.
Stay alert for the next article about Thucydides’ fascinating History! But before that, i look forward to your comments/questions/corrections below.
Read here: Thucydides 1.1–1.23: Introduction to a genius
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