Battle of Potidaea

Significance

The Battle of Potidaea, fought in 432 BCE, was one of the direct catalysts for the Peloponnesian War. Athens engaged a combined force from Corinth and Potidaea, along with their respective allies, in a confrontation that, alongside the Battle of Sybota, helped precipitate the broader conflict between Athens and the Peloponnesian alliance. The involvement of Corinth — a major Peloponnesian power — in direct armed opposition to Athenian forces represented an escalation that could not be contained within a local dispute, pushing the tensions between Athens and Corinth toward the general war that followed. The battle reflects the breakdown of the mechanisms restraining inter-polis conflict in the years immediately before the Peloponnesian War formally commenced.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)