Pericleidas in the context of "464 BC Sparta earthquake"

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⭐ Core Definition: Pericleidas

Pericleidas (Ancient Greek: Περικλείδας; fl. 5th century BCE) was a man of ancient Sparta -- possibly the proxenos of Athens at Sparta -- who played a role during the Peloponnesian War.

After the 464 BC Sparta earthquake, Pericleidas led a diplomatic mission to Athens to appeal for help putting down the revolt of the Helots against the Spartan aristocracy that the earthquake had unleashed. The Athenian general Cimon agreed to this and sent soldiers, but the Spartans rejected them when they arrived, as the Spartans worried that the Athenians' political leanings might make them too sympathetic to the Helots. This rejection was a precipitating event in the First Peloponnesian War.

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👉 Pericleidas in the context of 464 BC Sparta earthquake

The 464 BC Spartan earthquake occurred along the Sparta fault in the year 464 BC destroying much of what was Sparta and many other city-states in ancient Greece. Historical sources suggest that the death toll may have been as high as 20,000, although modern scholars suggest that this figure is likely an exaggeration. The earthquake gave Spartan helots an opportunity to revolt against their aristocratic rulers, and the Spartan Pericleidas was sent to the Athenians to seek their aid. Their immediate dismissal upon arrival is said to have been a key event that led up to the First Peloponnesian War.

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