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Nicias
EntityQ315822· pop 37· linked from 189 articles

Nicias (; ; 470–413 BCE) was an Athenian politician and general, who was prominent during the Peloponnesian War. A member of the Athenian aristocracy, he inherited a large fortune from his father, and had investments in the silver mines around Laurion, in south-east Attica.

Person · Open Library

Works
2

Top works

  • Discours prononcé par m. Nicias Gaillard ...
  • Cour de Cassation

via Open Library + Wikidata

Listeners · Last.fm

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Total plays
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<a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Nicias">Read more on Last.fm</a>

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Key facts

Military person.name
Nicias
Military person.native_name
Νικίας Νικηράτου Κυδαντίδης
Military person.image
Nicias, p 105 (World's Famous Orations Vol 1).jpg
Military person.alt
Bust of Nicias
Military person.birth_date
470 BC
Military person.death_date
413 BC (aged 56/57)
Military person.birth_place
Athens, Greece
Military person.death_place
Syracuse, Sicily
Military person.allegiance
Athens
Military person.rank
Strategos (general)
Military person.known_for
Peace of Nicias
Military person.battles
Peloponnesian War Sicilian Expedition
Military person.laterwork
Peace of Nicias

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Image
Nicias, p 105 (World's Famous Orations Vol 1).jpg
Show 3 more facts
Commons category
Nicias
date of death
0413-01-01
date of birth
0500-01-01
Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~28 min read

Article

19 sections
Contents
  • Early life and political rise
  • Military career to 424 BCE
  • "Champion of peace" (423–415 BC)
  • Truce of Laches
  • Peace of Nicias
  • Opposition to Nicias
  • Battle of Mantinea
  • Ostracism of Hyperbolos
  • The Sicilian Expedition (415–413 BC)
  • Background
  • Preparations
  • Recall of Alcibiades and death of Lamachus
  • "Gross neglect"
  • Appeal for reinforcements
  • Eclipse, capture, and execution
  • Final assessments
  • References
  • Sources
  • Further reading

Nicias (; ; 470–413 BCE) was an Athenian politician and general, who was prominent during the Peloponnesian War. A member of the Athenian aristocracy, he inherited a large fortune from his father, and had investments in the silver mines around Laurion, in south-east Attica.

Following the death of Pericles in 429 BCE, Nicias became the principal rival of Cleon and the democrats in the struggle for political leadership of the Athenian state. Politically a moderate conservative, he opposed the aggressive imperialism of Cleon and Alcibiades. Despite his political views, Nicias served as strategos (general) during the Peloponnesian War, and led a number of expeditions which were mostly successful, although he had a reputation for being over-cautious. Nicias' goal was to conclude a peace with Sparta on terms favourable to Athens, and he was largely responsible for negotiating the short-lived Peace of Nicias in 421.

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