His death in 429 had saved Athens, because it had prepared the way for a better organizer, Cleon, who was able to improve Athens' finances, which were running dangerously low. The problem was that Athens, which was the richest city of the Greek world, did not have the money for this strategy. At the same time, they should strike from the sea at the country of their enemies. He had believed that the Athenians could leave the countryside to the Spartan invaders and hide behind their Long walls, which made their city unassailable. Unfortunately, Pericles had greatly overestimated Athens' possibilities.
It was better to fight a war than to allow other nations to interfere with Athenian policy. The war in which he gained fame, the Archidamian War, might have been avoided if the Athenians had revoked the Megarian Decree, but the Athenian politician Pericles had argued that this might be the wrong signal to the enemies of Athens (Sparta, Corinth, and Thebes). After 427, Nicias often acted as strategos, "general". Like many others who did the same, he became popular, gained votes, and was elected to important offices.
For example, he sponsored religious processions and theater performances. Like all rich men, Nicias spent his money conspicuously to gain the favor of the masses. The historian Xenophon mentions that he was very rich, owned more than 1,000 slaves and invested his money in the silver mines. The few recorded facts are not very illuminating. The Archidamian War Portait of an unknown Athenian generalĪlthough Nicias, the son of Niceratus, was born in c.470 and was about forty years old when the Archidamian War between Sparta and Athens broke out in 431, we know hardly anything about his early career. Nicias (c.470-413 BCE): Athenian politician and commander, one of the most important generals in the Peloponnesian War.
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