Editing Pericles (section)

==== Samian War ====
{{Main|Samian War}}

The Samian War was one of the last significant military events before the Peloponnesian War. After Thucydides' ostracism, Pericles was re-elected yearly to the generalship, the only office he ever officially occupied, although his influence was so great as to make him the ''de facto'' ruler of the state. In 440 BC [[Samos]] went to war against [[Miletus]] over control of [[Priene]], an ancient city of [[Ionia]] on the foot-hills of [[Mycale]]. Worsted in the war, the Milesians came to Athens to plead their case against the Samians.<ref name="Th115">Thucydides, [[s:History of the Peloponnesian War/Book 1#1:115|1.115]]</ref>

When the Athenians ordered the two sides to stop fighting and submit the case to arbitration in Athens, the Samians refused.<ref name="Pl25">Plutarch, ''Pericles'', [[s:Lives/Pericles#25|XXV]]</ref> In response, Pericles passed a decree dispatching an expedition to Samos, "alleging against its people that, although they were ordered to break off their war against the Milesians, they were not complying".{{efn-lg|According to Plutarch, it was thought that Pericles proceeded against the Samians to gratify Aspasia of Miletus.<ref name="Pl24" />}}

In a naval battle the Athenians led by Pericles and nine other generals defeated the forces of Samos and imposed on the island an Athenian administration.<ref name="Pl25" /> When the Samians revolted against Athenian rule, Pericles compelled the rebels to capitulate after a tough siege of eight months, which resulted in substantial discontent among the Athenian sailors.<ref name="Pl28">Plutarch, ''Pericles'', [[s:Lives/Pericles#28|XXVIII]]</ref> Pericles then quelled a revolt in [[Byzantium]] and, when he returned to Athens, gave a funeral oration to honor the soldiers who died in the expedition.<ref name="Sealey310">R. Sealey, ''A History of the Greek City States'', 310</ref>

Between 438 and 436 BC Pericles led Athens' fleet in [[Pontus (region)|Pontus]] and established friendly relations with the Greek cities of the region.<ref name="Pontus">C.J. Tuplin, ''Pontus and the Outside World'', 28</ref> Pericles focused also on internal projects, such as the fortification of Athens (the building of the "middle wall" about 440&nbsp;BC), and on the creation of new [[Cleruchy|cleruchies]], such as [[Andros]], [[Naxos Island|Naxos]] and [[Thurii]] (444&nbsp;BC) as well as [[Amphipolis]] (437–436&nbsp;BC).<ref name="PlPl11">Plutarch, ''Pericles'', [[s:Lives/Pericles#11|XI]] and Plato, ''Gorgias'', [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0178;query=section%3D%23491;layout=;loc=Gorg.%20456a 455e]</ref>