Thebans and...

[geala]

This was rejected by the Athenians (perhaps not the wisest decision).

I beg to differ: Sparta did not offer any guarantees that it would not break the peace once it had obtained back its men. Cleon reasonably demanded a better offer, and I think the attack on Megara that comes immediately after the rejection of the peace offer can best be seen as a necessary action to achieve the conditions necessary for peace.

Had Megara been taken, Athens could have said something like "OK, we have cut off the road from the Peloponnese to Thebes, and we now have obtained some certainty that a peace treaty will not again be violated. Now let's talk business."

As it happened, Megara was not captured, and Brasidas reached Thrace, giving the war a completely different dimension.

I have never seen it in this connection, maybe you are right. I'm not at all a fan of Sparta and your explanation is favourable for the Athenians. :wink:
But I have some doubts. The Spartans offered a 50 years (?) symmachia and were known not to brake such things so easily. Thukydides says that the Athenians thought they had the Spartans save on the island and demanded too much, esp. areas like Nisaia, Aichaia et al, which were not conquered but given to the Spartans earlier. After the Spartans left Athens the people suddenly became anxious when they realised that the blockade of the island was not nearly as firm as they thought which led to the known urging of Kleon to take command of the attack force.
The attack of Megara was a yearly event. But I don't find the description of the attack of Megara in 425, only in 424. Then the great chance to capture it was only because of the Megarian fugitives attacked the town at the same time. The Athenians could not have known this during Sphakteria.
With the treaty of 421 the Athenians received perhaps less than what might have been possible in 425. Öhm, ot themes are often the most interesting. :oops: