Here are 10 interesting facts about the causes, outcome, effects and history of this historic ancient Greek war. Without the initial attacks of Corinth and the rebellion instigation of Macedonia, The Peloponnesian War might not have been so muddied with politics and vendettas. There were several causes for the war including the building of the Athenian long walls, Megara's defection and the envy and concern felt by Sparta at the growth of the Athenian Empire. Based on historical evidence, experts have divided this war into 3 different phases. In the first book of his history, participant-observer and historian Thucydides recorded the causes of the Peloponnesian War: "The real cause I consider to be the one which was formally most kept out of … Caused by the growing tension between Athens and Sparta, it came and left, leaving only destruction in its wake. Sparta was also suspicious of the Athenians' project to rebuild their Long Wall fortifications which protected their harbour of Piraeus. https://www.ancient.eu/Peloponnesian_War/. However, under Kleon and Nikias, the Athenians enjoyed a successful campaign in the Corinthian Gulf in 429 BCE and hopes for an early Spartan victory now seemed hopelessly ambitious. Athens was not beaten yet though and she continued to raid the Peloponnese from the sea. Sparta seems to have been particularly alarmed at the growing power of Athens, able to build an ever-bigger fleet of ships thanks to tributes from its allies and dependants. The Peloponnesian War Causes. The underlying cause of the war was the rapid rise of the Athenians. What has become known as The First Peloponnesian War (c. 460-446 BCE) was less intense than the second and fought mainly between Athens and Corinth with occasional intervention by Sparta. Cartwright, Mark. A flashpoint in Spartan-Athenian relations was Poteidaia in 432 BCE. However, on the eve of departure Alcibiades was implicated in serious accusations of impiety and was stripped of command. 16 Jan 2021. In 420 BCE Sparta formed an alliance with Boeotia. IN an article in the Classical Quarterly of October, I91i, Mr. The Peloponnesian War was brought about by the rivalry that existed between Athens and Sparta and provoked by Spartan allies who felt threatened by Athens’ growth. Such was the funeral that took place during this winter, with which the first year of the war came to an end. Conditions of surrender were the dismantling of the Long Walls, the prohibition of rebuilding a fleet bigger than 12 ships and the payment of tribute to Sparta, which was now, finally, recognised by all as the dominant power in Greece. © 2021 Education Strings, All rights reserved. The Peloponnesian War was a war fought in ancient Greece between Athens and Sparta—the two most powerful city-states in ancient Greece at the time (431 to 405 B.C.E.). The practical consequence of the Delian League was that Athens’ navy could now strike anywhere. The War was finally won by Sparta, then, and perhaps ironically, in a naval battle. Persia also made overtures to Sparta, offering money with which to build a fleet that could challenge Athens in return for Sparta recognising Persian sovereignty in Asia Minor. The Delian League did not cause the Peloponnesian War, but it contributed to it and played a major part in the war. Here are 10 interesting facts about the causes, outcome, effects and history of this historic ancient Greek war. As far as short term causes, most historians agree that the attack on a Theban envoy made by the citizens of Plataea was what finally drove these two city-states to war. People elect leaders. Sparta was also suspicious of the Athenians' project to rebuild their Long Wall fortifications whi… The History of the Peloponnesian War By Thucydides Written 431 B.C.E Translated by Richard Crawley. In the 5th century BCE Sparta and Athens were the two major powers in Greece and it was perhaps inevitable that their spheres of influence would overlap and cause conflict. In 428 BCE Athens ruthlessly crushed a revolt on Lesbos involving Mytilene and in 427 the fall of Plataea was followed by a civil war on Kerkyra (Corfu) and a failed Athenian attempt to support Leontinoi in Sicily. The dominance of the hoplite on the battlefield was also threatened by the deployment of combined arms using mixed troops - hoplites, light infantry and cavalry - a tactic which became ever more widespread. Athenian imperialism Since the end of the Persian War, Athens had emerged as a city-state to which others could look to for a. Based on historical evidence, experts have divided this war into 3 different phases. Peloponnesian War refers to the war fought between Athens and Sparta's Peloponnesian League. The First Peloponnesian War was fought between Sparta as the leaders of the Peloponnesian League and Sparta's other allies, most notably Thebes, and the Delian League led by Athens with support from Argos. The fundamental cause of the Peloponnesian War was А) Sparta's fear and jealousy of the power and wealth of Athens B Athens's fear of Sparta's growing empire in Greece Rome's attempt to expand into Greece Alexander the Great's conquest of the Persian Empire. Historians have traditionally divided the war into three phases. What were the effects of the consumer revolution on the colonies? It was fought in 5th century BC between the democratic Athens and the Peloponnesian League led by oligarchic Sparta.Lasting for more than a quarter of a century, it marked the end of the golden age of Greece. A. Greeks sought revenge for the persian wars. It looked very much like both sides were manoeuvring for a re-start. According to Thucydides the war, which was ' Some historians prefer to call it the Second Peloponnesian War, the first being that of 457, which ended with the Thirty Years' Peace D. Law is based on social contract theory. Sparta seems to have been particularly alarmed at the growing power of Athens, able to build an ever-bigger fleet of ships thanks to tributes from its allies and dependants. I.1.23 History of the Peloponnesian War. The causes of the main Peloponnesian War need to be traced at least to the early 430s—the Great Gap period—although if Thucydides was right in his general explanation for the war, namely Spartan fear of Athenian expansion, the development of the entire… Sparta finally won by throwing rotten carcasses over the city walls. The next action in the war was the siege of Plataea between c. 429-427 BCE which had elements of both siege strategies. Following the Persian Wars of the early 5th century BCE the Greek city-states or poleis began to align themselves in protective alliances. Other developments in warfare included an increase in the use of slaves, mercenaries and foreigners in Greek armies, better logistics which allowed armies to stay longer in the field, and a greater attention paid to skills and experience when selecting military leaders. In the first days of summer the Lacedaemonians and their allies, with two-thirds of their forces as before, invaded Attica, under the command of Archidamus, son of Zeuxidamus, King of Lacedaemon, and sat down and laid waste the country. THE TRUE CAUSE OF THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR. The third cause of the Peloponnesian War was likely due to Sparta's rebellion. What was the most important and lasting impact of the Black Power Movement of the 1960s and 1970s? Thucydides is mistaken in his famous assertion that "[w]hat made war inevitable was the growth of Athenian power and the fear which this caused in Sparta". A. Greeks sought revenge for the persian wars. Map of the Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BCE)by Evonne Stella De Roza (CC BY-NC-SA). Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. Peloponnesian War Summary. Sparta’s position as the number one city-state in Greece, though, was to be short-lived. Giovanni Parmeggiani. Web. B. Sparta wanted control of the powerful athenian army. The causes of the Peloponnesian War constitute such a persistent theme in discussions of fifth-century Greek history, in part because of the complexity of the aetiological view of our earliest source, Thucydides. The Peloponnesians then used battering rams (embole) against the walls but the defenders once again thwarted the attackers by dropping large beams on chains to break the rams. To sum up Kagan’s thesis on the cause of the Peloponnesian War, would be that fundamentally Sparta was afraid of the growing power of Athens and the incidental problems at Epidamnus, with the addition of Corinthian, Megarian, Potidean, and Argentian energies added more fuel. What caused feudalism to decline? The heavily armed hoplite in the phalanx formation (lines of closely packed hoplites protecting each other with their shields) still dominated the Greek battlefield but the phalanx did become deeper (more rows of men) and wider (a longer front of men) during the Peloponnesian War. The regional instability in Greece in the late 6th century BCE brought about the Peloponnesian League (c. 505 to 365 BCE) which was a grouping of Corinth, Elis, Tegea and other states (but never Argos) where each member swore to have the same enemies and allies as Sparta. Thucydides on the Cause of the Peloponnesian War. Like all great conflicts, the Peloponnesian War brought about changes and developments in warfare. His special interests include pottery, architecture, world mythology and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share in common. The war featured two periods of combat separated by a six-year truce. The War was back on again. However, the actual effect of this on the Athenian economy is unclear, especially when considering that the city could always be resupplied by sea via the city’s port of Piraeus protected by the Long Walls. Peloponnesian War reshaped the ancient Greek world. "Peloponnesian War." Athens could also and did retaliate by landing troops by sea into Spartan territory and inflict similar damage. This sample essay explores Thucydides' work "The Histories", which is considered to be one of the first uses of scientific historical studying practices of which there are records.. Thucydides' views about the Peloponnesian War The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian... Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. The war was followed by the Thirty Year’s Peace although in reality hostilities never fully ceased and broke out into full war once again from 431 BCE. The war now took on a more brutal aspect with Sparta killing all the citizens of Hysiai (417/16 BCE) and Athens, in the same period, executing the citizens of Melos. Athens wanted timber and minerals from Thrace and so demanded Poteidaia remove their fortifications. B. Sparta wanted control of the powerful athenian army. Written by Mark Cartwright, published on 02 May 2018 under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. The war was not between Greece and Persia. Civilians became much more involved in warfare and entire citizen bodies could be wiped out as happened at Mykalessos in Boeotia. Greek Hopliteby Johnny Shumate (Public Domain). This war broke out because of a series of incidents, which were mentioned, in the previous paragraph. "Peloponnesian War." The principal Spartan strategy was to annually attack Athenian lands, starting in 431 BCE, creating as much destruction as possible such as burning farms, chopping down olive trees and vineyards. The Poteidaian’s asked for Sparta’s protection and received a promise of assistance. The Peloponnesian War was fought mainly between Athens and Sparta. But before going into all the details, here are the main points to remember: Who Fought in the Peloponnesian War? Cartwright, M. (2018, May 02). Last modified May 02, 2018. cause of Athenian imperialism and the tipping point of the Megarian decree as two possible causes for the Peloponnesian War. In 424 BCE the Athenians launched an expedition against Megara and Boeotia but this was another failure and involved a heavy defeat near Delion. We have also been recommended for educational use by the following publications: Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. Both powers had demonstrated a reluctance for head-on war over matters peripheral to their respective spheres In addition, Sparta was also concerned that inaction would push the other major Greek power, Corinth, to side with Athens. How does Stalin use bandwagon argument in his speech? Starting with the repression of Naxos, however, the League swiftly came to resemble an Athenian empire rather than a collection of equal allies, a process confirmed by the moving of the treasury to Athens in 454 BCE. Sickness Broke out, and Athens was conquered. The war began in 431 BC and lasted until 404 BC. C. A spartan murdered the athenian ruler pericles. Warfare in the Second Peloponnesian War became more sophisticated and more deadly with the conventions of warfare breaking down and resulting in atrocities previously unthinkable in Greek warfare. Athens went ahead and laid siege to the city anyway, shortly after, also issuing the Megarian Decrees. Agis made his headquarters at Dekeleia and received envoys from various poleis wishing to leave the Delian League, notably Chios and Miletos. The causes of the Peloponnesian War proved to be too great between the tension-filled stubborn Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta. 2. Thucydides, an exiled general of the Peloponnesian War, wrote “The History of the Peloponnesian War”. Thucydides repeatedly explains that the Peloponnesian War arose not simply from the specific grievances of this or that state but from a longer process of growing Athenian power that inspired fear among the Spartans, making the war inevitable. This period of the war was concluded in 421 BC, with the signing … However, trying to crush Thebes, Sparta lost the crucial battle of Leuctra in 371 BCE against the brilliant Theban general Epaminondas. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. The Athenians, cajoled by Pericles, refused but the Spartans withheld from formally declaring war, perhaps due to their state of unreadiness for another long conflict. The Reasons for the Peloponnesian War in More Detail The Peloponnesian War is the name given to the long series of conflicts between Athens and Sparta that lasted from 431 until 404 BC. In the 5th century BCE Sparta and Athens were the two major powers in Greece and it was perhaps inevitable that their spheres of influence would overlap and cause conflict. Also in 420 BCE the new Athenian leader Alcibiades brokered an alliance between Athens, Argos, Elis and Mantineia. As Thucydides says in Karl Walling’s article, “Never had so many human beings been exiled, or so much human blood been shed” (4). The Peloponnesian War consisted mainly of the siege of Athens. Peloponnesian War reshaped the ancient Greek world. Thucydides’ balanced and richly detailed account has not convinced everyone, however. D. Many greeks outside of athens resented athenian domination. The causes of the main Peloponnesian War need to be traced at least to the early 430s—the Great Gap period—although if Thucydides was right in his general explanation for the war, namely Spartan fear of Athenian expansion, the development of the entire 5th century and indeed part of the 6th were relevant.. The treasury of the League was placed on the sacred island of Delos in the Cyclades. Whatever the politics, the practical consequences of the League was that Athens’ navy could strike anywhere, especially after rival sea-power Aegina was taken, and it caused significant supply problems to several cities throughout the war, notably Corinth. The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) was an ancient Greek war fought by the Delian League led by Athens against the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. The causes of the main Peloponnesian War need to be traced at least to the early 430s—the Great Gap period—although if Thucydides was right in his general explanation for the war, namely Spartan fear of Athenian expansion, the development of the entire 5th century and indeed part of the 6th were relevant. He holds an MA in Political Philosophy and is the Publishing Director at AHE. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/Peloponnesian_War/. Causes of the war. Inferior weaponry C. Religious differences D. All of the above. Ancient History Encyclopedia. In 418 BCE there was the major battle at Mantineia where Sparta, led by Agis II, defeated Argos and her allies. Sieges were another common feature of the Peloponnesian War. With this formidable weapon, Lysander was able to inflict a final and total defeat on the Athenians at Aegospotami near the Hellespont in 405 BCE where 170 Athenian ships were captured on the beach and at least 3,000 Athenian captives were executed. Explain the holocaust and the nuremburg trials. In his writings, he describes three specific events that contributed to the downfall of democracy in Athens. The main reasons proposed are: Sparta was … War really wouldn't have been possible at all if Sparta had not risen to challenge Athenian hegemony. They had grown from just another city-state into an Empire. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. If a city did finally fall then death or slavery was the usual result for the defeated. According to Thucydides, the cause of the war was the "fear of the growth of the power of Athens" throughout the middle of the 5th century BC. A. The first phase is known as Archidamian War. The Peloponnesian war lasted 27 years, and it occurred for many different reasons. First, the Peloponnesian forces used more aggressive tactics by blockading the town with a wooden palisade and building an earth ramp to compromise the walls. Start studying Causes of the Peloponnesian War. The murder of a Theban envoy in Plataea was one of the short term causes of the Peloponnesian war. Athens did, however, take the Spartan island of Kythera. The war lasted 27 years, with a 6-year truce in the middle, and ended with Athens' surrender in 404 BC. Perhaps the real winner of the Peloponnesian Wars was actually, then, Persia and in the long term even Macedonia which under Philip II was able to invade and crush with relative ease the weakened and mutually suspicious Greek city-states. Causes of Peloponnesian War. C. A spartan murdered the athenian ruler pericles. Athens wanted Sicilian timber for her fleet and the pretext for the attack was a request for help from the small polis of Segesta which sought protection from Syracuse. Related Content They were already a feature of Greek warfare but they increased dramatically in number during the Peloponnesian Wars, reaching around 100, 58 of which were successful (for the attackers). Thebes was allied at the time with Athens, and Plataea was linked to Sparta. The fundamental cause of the Peloponnesian War was А) Sparta's fear and jealousy of the power and wealth of Athens B Athens's fear of Sparta's growing empire in Greece Rome's attempt to expand into Greece Alexander the Great's conquest of the Persian Empire. Disease B. Challenges faced by natives during European exploration included A. The peloponnesian war between these two states evolved out of a string of events that would lead to years of conflict. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. How did the Peloponnesian War Start? Greek Civilians became much more involved in, Map of the Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BCE). Books Peloponnesian War. The reasons behind the Peloponnesian War were both political and a failure of diplomacy. The Corcyra never joined the Athenian League or the Spartans, w… Membership of the League did not necessitate the paying of tribute to Sparta but rather the provision of troops under Spartan command.