The 27-year Peloponnesian War, between Sparta and Athens demonstrated the difficulties of fighting battles at home and abroad. It is by far the most significant protracted war in Greek history where two powerful states had to modify their strategies as the war evolved over time. Both states suffered significant damage but Sparta’s ability to change their strategic approach and with the financial backing from Persia won the battle.
The war started from Sparta’s fear of Athens’ rising power. After fighting as allies in the Greco-Persian war and defeating the Persians. Athens began to solicit allied economic support from its dependent states in exchange for protection. With enough financial support Athens built a large fleet and the Long Wall
peloponnesian warlasting from 431- 404 B.C., in which Athens and it's allies were defeated by Sparta and it's allies.
The Persian Wars had started making an appearance in 492-449 BCE When king Xerxes wanted more ruling areas. To do this the Persians needed to conquer the Greek states, their first target was Mainland Greece which affected Athens severely. To defend against the Persians, Athens called upon Sparta to help team against the Persian invaders. Instead of Sparta arriving to help fight alongside Athens, they had been celebrating a religious festival. Although Sparta didn’t arrive Athens did win a decisive battle, losing only 192 men to Persia’s 6,400.
The Peloponnesian started when the Athenians got too greedy and tried to take over Greece. So the Spartans tried to stop it. If there was anyone to stop them it would be the Spartans, but the Spartans still did not look like they could beat the Athenians. The Athenians had money, power, and the only city that had a good navy. The Spartans did not have a navy, money, or power.
In 431 B.C., even before the Peloponnesian War, Athens’ strength compared to other Greek polises was evident. Athens had islands, a powerful, a well-trained navy, and one, if not the best, general at the time: Pericles. Pericles says in his speech that, “war is inevitable,” but in fact the war was preventable (72). Even with all of the military strengths and assets that Athenians had afforded to them, they chose to be merciful to the Peloponnesians who were in no shape to go to war. They did not have the experience, money, manpower, or means to participate in a lengthy war and Pericles makes the citizens aware of this (70). Pericles is both modest and humble for choosing to point out these facts which in turn helps the Athenians see the potential
The Peloponnesian war lasted from 431 to 404 B.C. and was profoundly influenced by two Athenian men, Pericles and Alcibiades. Though Pericles and Alcibiades were related by blood they were quite different. Pericles was a diplomat, he approached matters with a level head and tried to find a solution that did not end in bloodshed. Alcibiades was less stable, he either fought, manipulated, or ran when confronted with a problem. Both men spoke eloquently enough to move almost the entire city of Athens, using their words to bend people to their will. What was different between them was what their will was, one cared about the city and its wellbeing, the other cared about his own wellbeing.
The political failure of the Greek led the country to a great war. According to Herodotus, who dedicate his life writing real ancient stories in the fifth century BC shows that the catalyst was a political conflict in Miletus started Persian war. Athens, Sparta and other polies
The Peloponnesian War between the city-states of Athens and Sparta (and their respective allies) lasted from 431-404 BC. Conflicts between the two cites dated back further, however, with
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This essay examines the evolution of the Athens strategy from the beginning to the end of The Peloponnesian War (431 to 404 BCE). The Strategy will be evaluated in the context of the relationship of ends, means, and ways by testing the suitability, acceptability, feasibility, and risk.
The Peloponnesian war was fought between the two city states in ancient Greece, being Athens and Sparta. These two cities had alliances that, between them, included close to every Greek city-state. The Peloponnesian war was inevitable because Athens was too hungry for power, and tried to take total control of Greece. Athens’s growth in military and economic power led to the beginning of a bloody war.
The Peloponnesian war (431–404 BC) was an ancient Greek war fought by Athens against the Peloponnesian led by Sparta. Thucydides famously claims that the war started “because the Spartans were afraid of further growth of Athenian power, seeing as they did have the greater part of Hellas was under the control of Athens”. The two main protagonists from opposing sides Lysander and Alcibiades had the most influential impact on the end of the war.
Throughout the Ancient Greek world, there have been many wars and standoffs. However, there has been only one which changed the course of Greek history forever; the Peloponnesian War. Caused by the growing tension between Athens and Sparta, it came and left, leaving only destruction in its wake. The defeat of Athens in the Peloponnesian War caused the downfall of Greece, and the end of the Classical Age.
These wars occurred during and after Pericles and lasted until the end of Alexander the Great. It ended with the defeat of Athens. The Persian wars were fought because Darius I was out to attack the land of the Greeks. Their were two Persian wars that occurred. The first was the Battle of Marathon, under control of Darius I was a battle of Persia vs Athens. During the first war the Athenians used phalanx formation which meant they had long spears to defeat the Persians. The second war was when Persia was under control of Xerxes I. The Persians invaded them so badly that Athens was to weak to fight back on their own. They had to request help from other city-states. Athens asked Sparta to be their allies in war and Sparta agreed to help defeat the Persians. The Battle of Thermopylae was the next when it was the Persians against the Spartans. They fought the battle in the mountain of Thermopylae. The Spartans distracted Persian troops
Peloponnesian War is the name that was given to the conflict between Sparta and Athens. These conflicts lasted from 431 until 404 BC. This is a war brought about by disputes between Athens and Sparta on how to deal with their allies. According to Burn, (123), the Peloponnesian War was between the rivals Athens and Sparta. It was a war ignited by insignificant civil conflicts and spurred by interests from third party cities. Violent disputes erupted between them and the war began when Sparta issued ultimatums to Athens. The Spartans wanted Athens to lift its economic sanctions against the Megara city. Ultimately, Sparta finally won the war by completely destroying the Athenian fleet with the financial help from Persia. A number of reasons caused the war. First, it was because of the ultimatums issued to Athens by Sparta, the Athenians control of the Delian League and their naval alliance, and Athens alliance with Leontini and Corcyra and the contest between Corinth and Athens over Corcyra.
(The Persian War was a war between city-states of Athens and Sparta and Persian Empire and was a two phase war. The Peloponnesian War was a war between Athens and Sparta that lasted over 20 years. (Classical Greece, 2010)