Transcript PowerPoint Presentation - The Peloponnesian War 431

The Peloponnesian War
431-404 BC
Athens versus Sparta for supremacy
of Greece!!
What are some effects of the
Persian Wars – 490 to 470s
I. A short-lived sense of Greek unity
II. City-States become more focused on defense
III. Formation of Delian League
a)
b)
Athens begins to dominate other members of the
league
Athens quickly rises to be the greatest power in
Greece
IV. Sparta counters with Peloponnesian League
Causes 460s- 450s BC
I.
Underlying
a)
Sparta was worried over Athens growing military and political
power.
I.
b)
II.
Athens had the strongest navy, a large collection of allies and great
wealth.
Athens began to dominate trade risking Sparta’s food supply
and angering Spartan allies Megara and Corinth.
Immediate
a)
b)
Sparta came to the defense of their key ally Corinth, who while
in a war with another city-state were attacked by Athens.
Athens also made the Megarian Decree, which blocked Megara,
a Spartan ally from trading with an Delian League city.
The War Begins 432BC
I.
Thucydides, an Athenian, wrote down a record of all
that happened.
II. 432 BC, The Peloponnesian League (Sparta & allies)
declares war!
III. Sparta invades by land and surrounds Athens
a)
b)
Hope to starve people and force Athenian army to come out
and fight.
Athenians, following Pericles long-wall strategy, get their food
from trade and remained fed through the navy.
IV. Athens with their strong walls just played defense.
a)
Spartans went home every 3 weeks to harvest its crops and
check on helots, Athens’ navy would go out and attack Spartan
Allies.
The PLAGUE
a)
Finally (330), the plague enters Athens and is spread
quickly by fleas, while the citizens of Athens were
trapped inside the walls.
b)
1/3 of the population died including the inspiration
leader, Pericles in 429BC.
Persia helps out
a)
Persia helps Sparta build a fleet, hoping to get
revenge on Athens and pleased to see the Greeks
destroy each other
b)
The Athenians under demagogue (populist) leaders
like Cleon keep voting for destructive inconclusive
war - hawks.
Peace.. For now…
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Cleon, killed in another in decisive battle in 422. The
Athenians under general Nicias arrange a truce 421. Both
sides tired of war agree for peace.
In 415, Greedy Athens, encouraged by glory-seeking
nephew of Pericles, Alcibiades, tries to conquer Sparta’s
ally, Syracuse on the island of Sicily, as a new source of
money and food.
Alcibiades given command, but after being accused of
sacrilege of the herms, was recalled and replaced by
Nicias (who was against the attack!)
Alcibiades high-tailed to Sparta, and the Athenians
suffered their greatest defeat ever. The Athenian fleet is
weakened, their advantage over Sparta is gone!
With no strong leader, the Athenians keep on electing
different generals to bring them victory and kicking them
out when they lose.
Athens fights back 411-410
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Alcibiades shows Sparta a strategy to occupy Athens
access to her silver mines. So she looses essential income
and her alternative supply route (to the long walls).
Athens taxes her Delian Allies even more and rebellion
threatens the empire.
Athens survived due to ineptness of the enemy, and a last
resort fleet of 100 it had in reserve.
400 oligarchs (wealthy upperclass Athenians) overthrew
the democracy in 411, but were overthrown by moderate
oligarchs – the 5000 – due to their cruelty..
Athenian success against the Spartans with the help of
Alcibiades (who had been chased out of Sparta after
bedding the queen) meant the democracy was restored by
410.
-> 404 BC: Spartan victory
I.
The Athenians continue to win battles till the Sea Battle at Arginusae
(406) – Aristophanes refers to this in “Frogs”
I.
A great Athenian victory BUT many sailors lost
II.
Generals convicted by the enraged populace for not rescuing the
sailors – only voice raised in their defense was Socrates’.
III.
Slaves who rowed the triremes were made voting free citizens.
IV.
So, emboldened by success, proposals to seek peace with Sparta
was voted out by pro-war faction (extreme democrats).
II.
404, Spartans under King Lysander, sent their fleet to Ionia and
destroyed the Athenian fleet at the battle of Aegospotami (Goat
creek).
III.
With the Athenian fleet destroyed, the Spartans blockaded the
Athenian port, starving the people into submission and ended the war
later that year.
Athens Surrenders
I.
Lysander enforces harsh condition on the defeat of Athens.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
II.
Has to dismantle their military
Take down some of the long walls
Ionia given back to Persia
Thebes wanted Athens destroyed and its people enslaved, however Sparta
said since Athens helped in the Persian War they did not deserve that
reward.
Athens was to be run by a group of collaborators & Spartans.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
The “Thirty Tyrants” / Councel of Governors (Critias, Theramenes).
Instituted Purges and a time of terror
Overthrown soon after, in 403 by Thrasybulus.
A humbled Athenian democracy continues… though scores
continued to be settled
I.
E.g. Socrates is targeted and killed in 399
Thebes over throws Sparta…
I.
Using the Theban Phalanx (where the left flank is
super strong to force their opponents to collapse on
themselves).
I.
II.
Sacred band of Thebes – 120 pairs unbeaten for 30 yrs
Epaminodas conquers the Spartans in 371 at the Battle
of Leuctra.
I.
Sparta never rises to its previous strength as ½ its warriors are
killed, and the helots freed
III.
Phillip of Macedonia unites Greece by 350 and his son
Alexander III succeeds him in 336
IV.
The rest is history….