# 3 Lead up to the Pelonnesian War Flashcards
What were the four reasons for the lead up to the Peloponnesian War?
1) Growing fear of Athen
2) Helots revolt, Sparta appeals to the Hellenic league for help
3) Struggles between democracy and oligarchies
4) Priorities between navy and infantry
Elaborate on the Helots revolt
Sparta appeals to Hellenic League for help
- Athens sends 4,000 hoplite but rejected.
Who was Thucydides? (2)
1) Strategos (General)
2) Historian of the Peloponnesian War
What does Thucydides claim in his passage 5.84 -113
1) Claims overall that the Athenians rather be more powerful than love.
2) Premise- Athens wanted political power and that when they want something they’ll get it.
3) Thucydides is a balanced historian but uses dialogue to represent how Athens has lost its state
What is the problem with the historian strategeos Thucydides? And where is it represented?
1) He often wrote what he felt both parties were saying which can be seen as shady due to bias and recollection
2) The Melian Dialogue
Recap exceprt strategies the Melian Dialogue (THUC 584. 113)
…
When was the Peloponnsian War ?
431BC- 404BC
Who were the two fighting the Peloponnesian war?
Sparta + allies Peloponnesians VS Athen + Athenian army
What were the ostensible causes of the Peloponnesian war? (3)
1) Colony Corcyra squabbles with mother city Corinth
2) Athen intervenes to help Corcyra
3) Corinth appeals to sparta + allies and hence there is a reason to fight the Athens
According to Thucydides what was the real cause of the Peloponnesian war? (2)
1) real cause (aitia) was the growth of Athen is power and the alarm which inspired in sparta
2) Popular opinion was in favor of sparta as they were going to liberate as most people were sick of athens rule
What contrast is at place between the athens before and during the Peloponnesian war?
Before they were looked as the liberators and now they are looked as the oppressors.
What was the downfall of Athen and their direct democracy?
They often thought in mob like mentatlity (twitter)
What were the two war strategies deployed in the Peloponnesian war?
1) Cautious strategy: Stay within long walls, rely on imported grains, attack peloponnese with Navy.
And succeed by demagogues (leader of the people)
2) Cautious Strategy: Destroy farms in Attica, defeat Athenian allies
Who was Pericles?
Strategos (general) who was dominate in Athen 462-429BCE using the first Cautious Strategy
Who was Brasidas?
Spartan Strategos who deployed the second Cautious Stategy. Died in 422 BCE infantry
When was the battle of Lysander and how was it fought?
Navy (407-404BCE). Lysander was a Spartan Admirable who lead the fight with navy to defeat Athens army at Aegospotami
what was THE battle of Aegospotami?
- Spartan defeat Athens (405BCE)
How was the Aegospotami battle won?
It was won by spartans by using financed navy ships by Persians and depriving Athen of grain
What were Spartan’s terms for Athens? (4)
1) Empire is replaced with oligrachies (previously democracies)
2) Cannot own more than 12 ships
3) Long walls torn down
4) Oligarchies installed 404 BCE and then returned to democracies 403 ( mis behaving)
What did the defeat signify?
The result of this means that a committee is established and that politicians can be punished.
Athens look of democracy was weakend
Why did Athens lose the war? (3)
1) Concentration of population within walls caused a plague 430BCE
2) Pericles dies 429BCE
3) Subsequent leader is less effective
OTHER reasonS why Athen loses the Pelopennosian war? (2)
1) Sicillian Expedition (415-413) Athens tries to help Egesta vs Selinus, Selinus calls in ally Syracuse.
Athens lost badly
2) Harsh treatment of allies alineates support
Mytilene revolted vs Athenian Empire (428 BCE) but recaprtured in 427 BCE
Significance of the Pelonnesian War? (431-404BCE) (4)
1) END of Athenian empire and power
2) Weakens Athenian democracy
3) Sparta wins but soon loses support of other poleis
4) LEADS TO UNCERTAINTY IN GREECE 4TH BCE
greek poleis vulnerable to interferences from Macedon!!!
