HI 207 exam lecture 14 Flashcards
The Peloponnesian War (431-404)
a. Causes
The Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE) was a major conflict between Sparta and Athens, and their respective allies, stemming from Athenian dominance and Sparta’s fear of Athenian expansion. Athens, with its powerful navy and the Delian League, had grown into a dominant force in the Greek world, controlling a vast naval alliance and the Mediterranean Sea. Sparta, a land-based power with a strong military, viewed Athens’s growing power and influence with increasing alarm, fearing the potential for Athenian hegemony and the disruption of the Peloponnesian League.
i. Earthquake of 464 (impact for oliganthropia!)
The 464 BC Spartan earthquake occurred along the Sparta fault in the year 464 BC destroying much of what was Sparta and many other city-states in ancient Greece. The earthquake gave Spartan helots an opportunity to revolt against their aristocratic rulers, and the Spartan Pericleidas was sent to the Athenians to seek their aid. Their immediate dismissal upon arrival is said to have been a key event that led up to the First Peloponnesian War.
ii. Corinth/Corcyra/Epidamnos dispute
A civil war in Epidamnus, a colony of Corcyra, led to a conflict between Corinth and Corcyra, which then drew in Athens, ultimately escalating into the larger Peloponnesian War. Corcyra, fearing defeat, appealed to Athens for assistance, and Athens, despite its neutrality, agreed to a defensive alliance with Corcyra. This alliance with Corcyra meant that Athens was now at odds with Corinth, and since Corinth was allied with Sparta, Athens’s actions effectively drew Sparta into the conflict, igniting the Peloponnesian War.
b. Starting Positions
Began with a Spartan alliance (Peloponnesian League) led by Sparta, clashing with an Athenian alliance (Delian League) led by Athens, fueled by long-standing tensions and rivalries. Athens had a dominant navy, allowing them to control the seas and trade routes, while Sparta had a strong land army, making them formidable in land battles.
c. Course of the War
Sparta, under King Archidamus, launched a series of raids into Athenian territory (Attica) in an attempt to force a decisive battle, but Pericles, the Athenian leader, opted for a defensive strategy, relying on Athens’ naval power and fortified city. In 430 BCE, a devastating plague struck Athens, killing Pericles and weakening the city’s ability to fight. The first decade of the war is often referred to as the Archidamian War. The war reached a stalemate, with both sides suffering losses and gaining victories. In 421 BCE, a peace treaty, known as the Peace of Nicias, was signed, ending the first phase of the war.In 415 BCE, Athens launched a disastrous expedition to Sicily, aiming to conquer the island and expand its influence.
The Athenian forces were defeated, and the Sicilian expedition proved to be a major turning point in the war, weakening Athens’ resources and morale.
Sparta, with financial and naval support from Persia, rebuilt its navy and began to challenge Athenian naval dominance.
In 405 BCE, the Spartan general Lysander decisively defeated the Athenian fleet at the Battle of Aegospotami, effectively ending Athenian naval power.
Athens, under siege and with its navy destroyed, surrendered to Sparta in 404 BCE.
i. Archidamean War (431-421)
This first phase of the war, lasting from 431 to 421 BCE, was named after Spartan King Archidamus II. Sparta launched annual invasions of Attica (the region around Athens). Athens, with its strong navy, raided the Peloponnesian coast. The Athenians relied on their Long Walls to protect the city while their navy maintained control of the sea. Athens, under Pericles, initially focused on avoiding direct confrontation with the Spartan army and using its naval power to disrupt Spartan allies. A truce, known as the Peace of Nicias, was signed in 421 BCE, ending the Archidamian War, but it proved fragile and short-lived.
ii. The Sicilian Expedition
(415-413), A disastrous Athenian attempt to conquer Syracuse, which ended in a decisive defeat for Athens. The defeat in Sicily had a profound impact on Athens, leading to political instability, financial crisis, and ultimately, the loss of the war.
iii. The Decelean War
(413-404), The Decelean War, also known as the Ionian War, was the final phase of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE) between Athens and Sparta, marked by Spartan occupation of Decelea, Persian support for Sparta, and ultimately, Athenian defeat and surrender.
Following the disastrous Athenian expedition to Sicily, Sparta seized the town of Decelea near Athens, disrupting Athenian supply lines and access to their countryside. Sparta gained crucial financial and naval support from the Persian Empire, which allowed them to build a powerful navy and support rebellions in Athenian colonies. Spartan-backed rebellions in Athenian-controlled areas, particularly in Ionia, weakened Athens’s empire and naval power.
II. Aftermath
404BCE, Sparta’s victory led to the demise of Athenian naval and political dominance, and Sparta briefly became the leading power in Greece. The war significantly weakened the Greek city-states, both militarily and economically, making them vulnerable to outside threats.
a. Spartan Hegemony
Sparta, a land-based power, emerged victorious from the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) against Athens and its Delian League, establishing a short-lived hegemony over the southern Greek world from 404-371BCE. In 378 BC, led by Epaminondas, Thebes revolted against its Spartan garrison and successfully repelled Spartan offensives. A clever tactician, Epaminondas crushed the hitherto invincible Spartan army at Leuctra in 371 BC, therefore ending Sparta’s hegemony and starting Thebes’ own hegemony over Greece.
b. King’s Peace (387)
The King’s Peace, also known as the Peace of Antalcidas, was dictated by the Achaemenid King Artaxerxes II in 387 BC, ending the war. The peace guaranteed the *autonomy of the Greeks, in exchange for recognition that the cities in Asia, also the ‘islands’ *Clazomenae (not actually an island) and *Cyprus, should belong to Persia
c. Battle of Leuktra (371)
Battle of Leuctra, battle fought on July 6, 371 bce, in Boeotia, Greece, that made Thebes the leading military power among the Greek city-states, ending the long dominance of Sparta. The battle also marked a revolutionary advance in battlefield tactics and demonstrated the effectiveness of homosexuality as a form of bonding for elite troops.
