The Peloponnesian War lasted from 431 to 404 B.C. and would put the Spartan empire in control of the entire Greek peninsula. The struggle between the two Greek mega powers, Sparta and Athens, began less than fifty years after they defeated the Persians. Athenian control of the seas would have to be equal to the Persian money if Sparta was going to win the war, and finally at the Battle of Syracuse, the Spartans showed that they were the masters of land and sea within Greece. With Sparta now in control of the Greek empire, it was necessary to provide men with duties other than war fighting and training all the time. The problem with keeping Greece together as one political unit with the Spartans as the political center would prove to be…
Similarities between Sparta's goals in the Peloponnesian War and Rome's objectives in its expansion across Italy lie in the quest for dominance and control. Both city-states sought to establish rule over their respective regions, motivated by power, resources, and strategic advantage. In the Peloponnesian War, Sparta aimed to curb the rising influence of Athens, the leading naval power in the Greek world. The conflict arose from a struggle for dominance between two major city-states, each representing a different political and military ideology. Sparta, with its focus on militarism and a land-based military force, sought to assert its supremacy and diminish Athens' naval and political prowess.…
The Peloponnesian War was the clash between the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta that commenced in 431 BCE and ended in 404 BCE. Athens began gaining too much power due to the Delian league and Sparta became concerned with their growing power. In 433 BCE, Athens concluded an alliance with Corcyra, and started to besiege Potidaea due to it threatening the position of Corinth. The fact that Corcyra was one of the few city states with their own navy made the Spartans view the alliance in an attacking manner.…
Iliad and Odyssey- stories were written by ancient Greeks to tell stories of heroism; to inspire their people. stories of morality and character. By having Odysseus punished repeatedly in the Odyssey, it was thought by the Greeks to provoke a sense of humility and shame instead of pride based on Greek heroes, to have Greek citizens harbor a sense of humility and humbleness instead of pride and nobility and power. For all intensive purposes, they were told for entertainment; and to possibly pass on the Greeks' legacy as a ruling empire in Europe, before the Dark Ages wiped them all out for good and the fall of the Greeks to the Romans became reality. Polis- (Greek City-state) The significance of Polis was that it resulted in political innovation. It is often described as the foundations of democracy. However, in order to reach democratic ideals, it experienced extended tyranny. Sparta and Athens- Sparta in strategy and military had a lot to offer. Many of the strategies and of military. Athens, mostly in the Golden Age has too offer philosophy(Plato), art in all of its forms(statues), politics (rhetorics ), architecture (Acropolis), science (math, physics, history). city-states in ancient Greece. the capital and largest city of Greece; named after Athena (its patron goddess); "in the 5th century BC ancient Athens was the world's most powerful and civilized city Persian Wars- The Persian Empire was the dominant power. When the Greeks defeated them, they became dominant and Hellenistic ideals, culture, and philosophy was spread throughout the known world. fought between Persian Empire, far and away the largest and wealthiest kingdom on earth, and a collection of independent Greek cities who lived in relative poverty and obscurity. The Greeks had not a fraction of the wealth or population of the Persians, and were themselves disunited and engaged in perpetual conflicts, yet they soundly defeated the Persians and retained their independence and freedoms. Peloponnesian…
During the Archaic Age (c.750-500 B.C.E.) the creation of the Greek city-state began. The making of the polis after the Dark Age, created many independant cities along the countryside with shared government, which was dominated by mountains and islands. Just like any other city-state, Athens began as a small Mycanaean settlement. The name came from the Greek goddess Athena. Athena is the goddess of wisdom and military.…
Allies from their existence, Athens and Sparta had fought side by side for centuries. These two Greek city-states fought together in the Greco-Persian war, but when the Persians retreated, tension rose. Athens gained more power than they needed, plunging the two cities into nearly three decades of war. The outcome was devastating. Although Sparta won, they were extremely demoralized. Athens was bankrupt and exhausted, and neither city regained the military strength they once had. This infamous conflict came to be known as the Peloponnesian War.…
Since Ancient Greece was spread out into the individual city-states, it forced them to each have their own forms of government. Their governments ranged from military rule to dictatorship to democracies. In Athens under the rule of Pericles, their government was a democracy. Any man over the age of 18, who wanted to, could be involved and got paid for being part of the government like people do today. This influenced our government because although we do nat participate directly in day to day government functions, we participate indirectly. Athens also had a jury, who in trials made the final decisions, like we do today. You also had the magistrates, who went out ald enforced the laws like we have police officers do today. Ancient Greeks have…
In 490 BCE, during the first Persian-Greek war when Persia invaded Greece one of the most important battles to ever take place was fought, called the Battle of Marathon. It was to determine the future of democracy. The ten strategoi, or generals, were voted in by the ten tribes of Athens, from any income group, making this the chance to show how democracy would work to their advantage during war. It also proved Greece was unified and working together because of Cleisthenes reforms, had they still been divided due to tribe alliances Athens wouldn’t have been strong enough to fight and win the battle. It was also a keen battle for Greek society because it highlighted the importance of the Hoplites to Athenian society, considering they were the fighting for the state, without them Athens would have been militarily weak.…
Although Athens rose to power and became one of the most dominant cities in the Mediterranean; Athenians were also at fault for their own downfall. Athens rose to power after a revolt by ordinary people against the rulers. They wanted to have a part in something. Pysistritus took over after that and helped settle things. Then, Cleisthenes was ruler after him.…
Ancient Greece was made up of several hundred poleis, or "city states," during the archaic and classical periods (c. 800-323 BCE). Every polis acts as a tiny independent country. Many of these amounted to little more than villages or tiny towns that occasionally ruled extremely tiny areas. The two biggest, strongest, and ultimately most significant Greek city states were Sparta and Athens, which were at the other end of this scale. When it comes to politics, they could not be more dissimilar.…
Plato was a famous Greek philosopher and mathematician from Athens that is now well known throughout the world. He lived from 427 B.C.E. to 347 B.C.E. He’s famously known for being Socrates’ student and the teacher of Aristotle. He has many writings that explored justice, beauty, and equality as well as containing discussions in aesthetics, political philosophy, theology, cosmology, epistemology, and the philosophy of language. His writings were highly influenced by Socrates as he would convey and expand on the ideas and techniques of his teacher. Plato founded the Academy which was the first institution of higher learning in the Western World and offered subjects like astronomy, biology, mathematics, political theory, and philosophy. Plato…
In conclusion, Greece’s life was impacted by an intense fight between the two city-states, leaving a big mark in history. All just because of Athens and Sparta’s different ways of teaching, forms of government, and the treatment of women, can affect Greece entirely. Wow! It’s surprising that jealousy can rise up between two city-states, and start a huge battle. Although, was it really worth it? This war only led to having them more open to attack to other cities, and lots of citizens ended up dying or being severely injured. The city-states lost everything, and was almost completely wiped off the…
Sparta then prepared for war against Athens. As war broke out Athens began to fall and lose the war. Mainly because they were better fighters on water and not on land. Unlike the Spartans who were the best at fighting on the land.…
This assessment is accurate however there are other causes which led to conflict between Athens and the Spartans, which many historians have discussed the different causes of the Peloponnesian War, the two equal but different powers in control of Greece and the surrounding area. Athens with a democratic rule expanded by using the surrounding waterways for trade and developing a great navy. Sparta with an oligarchic rule settled in by developing a thriving agriculture community and a land based army. The balance of power leans towards Sparta and her allies. Sparta already feared Athens’ growing power. Therefore, Sparta needed to check Athens’ control of the region. The need to keep a balance of power is the main reason of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides attains that Sparta’s fear of Athenian rule provided an unavoidable path to war. Athens controlled about half of the city-states; dominated much of the trade; and maintained a strong navy. Sparta kept a strong army and retained equal allies but was primarily an agriculture state. Athens’ ability to maneuver on the sea provided opportunities to expand her power, and this alarmed Sparta. Since Sparta is concerned by Athens’ growing power, Sparta waits for a way to be able to stop the expansion. By waiting for an opportunity that comes for war against Athens, Sparta is not very reluctant and could even be considered eager to enter an altercation, however key individuals such as Pericles convinced the Athenians that allowing allied states to become free was a sign of weakness. In addition, he convinced them that Sparta was no match and could not win a long-term war against the great Athenian navy. He stressed the need for Athens to rely on the navy and utilize the walls around Athens while Sparta’s army attacked. This method proved to be a weakness in…
Our history has been based on a strong democratic sense of characterization. As a people, our forefathers have worshiped the great Athena; the goddess of justice and wisdom in hopes that she would lend her grace to the state. This grace has allowed for the prosperity and affluence Athens now has. Pride in our polis’s history has developed a unique collective identity, ideals were placed in the system that allowed the advances of its citizens. To protect these ideals, it is with great lengths that Athens has gone to prevent the influence of outside persons dominating the decision making process.…