How Did The Fall Of Athens

The Athenian Empire, One of the Greatest Empires and One of the Fastest to go.

The Athenian Empire, one of the most successful and greatest empires of all of Ancient period. From its rise from the unique way of living, its senate, and its agricultural and trading power, Athens became incredibly powerful, wealthy, and was the main power in the Ancient world. Not only was the Athenian empire strong in its culture and money making, its Navy was its strongest than any other power at the time. It was truly, incomparable at its golden age. Sadly, all golden ages end and the Athenian Empire fell. And boy did it fall hard.

Athens rose to power with the help of trading, cultivation, raising animals, and mining. The geographical placement of Athens was
perfect, so Athens took advantage of it and used the natural resource to lead to a wealthy economy. It was not only its trading aspects that made Athens so great and unique, it was also the style of life. “There is no exclusiveness in our public life, and in our private business we are not suspicious of one another, nor angry with our neighbor if he does what he likes; we do not put on sour looks at him which, though harmless, are not pleasant.” . Everybody respected and did not complain about anybodies own interests, morals, or values. Everyone accepted each other for who they are and that supported the way of trading and living style more than ever. Because Athens was so welcoming to strangers and was the main trading point at that time, the population rose to about 300,000 at its height about 440 BCE.

After Athens reached a point in which its economy was solid and were producing thousands of weapons for soldiers, it was time for war. Though most democracies will seek peace instead of war, that was not true at all with Athens. Pisistratus, a tyrant and his son built up Athenian’s army and navy, but it wasn't until after Cleisthenes win which the new Athenian democracy was erected that then used its army combatively. First by aiding the big revolt in the Greek colonies against their Persian rulers in the Ionian coast. This momentous action provoked a incredibly huge war against Persia. Athens, along with Sparta and other neighboring Greek cities, defeated the Persians attacks on both land and sea. When war broke out, Athens, Sparta and other neighboring Greek cities, crushed the Persian’s attacks on both land and sea. This critical victory thus insured Athens great influence into the Ancient world and made all Athenians filled with pride, honor, and great assurance that Athens will stay strong. Athens then created a league of Greek cities under their guidance and bring the war into Persian land, victoriously pushing the Persians and their overlords out of Ionia. Athens began to grow rapidly and Sparta began to grow worrisome of their great feats and accomplishes.

As Athens grew faster and faster, Sparta began to realize that sooner or later the Athenian Empire will become too strong for anyone to overcome.
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. Another reason why Athens were failing miserably against the Spartans was because of a plague that broke out during the war. “During the whole time that the Peloponnesians were in Attica and the Athenians on the expedition in their ships, men kept dying of the plague both in the armament and in Athens” (Book 2, Chap 8, Paragraph 9) As if it could get any worse, Athens thought it was a great idea to try to conquer Sicily while they were fighting Sparta. “The same winter the Athenians resolved to sail again to Sicily, with a greater armament than that under Laches and Eurymedon, and, if possible, to conquer the island; most of them being ignorant of its size and of the number of its inhabitants, Hellenic and barbarian, and of the fact that they were undertaking a war not much inferior to that against the Peloponnesians.” (Book 6,Chap 28, Paragraph
1)

Athens was an incredible power in the Ancient period for only a little time. Though it might have been such a small period, Athens was unique, innovative, and modern. From their democracy, skilled navy, culture, and trading, Athens will always be known to being one of the greatest cities/empires of their time. Sadly, the great Athenian empire ended to a complete stop when war broke out against them and Sparta. As much as Athens was smart and clever, their arrogance and ignorance was their downfall. They thought as if they could do everything at once and that ended up becoming their ending.