Sparta Vs. Athens: Peloponnesian War
Sparta VS Athens
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.
Sparta was an important part of Greece during the Archaic and Classical periods. Sparta was famous for the sheer power and strength of its military. Spartan hoplites (high-ranking soldiers) were professionally trained and sported distinctive red cloaks, long hair, and the lambda-emblazoned shields. Spartan warriors were among the most feared fighters in all of Greece. They fought with distinction at battles such as Thermopylae and Plataea in the early 5th century BCE. In Greek mythology, the founder of Sparta was Lacedaemon, a supposed “son of Zeus.” …show more content…
Sparta was a very powerful member in the Greek campaign during the Trojan War. This war was sparked after the Trojan Prince Paris kidnapped the wife of King Menelaus. The king’s wife, Helen, was offered to Paris after he had chosen Aphrodite to be the most beautiful of the gods. Aphrodite then allowed him to chose any wife in the world, and, of course, he had to chose the wife to the king of the most powerful military in the world at that time. Smart move, Paris. Then again, Helen was said to be the most beautiful women in Greece.
The area in which Sparta was located, the fertile Eurotas Valley of Laconia, was settled in the Neolithic period and was developed in the Bronze Age. Sparta came to control 8’500 km² of land, making it the largest city-state in Greece and a larger part of Greek politics. Many people conquered by Sparta were forced to serve in military positions in the Spartan army. Spartan citizens gave much of their time to practicing military training, hunting, war, and politics. Few people in Sparta were farmers. Sparta was an ally of Athens in the defence of Greece against the Persian King Xerxes.
In Sparta, there were two different kings, from two separate families, and thus was considered a strange way of governing. Upon leading war campaigns, these monarchs proved themselves to be quite powerful. A council of elders in Sparta, also known as gerousia, also had these monarchs as priests of Zeus. Considered the highest court in Sparta, the gerousia citizen assembly voted on proposed issues all around their city. The citizen assembly met once a month, allowing citizens from all around Sparta to come and get their voices in. By getting voices in I mean that to vote, all they did was shout. Considered slow to make decisions and also a conservative state, Sparta gained quite the reputation.
Known to be a beacon of imagination and bright ideas, the city-state of Athens, Greece began as a small Mycenaean community. The amazing city, at its height, had developed to broadcast the greatest Greek virtues and prestige. Many other cities were so awed by the amazing attributes of Athens, that future conquerors would defeat them, but not ruin any structures.
It is believed, and backed by evidence, that mankind had inhabited the area of Agora as far back as 5000 BC, possibly even 7000 BC. The first Athenian king, King Cecrops, named the city after himself. According to lore, the Greek gods saw beauty in the city and decided it was deserving of a far more immortal name. Supposedly, each god showed the people of Athens a power of theirs that would help them to become prosperous. For example, Poseidon struck a large rock with his trident, creating an infinite flow of water that gushed out of the crack. The villagers were not pleased, as they realized that the salt water wouldn’t be good for their crops. The contest came to a close when the Greek goddess, Athena, planted a mysterious seed, which almost immediately sprouted into an enormous, magnificent olive tree. The villagers were all pleased, seeing how it showed lack of crop failure. Athena was chosen to be the champion of the city, gifting it the name it has to this very day.
Although Athena promised to never let crop fail, the villagers never realized they had nowhere to plant. The area where Athens was settled wasn’t quite fit for large-scale farming, or any farming for that matter. Due to this, nearly everyone in Athens turned to trade as a large source of income. In addition to trade, fishing was an enormous industry of Athens, do to its location directly by the Aegean Sea.
During the Mycenaean period, many large structures, such as forts and walls, were constructed all over Greece, Athens included. To this day, many ruins of those magnificent structures stand tall and proud, a reminder of amazing events that took place nearly 4,000 years ago. The Mycenaean people were thought to be early colonizers of Athens, and Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey describe them to be capable fighters, as well as people who took to the seas. Eventually, around 1200 BC, the Sea Peoples, who were seafaring raiders, directly attacked the land of Attica. Attica was the larger area surround Athens. While the Sea People attacked, the Dorians came from the north, but made a path around Athens, allowing Mycenaean culture to survive and form into Athenian culture.
During the 4th and 5th centuries BC, Athens had an extremely advanced government for their time. It was one of the first democracies, as all men had the same political rights, such as voting, being elected, and just plain being involved with the government. Don’t worry, the women heavily influenced the men’s decisions. Anyway, this type of government was considered advanced due to it allowing citizens to be very involved with it. Many other city-states had democracies at one point or another, like Argos or Syracuse, but Athenian democracy was, without a doubt, the most developed.
In theory, only male citizens over the age of 18, who could speak, could participate in voting at assemblies.
It is thought that the age limit for any position of government was around 30 years old. Although this democracy was advanced, it was disappointing, as women, slaves, and resident foreigners were excluded from participating. “Athens' constitution is called a democracy because it respects the interests not of a minority but of the whole people. When it is a question of settling private disputes, everyone is equal before the law; when it is a question of putting one person before another in positions of public responsibility, what counts is not membership of a particular class, but the actual ability which the man possesses. No one, so long as he has it in him to be of service to the state, is kept in political obscurity because of poverty.” (Thuc.
2.37)
The Peloponnesian War was fought from 460 BC to 404 BC, with a “peace” period between 446 BC and 431 BC. Around 5th century BC, the two largest powers of Greece began to overlap. Each climbed a ladder that was thought to be a ladder of success and power gainage, but after the war it was known to be the complete opposite. Athens and Sparta had been allies in the Persian War, but the friendship they once shared was long forgotten. That sense of peace was exchanged for tension, sparking a war that would destroy the two strongest city-states of Greece. Sparta felt threatened by the amazing power of the Athenian fleet, who had one of the most powerful navies at the time. Athens was uncomfortable with the extreme power of the Spartan military, as the men in it had been bred to be warriors from the very start of their lives. Suspicious of Athen’s project to rebuild the Long Wall which protected the harbor of Piraeus, Sparta wanted to investigate more. Proving even more strange in their minds, they started to think another large power, Corinth, would side with Athens if any conflict arose. Eventually, Athens demanded that the city of Poteidaia give control of their mineral resources. Poteidaia begged Sparta for refuge, and Sparta accepted. Athens, not knowing it was under Spartan control, lay siege to the city, sparking the first section of the Peloponnesian War.
Athens had many allies, which altogether formed the Delian League. This League formed the strongest naval power ever seen in Greece. Sparta and their many allies formed the Peloponnesian League. In the Delian League, each ally of Athens sent funds for their military efforts. In the Peloponnesian League, the allies sent Sparta actual troops.
Rumbling on for many years, it seemed the sieges and battles would never stop. The 30 Year’s “Peace” was never a true cease fire, with smaller battles happening on no man's land. The war was ended in naval battle. The all-feared Athenian fleet up against whatever Sparta had scraped together. Although, talking down on Sparta’s fleet is ironic considering they won the war through this naval battle. Using money from Persia, Sparta created a fleet of around 200 warships that destroyed almost all of the Delian League’s fleet. Over 170 Athenian ships were taken, and over 3,000 men of the Delian League were executed.
Even after they won the war, Sparta never regained the strength they once had. This war had truly demoralized the entire country of Greece. In conclusion, the war between Athens and Sparta had finished. All was quiet for a long time in ancient Greece.
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.
Sparta was an important part of Greece during the Archaic and Classical periods. Sparta was famous for the sheer power and strength of its military. Spartan hoplites (high-ranking soldiers) were professionally trained and sported distinctive red cloaks, long hair, and the lambda-emblazoned shields. Spartan warriors were among the most feared fighters in all of Greece. They fought with distinction at battles such as Thermopylae and Plataea in the early 5th century BCE. In Greek mythology, the founder of Sparta was Lacedaemon, a supposed “son of Zeus.” …show more content…
Sparta was a very powerful member in the Greek campaign during the Trojan War. This war was sparked after the Trojan Prince Paris kidnapped the wife of King Menelaus. The king’s wife, Helen, was offered to Paris after he had chosen Aphrodite to be the most beautiful of the gods. Aphrodite then allowed him to chose any wife in the world, and, of course, he had to chose the wife to the king of the most powerful military in the world at that time. Smart move, Paris. Then again, Helen was said to be the most beautiful women in Greece.
The area in which Sparta was located, the fertile Eurotas Valley of Laconia, was settled in the Neolithic period and was developed in the Bronze Age. Sparta came to control 8’500 km² of land, making it the largest city-state in Greece and a larger part of Greek politics. Many people conquered by Sparta were forced to serve in military positions in the Spartan army. Spartan citizens gave much of their time to practicing military training, hunting, war, and politics. Few people in Sparta were farmers. Sparta was an ally of Athens in the defence of Greece against the Persian King Xerxes.
In Sparta, there were two different kings, from two separate families, and thus was considered a strange way of governing. Upon leading war campaigns, these monarchs proved themselves to be quite powerful. A council of elders in Sparta, also known as gerousia, also had these monarchs as priests of Zeus. Considered the highest court in Sparta, the gerousia citizen assembly voted on proposed issues all around their city. The citizen assembly met once a month, allowing citizens from all around Sparta to come and get their voices in. By getting voices in I mean that to vote, all they did was shout. Considered slow to make decisions and also a conservative state, Sparta gained quite the reputation.
Known to be a beacon of imagination and bright ideas, the city-state of Athens, Greece began as a small Mycenaean community. The amazing city, at its height, had developed to broadcast the greatest Greek virtues and prestige. Many other cities were so awed by the amazing attributes of Athens, that future conquerors would defeat them, but not ruin any structures.
It is believed, and backed by evidence, that mankind had inhabited the area of Agora as far back as 5000 BC, possibly even 7000 BC. The first Athenian king, King Cecrops, named the city after himself. According to lore, the Greek gods saw beauty in the city and decided it was deserving of a far more immortal name. Supposedly, each god showed the people of Athens a power of theirs that would help them to become prosperous. For example, Poseidon struck a large rock with his trident, creating an infinite flow of water that gushed out of the crack. The villagers were not pleased, as they realized that the salt water wouldn’t be good for their crops. The contest came to a close when the Greek goddess, Athena, planted a mysterious seed, which almost immediately sprouted into an enormous, magnificent olive tree. The villagers were all pleased, seeing how it showed lack of crop failure. Athena was chosen to be the champion of the city, gifting it the name it has to this very day.
Although Athena promised to never let crop fail, the villagers never realized they had nowhere to plant. The area where Athens was settled wasn’t quite fit for large-scale farming, or any farming for that matter. Due to this, nearly everyone in Athens turned to trade as a large source of income. In addition to trade, fishing was an enormous industry of Athens, do to its location directly by the Aegean Sea.
During the Mycenaean period, many large structures, such as forts and walls, were constructed all over Greece, Athens included. To this day, many ruins of those magnificent structures stand tall and proud, a reminder of amazing events that took place nearly 4,000 years ago. The Mycenaean people were thought to be early colonizers of Athens, and Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey describe them to be capable fighters, as well as people who took to the seas. Eventually, around 1200 BC, the Sea Peoples, who were seafaring raiders, directly attacked the land of Attica. Attica was the larger area surround Athens. While the Sea People attacked, the Dorians came from the north, but made a path around Athens, allowing Mycenaean culture to survive and form into Athenian culture.
During the 4th and 5th centuries BC, Athens had an extremely advanced government for their time. It was one of the first democracies, as all men had the same political rights, such as voting, being elected, and just plain being involved with the government. Don’t worry, the women heavily influenced the men’s decisions. Anyway, this type of government was considered advanced due to it allowing citizens to be very involved with it. Many other city-states had democracies at one point or another, like Argos or Syracuse, but Athenian democracy was, without a doubt, the most developed.
In theory, only male citizens over the age of 18, who could speak, could participate in voting at assemblies.
It is thought that the age limit for any position of government was around 30 years old. Although this democracy was advanced, it was disappointing, as women, slaves, and resident foreigners were excluded from participating. “Athens' constitution is called a democracy because it respects the interests not of a minority but of the whole people. When it is a question of settling private disputes, everyone is equal before the law; when it is a question of putting one person before another in positions of public responsibility, what counts is not membership of a particular class, but the actual ability which the man possesses. No one, so long as he has it in him to be of service to the state, is kept in political obscurity because of poverty.” (Thuc.
2.37)
The Peloponnesian War was fought from 460 BC to 404 BC, with a “peace” period between 446 BC and 431 BC. Around 5th century BC, the two largest powers of Greece began to overlap. Each climbed a ladder that was thought to be a ladder of success and power gainage, but after the war it was known to be the complete opposite. Athens and Sparta had been allies in the Persian War, but the friendship they once shared was long forgotten. That sense of peace was exchanged for tension, sparking a war that would destroy the two strongest city-states of Greece. Sparta felt threatened by the amazing power of the Athenian fleet, who had one of the most powerful navies at the time. Athens was uncomfortable with the extreme power of the Spartan military, as the men in it had been bred to be warriors from the very start of their lives. Suspicious of Athen’s project to rebuild the Long Wall which protected the harbor of Piraeus, Sparta wanted to investigate more. Proving even more strange in their minds, they started to think another large power, Corinth, would side with Athens if any conflict arose. Eventually, Athens demanded that the city of Poteidaia give control of their mineral resources. Poteidaia begged Sparta for refuge, and Sparta accepted. Athens, not knowing it was under Spartan control, lay siege to the city, sparking the first section of the Peloponnesian War.
Athens had many allies, which altogether formed the Delian League. This League formed the strongest naval power ever seen in Greece. Sparta and their many allies formed the Peloponnesian League. In the Delian League, each ally of Athens sent funds for their military efforts. In the Peloponnesian League, the allies sent Sparta actual troops.
Rumbling on for many years, it seemed the sieges and battles would never stop. The 30 Year’s “Peace” was never a true cease fire, with smaller battles happening on no man's land. The war was ended in naval battle. The all-feared Athenian fleet up against whatever Sparta had scraped together. Although, talking down on Sparta’s fleet is ironic considering they won the war through this naval battle. Using money from Persia, Sparta created a fleet of around 200 warships that destroyed almost all of the Delian League’s fleet. Over 170 Athenian ships were taken, and over 3,000 men of the Delian League were executed.
Even after they won the war, Sparta never regained the strength they once had. This war had truly demoralized the entire country of Greece. In conclusion, the war between Athens and Sparta had finished. All was quiet for a long time in ancient Greece.