Preview

Why Did Athens Support The Peloponnesian War?

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
565 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Why Did Athens Support The Peloponnesian War?
The Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE) was a lengthy and destructive battle between Athens and Sparta, along with their respective allies. The assertion that Athens could not effectively handle the Peloponnesian War is accurate for several reasons. There are multiple arguments to support this claim. With considerable financial resources and a strong naval force, Athens went into the war prepared. But a string of tactical and strategic missteps undermined their position. The Sicilian Expedition (415–413 BCE), in which Athens sent a sizable navy to subjugate Sicily, was one terrible error. With much of its army and navy lost, the campaign resulted in a disastrous defeat that drastically reduced Athens' resources and morale. This mistake exposed …show more content…
This instability in the political system became more evident when the democratic government was overthrown in 411 BCE and replaced by the oligarchic Council of Four Hundred. The ongoing political unrest made it more difficult for Athens to wage war successfully, even when democracy was momentarily restored (Boundless World History, 2022). In addition, Athens’ strategy of depending on the superiority of its naval forces and the fortifications of the Long Walls, connecting Athens to its port at Piraeus was insufficient. On the other hand, Sparta, under the leadership of Lysander, built a capable fleet with the financial support of Persia. This challenged the naval dominance of Athens. During the battle of Aegospotami in 405 BCE, the Athenian fleet was destroyed and they were cut off their food supply. This led to their eventual surrender (Cartwright, 2018). Is it correct to say that democracy in Athens was overthrown after the war? Please explain your answer and justify your answer with relevant examples. Though temporary and chaotic, it is correct to say that democracy in Athens was overthrown after the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Persian wars, Athens and Sparta emerged as Greek strong societies growing their powers and living together peacefully with a truce in place. They had a treaty in place for 30 years. During peace time Athens became a naval power and Sparta developed military land power. Eventually, the Peloponnesian War (431- 404 BCE) broke out in ancient Greece between Athens and Sparta city-states. It was between Athens and their allies (the Delian League) and Spartan and their allies (the Peloponnesian League)…

    • 843 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Athens the Instigator “If we do go to war, have no thought that you went to war over a trivial affair” (Thucydides, in Hunt 101). The Peloponnesian War lasted longer than any other pervious war in Greece. The war began in 431 BCE with Sparta’s invasion of Athens. The Athenians sacrificed the destruction of their private property in order to hide in the safety of their city. The Long Walls of Athens protected its citizens and preserved its population. The Spartans however had the upper hand in infantry…

    • 824 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Athens could not effectively handle the Peloponnesian War, do you agree? Why/why not? Athens encountered significant challenges during the Peloponnesian War, which ultimately hampered its ability to effectively manage the conflict. Various contributing factors led to this outcome: Strategic and Tactical Failures: Athens committed several significant strategic and tactical errors during the course of the war. The decision to launch the Sicilian Expedition stands out as one of the most notable. As…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The growth of the power of Athens, and the alarm which this inspired in [Sparta], made war inevitable,” (Thucydides). While trade is often associated with facilitating war, there exists an obvious link between the growth of power thereof and war. As can be seen in the Peloponnesian War, a nation becoming a master of trade creates hostility with nations which want to have that power. Also, powerful nations become potential military threats, resulting in a dilemma of national security, similar to…

    • 743 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the Greco-Persian Wars, Athens and Sparta fought side-by-side as a team to defeat the Persians. However, after they defeated the Persians, Athens gained even more power, which led to conflicts between the prior allies. As a result, these two powerful city-states fought one another in the Peloponnesian War. During the late 5th century BCE, Thucydides, a historian of this time period, described the events of the Peloponnesian War in his book History of the Peloponnesian War (5.84-116). In this account…

    • 393 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    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…

    • 1609 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Peloponnesian War shook the Greek world so forcefully that Thucydides believed “it would be a great war, and more worthy of relation than any that had preceded it”. It spanned nearly thirty years, as Sparta and Athens grappled for power over the Greek world. Its length can be traced to many factors, however, for the sake of brevity, I have narrowed it down to three main reasons. Firstly, Sparta and Athens underestimated each other and overestimated themselves. Secondly, Athens and Sparta were…

    • 1825 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Why did Athens lose the Peloponnesian Wars? What impact did the wars have on Greece? A good portion of blame for Athens losing the Peloponnesian Wars can be laid at the feet of two men: Alcibiades and the Spartan king, Lysander. Alcibiades was the nephew of Pericles. He was very charismatic and the young people of Athens loved him. But he had a glaring flaw; he lost his parents at a young age and became something of a sociopath, not caring what his deeds resulted in. As stated before…

    • 802 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    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…

    • 369 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Peloponnesian War

    • 2407 Words
    • 10 Pages

    The Peloponnesian War What were Athens’ and Sparta’s political objectives at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War? To what extent did Athens and Sparta pursue strategies compatible with their political objectives? The Peloponnesian War was fought in three phases between the Athenians and Spartans. In order to determine the political objectives of Athens and Sparta a review of the time periods is required. The Peloponnesian War between the Athenian Empire, formerly the Delian League, and…

    • 2407 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays