Why Is Athens Better Than Sparta

Greece 431 B.C.E., the two major cities states at this time are Athens and Sparta. Tensions among these two city states have always been extremely high. Sparta has an exceptional military and Athens has an extraordinary navy. Both of these city states have been competing for control of Greece for many years.
Thucydides is the best source of knowledge we have about the Peloponnesian war. He was a general for the Athenians, and he documented everything that happened during the war. It is a miracle that he and his documentations survived the war, as all of the other Athen generals were killed.
Sparta is the leader of the Peloponnesian league, this league consists of the Corianth, Sicyon, Epidauros, and Peloponnesians as well as many more who
The Terms of this peace were not held up by the Athens and they began to bully Sparta Allies. Athens even imposed economic sanctions on the Magarians. Until, in 431 B.C.E. all of Greece decided enough was enough. Athens had made enemies of Sparta, the Peloponnesian league, the king of Macedon (which was Alexander the Great’s father), the emperor of Persian and even there own allies. A conflict was inevitable. There leader Pericles had been certain the 30 years peace would not last. So as soon as the Spartans had left the land around Athens , the Athenians began to build a wall around the city and to the port of Piraus. Athens was able to use this port to import goods this made Athens pretty self sufficient. Therefore they never needed to face the invincible army of Sparta. The navy allowed other advantages over the Spartans because of its speed. The ability to be there, attack and be gone before the met ant resistance was key. The Spartans had issues because they could not send their full military force because the Helots were always on the brink of revolt. Even if they were able to send their full army they were only useful for a few days out of the moth because of traveling time. The Athenians were in an excellent position. As long as they didn’t attempt to expand their territory, they were in control. There were some unforeseen events that Pericles couldn’t account for. The first being that, with everyone in Athens eing contained in such a small area with less than ideal living conditions, people die. The walls protected the Athenians from their enemies, but it did not make them immune to desiese. During the first year of the war a plague swept through the Athens. It killed 30 thousand Athenians including pericles. With their leader gone they found it nearly impossible to lead the war