Peloponnesian War

Phase 1 of Peloponnesian War

What to do?• The two major alliances are at the height

of tension.

• Sparta threatening to attack, Athens has a protective wall built around the city.– How would the Athenians feel?

• What about the people who live in the region of Attica but outside Athens’ walls? How would they feel?

The beginnings• Athens was becoming very pushy and Sparta

was approached to help out.• Sparta’s alliance started to react to Athens• 300 Thebans (Sparta’s ally) attack Athens’ ally

Platea. • Athens has placed blockades on Corinth for

supporting Sparta.• Phase 1 of the war went from 431BC to 421BC.• In 431 Sparta marched their army to Attica and

Athens and fought shedding a lot of blood.• They attacked by land because of their strong

army.

Athenian Retaliation

• To retaliate for Spartan aggression Athens sent their navy off the coast of the Peloponnesus and attacked. – They had several victories of the coast.

• Athens called everyone from the surrounding area inside the city state, (inside the walls.)

• Somewhere between 150,000 – ½ million moved in.

– What problem would arise with the influx of people?

Differing Strategies

• Athens– strategy was to wear down the Spartans while

the battles were going on.

• Sparta– Invade and complete destruction of Attica.

Athens Deteriorates• Athens is losing the battle outside the wall.

• Pericles delivers the Funeral Oration as a memorial to the fallen soldiers and as inspirational propaganda.

• Inside the walls Athens becomes very overcrowded and conditions very unclean.– A plague of typhus breaks out.

– (Ate the skin.)

– 1 out of 3 people died.• Conditions so bad that huge pits were dug, bodies were thrown in

and burned.

• In 429BC Pericles died from this disease.• The other generals who ruled with him took over until a new leader

could be elected.

Phase 1 Ends

• In 421BC, both sides could see that the war was going nowhere so Sparta and Athens signed a peace treaty.

• The treaty was to last 50 years.– This way both sides would have time to

rebuild.

Phase 1Review Questions

Who was the Athenian General for the first battle of the war?

Pericles

What was the purpose of his oration?

Memorial and inspirational propaganda

What happened to Pericles?

Died from typhus

What was the Athenian strategy to handle the Spartan army?

Wait it out, Spartans tire.

What was the Spartan strategy?

Attack and destroy

Who ruled after Pericles died?

The remaining generals who were under Pericles.

For how long was the peace treaty designed?

50 years

Phase 2 of Peloponnesian Wars

50 Year Peace Treaty?

• In 420 Alcibiades was elected Athens’ new leader.

• The 50 year peace treaty signed by both sides in 421BC only lasted 9 years. (But within 5 years they had attacked a Spartan ally.)

• During the peace time there was a Cold War mentality.

• What is that? – Lots of suspicion and spying.

Alcibiades

Alcibiades as Leader

• Alcibiades had it all: looks, charm, money, brains (in the books, not common sense), good family.

• Pericles’ nephew

• He rebuilt the Athenian War machine during peace time. (20,000 more soldiers, 130 triremes and 130 cargo ships.)

• Because he spent so much on the military the Athenian treasury was depleted.

• In 416 BC he attacked the Island of Melos

Invasion of Melos• Melos was an ally of Sparta.

• Very easy take for Athens.

• All men on Melos were killed.

• All women and children were sold into slavery.

• Why do you think he would attack this little island?– Two theories

• To tick off Sparta• To show small city-states the power of Athens.

Where Next?• His next plan was to take the city-state of

Syracuse on Sicily.

The Downfall of Alcibiades

• Shortly before the attack on Syracuse the busts of the God Hermes were mutilated. (God of flock and travelers)

• This was seen to be a bad omen, awful things would happen.

• Athenians were upset and they believed Alcibiades was behind it.

• He was to be tried for the crime.

• He fled to Sparta where he believed he would be safe.

Yet Another Traitor Among the Greeks

• Alcibiades got drunk and told the Spartans of the Athenians “secret” plan to attack Syracuse.

• Athenians set out for Syracuse with their fleet.

• When they arrived, they were met by the Spartan fleet.

• They fought off the coast of Sicily• In 412BC the Athenian fleet was totally

destroyed.

Phase 2 Review Questions

How long did the peace treaty last between Sparta and Athens?

9 years

Alcibiades

Who was the newly elected leader of Athens for phase 2?

Melos

What Spartan ally did Athens attack in 416BC?

What happened to the citizens?

Men killed, women and children sold into slavery.

What improvements were made to the Athenian military after

phase 1 of the war?130 more triremes, 130 cargo

ships and 20,000 soldiers.

Why did Alcibiades flee from Athens?

Accused of destroying the Hermes bust.

How did he help the Spartans?

Got drunk and told them the Athenian secrets.

What led to the complete destruction of the Athenian fleet?

A sneak attack by the Spartans at Sicily

Homework

• How would you describe Alcibiades? (Write a character sketch of him and back up your statements with support.)

• Argue for or against the statement that the Athenians lost phase 1 and 2 because their leaders were not effective.