Chapter 9 Lesson 3

Chapter 9 Lesson 3 Times of Conflict

objectives • Identify events that caused the Peloponnesian War. • Compare and contrast the roles of Athens and Sparta during the Peloponnesian War. • Explain how the government of Athens changed as a result of the Peloponnesian War.

Vocabulary • Demagogue – weak leaders who were popular because they told people what they wanted to hear, even though it was not true • Dictatorship – government with absolute power • Mercenary – soldiers willing to fight for anyone who pays them

The Peloponnesian War Begins • Leaders of Sparta feared Athens would gain too much power. • The rivalry between the powerful city-states of Athens and Sparta led to battles known as the Peloponnesian War. • Pericles invested tribute money into the navy which alarmed Spartans. • Fought for 15 years (460 BC- 445 BC) • 445 BC both sides got tired of fighting; signed Thirty Years’ Peace Treaty

Renewed Fighting 431 BC • 14 years after Sparta and Athens agreed on Thirty Years’ Peace, war broke out again • A lengthy war between Sparta and Athens for 27 years resulted in the end of the Golden Age of Athens • Athens surrendered to Sparta in 404 BC • Plague spread throughout Athens killing many Athenians including Pericles

After Pericles Death • Athens went through a series of different leaders • Demagogues • In 405 BC the Spartans surprised the Athenian fleet near the Hellespont and destroyed it

The Thirty Tyrants • Spartans broke up the Athenian Empire and took control of the Athenian government • Instead of democratic rule, Athens was ruled by a dictatorial oligarchy, known as the Thirty Tyrants • Sparta changed Athens by changing it from a democracy to a dictatorship

Athens Regains Independence • The Thirty Tyrants were overthrown, and the new leaders tried to restore Athenian democracy • Since many people still wanted strong leaders, Athenian democracy never fully recovered

Competition Among City-States • Competition and conflict continued among Greek city-states • Sparta and Athens were weakened from years of fighting • As a result, Thebes gained power on the mainland

Summary • During Athens’s Golden Age, Sparta and Athens were the two most powerful city-states • Their rivalry led to the Peloponnesian War, which ended the Golden Age of Athens • Sparta’s victory in the war marked the beginning of a period of conflict and competition among the city-states • This caused the Greek city-states to become unstable

Reading Check Questions • What was the effect of Athens’s desire for more power? • Tension with Sparta, which led to the Peloponnesian War. • What events helped cause Athen’s defeat in the Peloponnesian War? • Sparta’s attack on Attica, a plague in Athens, the build up of Sparta’s army • What change did the Spartans make to Athen’s form of government? • They changed it from democracy to dictatorship • What changes in governing did Athens experience after the Three Thousand regained control of the city-state? • The Athenians set out about restoring democracy • After the Peloponnesian War, why did Athens, Corinth, and Argos form the Corinthian Alliance? • To defeat Sparta

Chapter 9 Lesson 3