Peloponnesian Wars 431-404 BCE

1. Peloponnesian Wars 431-404 BCE

2. Comparison Of Athens and Sparta

3. Strategies of Sparta and Athens -Spartan Strategy -Land invasion of Attica and Athenian allies -Burn Athenian crops -Slowly starve Athens into submission -Athenian Strategy developed by Pericles -Endure a siege and defend the long walls -Maintain control over colonies -Fight at sea and harass Spartans -Engage in no other foreign wars!

4. Athenian Leaders • Pericles • Part of the Aristocratic faction in Athens • Athenian Statesman who brought Athens to the peak of its power. • Supervised building of the Parthenon on the Acropolis • Ordered construction of the Long Walls from Athens to Piraeus • Continued strategy of Themistocles and Cimon of emphasizing naval power over land power • Lead by oratorical skills and appeals to Logos • Died during the plague in Athens in 429 BCE

5. Cleon • Wealthy merchant in Athens • Represented Athenian commercial interests • Wanted a quick resolution of the war in order to resume trade • Opposed Pericles and accused him of misuse of state funds • Demagogue who appealed to emotions of the crowd • Ordered the citizens of Mytilene put to death in 427 • Doubled the tribute levied on allies in 425. • Died fighting at Amphipolis in 422 • Criticized by Thucydides and lampooned by Aristophanes

6. Nicias • -Athenian aristocrat • Favored Periclean strategy • Not a very effective speaker • Used his personal wealth to buy off opponents • Strong sense of religious and moral values • Cautious general • Instrumental in negotiating a truce with Sparta in 421 called the “Peace of Nicias” • Sent against his will as the leader of the expedition against Syracuse in 415 BCE • Died in 413 when the expedition failed.

7. Alcibiades • Athenian aristocrat whose family fell from power at the end of the Peloponnesian War • Personal friend of Socrates • Skillful orator and general • Political opponent of Nicias • Advocated the Sicilian expedition • Implicated in a plot to overthrow the government • Defected to Sparta and then to Persia • Reinstated in Athens in 411 BCE • Dies at the end of the Peloponnesian War

8. Phases of the War • Outbreak of the War • Failed Athenian Offensives • End of the war

9. Outbreak of the War • Spartans invade Attica 430 BCE • Plague in Athens and the death of Pericles 429 BCE • Cleon comes to Power 427 -422 BCE • Revolt of Mytilene in 427 BCE • Thebes enters on Spartan side 424 BCE • Cleon and Spartan commander Brasidas killed at the battle of Amphipolis 422 BCE • Nicias negotiates peace settlement 421 BCE

10. Failed Athenian Offensives • Alcibiades negotiates an alliance with Argos 419 BCE • Inhabitants of Melos massacred after an attempted revolt 416 BCE • Expedition to Sicily 415 BCE • Alcibiades flees to Sparta 415 BCE • Athenian fleet and army defeated at Syracuse 413 BCE • Alcibiades campaigns in Ionia 412 BCE

11. End of the War • Political coup in Athens and Alcibiades recalled 411 BCE • Alcibiades victorious in the Aegean and Byzantium 410-408 BCE • Spartans turn to Persia for money • Spartan general Lysander placed in command of Spartan fleet 407 BCE • Victories of Lysander 406 BCE • Athenian fleet destroyed at Aegospotami and Athens surrenders 404 BCE