Download THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR

THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR
CAUSES OF THE WAR
 Greek city-states began to fear
Athens attempt at power and
prestige.
 Athens had grown into a naval
empire under the rule of Pericles.
 Athenian settlers began moving
into other Greek territories.
 City-states that wanted to break
away from the Delian League were
punished by Pericles.
 Sparta creates the Peloponnesus
League in an attempt to stand up
to Athens power.
 SPARTA DECLARES WAR ON
ATHENS IN 431 B.C.
THE WAR
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Spartan advantages:
o Superior land forces
o Sparta was strategically located so
that it could not be attacked by sea.
Athens advantages:
o Superior navy
o Could attack Spartan allies by sea
Spartan strategy:
o Cut off Athenian food supply by
burning crops. Spartans raided
Athens’ planted crops every year.
o They did this to antagonize Athenian
forces to meet them in battle.
Athenian strategy:
o Avoid land battles and rely on sea
power.
o Allow Spartan soldiers to destroy
crops. The Athenian navy could
supply Athens with food from the
sea.
o Land Athenian troops into Spartan
territory by sea.
o Pericles brought Athenians into the
city to be protected.
Disaster Strikes Athens
o Athens became overcrowded
o Outbreak of the plague killed as
many as 1/3 of population, including
Pericles.
ATHENS SURRENDERS TO SPARTA IN 404
B.C.
EFFECTS OF THE WAR
 Massive population loss
throughout Greece.
 All city-states suffered economic
and military losses.
 Crops around Greece were
destroyed.
 In 359 B.C., Philip II, King of
Macedonia (north of Greece)
invaded the Greek mainland.
 Philip II conquered most of Greece
because the Greek city-states were
too weak to unite.