Download pelponnesian war

PELOPONNESIAN WAR:
LASTED FOR 27 YEARS
Which groups fought against each other in
this war?
 Sparta and Athens
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What were the factors (events or reasons) that led
up to the war?
Thirty years after the Persian War other city-states
feared increasing Athenian influence:
a. insisted that other city-states adopt their coinage
b. all court cases must be tried in Athenian courts
c. Pericles used Delian League funds to build the
Parthenon increasing Athenian prestige
d. Athens interference in dispute between Corinth
and one of it’s colonies
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DELIAN LEAGUE
The Delian League was an association of Greek citystates in the 5th century BC. It was led by Athens.
Because many of the league's poleis were too
poor to contribute ships to the collective navy,
they paid taxes to Athens so that there would be
enough money to build the expensive triremes.
TRIREME
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The navies of ancient times were dominated by a warship
called the trireme
Motivated by three ranks of oars pulled by over 150 men
they could reach speeds up to 10 knots
The top deck carried a small crew of archers and marines
who did the fighting in case of close conflict
Triremes averaged about 18 feet wide and about 130 feet
long
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primary weapon was a ram at the front of the bow which
was right about at the water line
Tactic of attack was to build up momentum by heavy rowing
and then smash into an enemy vessel
built for short, close in, battles; not made to handle long,
open ocean campaigns
very fast and maneuverable which gave them a critical
advantage in the close-in battles that were typical of ancient
naval engagements
TRIREMES
PELOPONNESIAN LEAGUE
What was the Peloponnesian League?
The Peloponnesian League was an alliance of states
in the Peloponnese in the 6th and 5th centuries
BC.
The city-states that joined this league were allied
with Sparta.
Most were fearful of Athens increasing power.
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Spartan advantages:
a. Powerful army
b. located inland
c. allied with Persia
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Athenian disadvantages:
a. had powerful navy but could not attack
Sparta by sea
c. had many enemies as a result of misuse
of power and influence
d. Sparta allied itself with Persia
e. plague strikes Athens
How long did this war last?
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The fighting lasted for 27 years
would last indefinitely?
How did the tide of war change?
Who won?
How?
Because Sparta had no navy
 Several allies of Athens switched sides
 Sparta built a navy with funds from Persia
(in return for Ionia)
 Sparta was victorious in 404BC
 Sparta defeated the Athenian naval fleet
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The effects of the war:
Many city-states declined in population
 Fighting had destroyed farmland and
unemployment was high
 Thousands of young men fled to join the Persian
army as Mercenaries (hired soldiers)
 Greece lost the ability to govern itself
 Thebes (another city-state) overthrew the Spartans
in 371BC
 The city-states continued to fight with each other
and Greece continued to become weaker as a
result
Greece was invaded by the Macedonians led by
Alexander the Great
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