Download Phase 1 and 2 of Peloponnesian War

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 1
Review 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
Who was the newly elected
leader of Athens for phase 2?
Alcibiades
What Spartan ally did Athens
attack in 416BC?
Melos
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.