Download The Peloponnesian War

Athens vs. Sparta
The Peloponnesian
War
Just In Case. . .
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The Delian League (478 B.C.)
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Unified alliance
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Athens, Sparta, Corinth, Megara, others
Purpose: defend Greece
Athens’ New Swagger
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Very confident – even arrogant
A little chippy – Greece owes it
Imperialism
The Structure of the League
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Athens = treasurer
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Members pay Athens
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Athens collects 460 talents in the first year
 1 talent = 6,000 drachmas
 1 drachma = 1 day’s pay
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Athens keeps 1/60 – builds ships, wall
* In two decades, Delian League turns in to
Athenian Empire
30 Years Peace
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Pericles convinces Sparta
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Time to recover
Time of prosperity/wealth
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Poetry
Art
Philosophy
Sparta’s Concern
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Athens becoming too powerful
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Athens = Persia????
Athens’ Concern
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Spartan leader, Pausanias
Breaking Point
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Athens to Sparta: “get rid of him”
Sparta to Athens: “shove off”
Sparta leaves Delian League, creates its
own alliance
Delian vs. Peloponnesian
30 Years of Peace. . . Gone
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431 B.C.: Athens sets sights on Corinth &
Megara
Corinth to Sparta: “attack Athens or else”
Sparta to Athens: “leave our allies alone”
Athens (Pericles) to Sparta: “bring it”
Strategy
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Athens: navy, not land
Sparta: land, not navy
Athens Humbled
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Spartans attacking outlying villages
Athenians retreat into city walls
Sparta sets up base of ops. outside walls
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Food
Supplies
Epidemic hits
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1/3 of city
Agriculture destroyed
20,000 slaves defect
The Crushing Blow
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An unlikely friend to Sparta
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$ for a navy
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Persia
Battle of Aegospotami
All but 9 Athenian ships destroyed
Surrender in 404 B.C.
Results
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Athenian democracy crumbles
All city-states weakened
Leaves the door open for a new threat