Objective: to identify the two leagues that vied for power in Greece and to contrast Athens to Sparta using government, daily life, trade and citizenship. Each group will become a city state and vote for joining either the Peloponnesian or Delian League based on Government, quality of life, treatment of non citizens and trade.

Map of Athens and Sparta, 5 th century BCE

Sparta vs Athens Pelopnnesian League vs Delian League Greece\tci2.3 athens vs sparta leagues.pdf Greece\tci2.3 athens vs sparta leagues.pdf

Peloponnesian War

Delian vs Peloponnesian Peloponnesian War! From BCE Athens vs Sparta Sparta issues ultimatum to Athens: “free all the cities under your control or face war!” Athens refused!! Thus 431 BCE the war begins Lasted 27 years and primarily fought between the Spartan army and Athenian Navy.

Spartan army invaded the Athenian countryside and in the second year of the war most of the Athenian population gathered inside the already overcrowded protective walls of Athens. A terrible plague hit the overcrowded city killing ¼ th of the population However, Athens was able to hold out for another 26 years until the Persians aided Sparta with ships and sealed the fate of Athens.

The Persians secretly thought that if they kept the Greeks fighting they would destroy themselves!! Good for Persian expansion…. However in 404 BCE Athens surrendered because their population was starving and their fleet was destroyed…they were defeated Sparta forced Athens to tear down their walls. Sparta ruled Greece with a heavy hand until the 300’s

Theban rule Thebes, aided by Persia, defeated the harsh Spartan and took over the rule of Greek city states but by this time the Greeks were not only weakened by the costs of war, they were weakened in unity as there was discontent between the rich (aristocracy) and the poor. 338 BCE the weakened Greeks were defeated by King Phillip of Macedonia and he created on Kingdom = Hellenistic Age = Macedon + Greek culture = diffusion, Hellenism.