 The Greeks at War! THE Peloponnesian War 431 B.C. – 404 B.C.

 Greek against Greek Many Greeks resented Athenian domination. Athens had become very wealthy guarding the treasury of the Delian League. Remember: Purpose of the Delian League was to protect the Greek city-states against the Persians. Money collected would be used to make weapons, build ships, and train men. The Greek world split into rival camps. A 27 year war broke out in 431 B.C. engulfing all of Greece

  Naval power  Surround Sparta by sea  Prevent food and supplies from reaching Peloponnesian League Athens strategy

  Sparta had a strong army  Surround Athens and prevent it from raising food around the city  Did not have a navy until the end of the War Sparta Strategy

 During the winter of the first year of the war, Athens held a public funeral. Pericles spoke to the crowd: 1.Part of community 2.Agreed to obey rules in their constitution 3.Certain duties – taxes and defending the city 4.Rights – vote and run for office Pericles’ speech reminded the Athenians of the power of democracy and gave them courage to keep fighting. Pericles’ Funeral Oration

 Stalemate  For much of the war, neither side could gain the upper hand over the other.  Pericles allowed people from the countryside to move inside the city to protect them from Sparta.  In Athens a deadly disease spread throughout the overcrowded city, this killed a third of the people including Pericles.  Internal struggles undermined the Democratic government of Athens.

 Peloponnesian War Finally, the Spartans even allied with Persia, their old enemy, against the Delian League. In 405 B.C., with the help of Persia navy, the Spartans captured the Athenian fleet.

 The war ends  The Spartans finally conquered Athens in 404  Athens had to give up its navy and empire  Athens had to follow Spartan foreign policy

 The Aftermath of War The Peloponnesian war disrupted the Greek world. People died and farms were destroyed. Sparta tried to rule all of Greece, but within 30 years the Greek city-states rebelled. Fighting amongst themselves, the Greeks failed to notice that a kingdom to the north was growing in power. MACEDONIA