Impact on More than just Greece

The Peloponnesian War was important to the developement of many things in Greece. The largest being Government. Athens, being a democracy was defeated by the Spartans who ran a republic government but with two kings as to please other Greek city-states. With the defeat of the democratic pwerhouse in Athens, government became a new ideal throughout much of the ancient world. Even though Athens fell to the Spartnas and their allies, Democracy proved to be a reliable form of government. This led to the conversion of many of the ancient worlds super powers to democracy.

What is The Peloponnesian War?

The Peloponnesian War (431 BC-404 BC) was a war in Ancient Greece fought between Athens and its empire and the Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta. Historians have divided the war into three phases. In the first, the Archidamian War, Sparta launched repeated invasions of Attica, while Athens took advantage of its naval supremacy to raid the coast of the Peloponnese while attempting to suppress signs of unrest in its empire. This period of the war was concluded in 421 BC, with the signing of the Peace of Nicias. That treaty, however, was soon undermined by renewed fighting in the Peloponnesus. In 415 BC, Athens dispatched a massive expeditionary force to attack Syracuse in Sicily; the attack failed disastrously with the destruction of the entire force in 413 BC. This ushered in the final phase of the war, generally referred to either as the Decelean War or the Ionian War. In this phase, Sparta, now receiving support from Persia, supported rebellions in Athens' subject states in the Aegean Sea and Ionia, undermining Athens' empire and eventually depriving the city of naval supremacy. The destruction of Athens' fleet at Aegospotami effectively ended the war, and Athens surrendered in the following year.

Book Report Citation

Gombrich, E. H. A Little History of the World. New Haven: Yale UP, 2005. Print.http://www.easybib.com/cite/view

Timeline of The Peloponnesian Wars

Source for this post




477 - Aristides forms Delian League.


451 - Athens and Sparta sign five-year treaty.


449 - Persia and Athens sign peace treaty.


446 - Athens and Sparta sign 30 years peace treaty.


432 - Revolt of Potidaea.


431 - Peloponnesian War begins. Siege of Potidaea.


430 - Plague in Athens.


429 - Pericles dies. Siege of Plataea (-427).


428 - Revolt of Mitylene.


427 - Athenian Expedition to Sicily.


421 - Peace of Nicias.


415-413 - Athenian expedition to Syracuse. Sicily.
404 - Athens surrenders.

Peloponnesian Wars

My blog is dedicated to the Historical events of the Peloponnesian Wars between Sparta and Athens in Ancient Greece