On the Spartan War Path

• Athens was becoming rich & powerful.

• Other city-states became suspicious.

• Sparta organized an alliance with other city-states against Athens.

• After many spats, war broke out in 431 BCE and lasted until 404 BCE.

Observe the map to the right. Then answer the question on the next slide: Why was this war called the Peloponnesian War?

In the first winter of the war, the Athenians held a public funeral to honor those that had died in battle. The great Athenian politician & general Pericles gave a speech to the people of Athens. Read the excerpt to the right then answer the question on the next slide: How would this speech have made citizens of Athens feel during the war? What emotions? Why?

At the beginning of the war, the Spartans surrounded Athens hoping they would send out an army to fight. Pericles knew that the Athenians could not beat the Spartans in open battle though. Instead, the Athenians sheltered behind the city walls & relied on their navy to deliver supplies from allies & colonies. After all, Sparta did not have a navy so they could not attack the ships.

Sheltering within the city kept Athenians safe for some time. Then, in the second year of the war, disease spread within the overcrowded city. It killed more than 1/3 of the people, including Pericles who died in 429 BCE. Despite these terrible losses, Athenians fought on & the war lasted another 25 years.

Read the excerpt from Greek historian Thucydides. Then answer the question on the next slide: What event/circumstance was Thucydides describing? Give evidence from the text to support your answer.

Desperate to win, the Spartans made a deal with the Persian Empire. In exchange for enough money to build a navy, the Spartans gave the Persians some Greek territory in Asia Minor. In 405 BCE, the new & strong Spartan navy destroyed the Athenian fleet. After losing more land battles the next year, the Athenians surrendered. The Spartans tore down the city walls of Athens. War was over.

Use this map to answer the questions on the next slide:

Which major city-states were allied with Sparta?

How do you think having those allies helped Sparta win the war?

The Peloponnesian War weakened ALL of the Greek city-states, both the winners & the losers. There were many deaths. Cities & farms were destroyed. Thousands of people were left without jobs. In addition, the war made it impossible for the Greeks to unite & work together again.

After the war, Sparta attempted to rule over all of Greece. Within 30 years, though, the city-states rebelled. The Spartan alliance with Persia did not last either. They battled each other for control. While they were fighting amongst themselves, the Greeks didn't notice that the kingdom of Macedonia to their north was growing in power...this would eventually cost the Greeks their freedom.