History of the Peloponnesian Wars

The History of the Peloponnesian Wars was written by Thucydides in the 4th century BC. The historian began to gather information shortly after the conflict broke out, using firsthand accounts of events in the Peloponnese. He had been an Athenian during the early years of the conflict, but was exiled during the war and spent the rest of the war collecting sources. Scholars generally regard Thucydides as a neutral author.

Plutarch

The Peloponnesian Wars were fought between the Greeks and the Romans in the first century AD. Plutarch, a Roman-Greek historian, wrote biographies of four of the major commanders during the conflict. While he focused mostly on the characters and morality of the commanders, he also gave some details about the progress of the war. His work is called Parallel Lives and was written in the first century AD, but it was based on earlier accounts of the wars.

Athens

Life in ancient Greece was centered around military needs, with little room for individualism. Strict obedience was emphasized over self-discipline, and infants and babies were left on the hillside to die. Ancient Greece also had a unique system of government, where every citizen voted on issues directly. The main governing body was the Citizens Assembly, which met at least 10 times a year. This system became known as "democracy," or the "rule of the people." Pericles championed democracy and consolidated Athens' wealth and power by collecting revenues from other city-states.

Pericles

Pericles and the Peloponnesian War is a strategic game that combines various issues to decide who wins. The strategy includes two military issues and a league issue. A military expedition is used to raid an enemy country and a league issue is used to establish a base. There is also a diplomatic mission to sow treachery and raise an ally to rebellion.

Mantinea

During the Peloponnesian Wars, Mantinea was a key player. It was the site of two major battles. The first was the Battle of Mantinea, which was the largest land battle of the war. In 420 BC, Mantinea joined an alliance against Sparta. It happened after Sparta had been attacked by the Argive coalition. After this battle, the Spartan king Agis marched his army north to Tegea.

Athens' surrender

The Peloponnesian Wars are a series of conflicting conflicts between Greek city-states. Athens is known for its long-running naval victories over Sparta. Sparta, however, was not to be taken lightly and sought monetary aid from the Persian Empire. In 405 B.C., a Spartan general decimated the Athenian fleet and kept Athens under siege for almost a year.

Athens' naval supremacy

The Peloponnesian Wars were fought between Athens and Sparta. The Athenians used their navy to deliver troops to Spartan territory. They also used it to conduct raids on Spartan settlements. But despite Athens' naval supremacy, they lost the war.

Athens' defeat at sea

Athens' defeat at sea in the first Peloponnesian War had many consequences. Corinth had lost much of its prestige in the war and was likely plotting revenge. A fleet weakened and commanding less than half its strength was no match for the Athenian navy.

Artifacts from the war

Peloponnesian War artifacts tell the story of the conflict that engulfed the Greek city states and shifted power from Athens to Sparta. This war, which lasted about four years, is one of the most significant conflicts in Greek history. It was the most important event in the history of ancient Greece.