From 431 to 404 BCE, the two most powerful city-states of ancient Greece clashed in the Peloponnesian War. On one side was Athens, with its superior naval strength, and on the other was Sparta, with its mighty army. Each led an alliance encompassing most Greek city-states, turning the war into a widespread conflict throughout the Greek world.
After years of fierce fighting on land and sea, Sparta emerged victorious. However, decades of war devastated Athens and the rest of Greece, marking the end of Greece’s Golden Age. This exhausting conflict also paved the way for Macedonian dominance over Greece and, ultimately, the rise of Alexander the Great’s empire.
Fortunately, this conflict was meticulously documented by Thucydides—one of antiquity’s greatest historians and an eyewitness to the Peloponnesian War. So, what led to this war, and what events reshaped the Greek world? Join Thefactsofwar to explore the details in this article.
Peloponnesian War – A Clash of Alliances Led by Athens and Sparta
By the onset of the Peloponnesian War, two major powers dominated the Greek world. Athens, under Pericles’ leadership, had become ancient Greece’s leading cultural and economic hub. Athens also headed the Delian League (or Athenian League). Initially, this alliance aimed to protect its members from future Persian Empire attacks.
However, Sparta feared Athens would exploit the league to bolster its military power and influence. This fear materialized as Athens used the Delian League’s vast treasury to build a formidable navy. In response, Sparta formed its own alliance—the Peloponnesian League. A clash between these two powerful alliances was only a matter of time.
The First Conflict Between Athens and Sparta
Though Athens and Sparta were central to the Peloponnesian War, it wasn’t their first confrontation. Years before the war officially began, Athens and Sparta (along with their allies) had clashed in another conflict, sometimes called the “First Peloponnesian War.”
In 445 BCE, both sides agreed to a truce known as the Thirty Years’ Peace. However, after years of fragile peace, war broke out again in 431 BCE. This time, there would be no chance for peace, as the greatest conflict the Greek world had ever seen loomed ahead.
Early Phase of the Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War unfolded in two phases, interrupted by a brief period of peace. The first phase, called the “Archidamian War” (named after Spartan king Archidamus), began when Corinth felt threatened by Athens’ aggression against the Athenian forces.
Corinth was a Peloponnesian League member, but Sparta, not yet ready for war, didn’t respond immediately. When Athens refused to back down, in the spring of 431 BCE, Sparta’s ally Thebes attacked Athens’ ally Plataea, plunging the Greek world into full-scale war.
In the following years, neither side secured a decisive victory. Athens’ powerful fleet dominated the seas, while Sparta’s warriors excelled on land. Spartan forces invaded Attica, the region around Athens, and ravaged it. Knowing they couldn’t defeat the enemy in open battle, Athenian leader Pericles urged citizens to retreat behind the city’s sturdy walls and use the navy to harass enemy coastlines and supply lines.
The Plague of Athens
Initially, Pericles’ strategy proved effective. However, just months after the war began, a horrific plague erupted in the overcrowded city, killing a large portion of the army and many civilians. The rapid spread of the “Plague of Athens” and rising death toll sparked panic among Athens’ residents and refugees.
Thucydides recorded that social order collapsed entirely, and religious rites were abandoned. When the plague finally subsided, the casualties were staggering—about 75,000 to 100,000 people died, including Athens’ leader, Pericles.
These immense losses left Athens short of the manpower needed to form an army capable of defeating Sparta. It wasn’t until 415 BCE, eleven years after the plague’s last outbreak, that Athens mounted a significant counteroffensive against the Peloponnesian League.
Second Phase of the Peloponnesian War
The plague devastated Athens and its military, but the war pressed on. Exhausted by the fruitless conflict, in 423 BCE, both sides signed a treaty called the “Peace of Nicias.” Intended to last 50 years, it held for less than six, with minor clashes persisting even during this so-called “peace.”
However, full hostilities resumed in 415 BCE when Athens launched an attack on Syracuse. Controlling Sicily entirely would have given Athens dominance over much of Mediterranean trade. But Syracuse was a Peloponnesian League member, and Sparta resolved to retaliate.
This time, Sparta prepared for naval warfare, boasting a formidable fleet partly funded by their old foe, the Persian Empire. Two years later, the Athenians were expelled from the island, losing most of their fleet during the retreat. Athens descended into political chaos. Yet, instead of seeking a truce, the Athenians rebuilt their navy, and the war dragged on for another decade. Finally, in 405 BCE, Spartan admiral Lysander crushed the Athenian fleet at the Battle of Aegospotami.
Who Won the Peloponnesian War?
The short answer—nobody. True, the destruction of Athens’ fleet effectively ended the Peloponnesian War, as Athens lost control of the seas. To worsen matters, Sparta—the victor—ordered the demolition of Athens’ famed Long Walls, banned Athens from maintaining a fleet of more than 12 ships, and forced Athens to pay tribute to Sparta.
Sparta now emerged as the leading power in the Greek world. The Delian League dissolved, and Athens itself fell under Spartan control. Athens’ defeat also marked the decline of Greece’s cultural and intellectual hub, ending ancient Greece’s Golden Age.
Yet, Sparta’s dominance didn’t last. They soon became embroiled in too many conflicts, ultimately losing to their former ally Thebes. Less than a century after the Peloponnesian War, King Philip II of Macedon exploited Greece’s weakened state, conquering Athens, Sparta, and all their allies, paving the way for his son Alexander the Great’s vast empire and the dawn of the Hellenistic era.
Conclusion
In Summary, the Peloponnesian War wasn’t just a clash between ancient Greece’s mightiest city-states—Athens and Sparta—but a pivotal event that reshaped history. The war ravaged Greece’s economy, culture, and society, ending Athens’ Golden Age. Though Sparta won, the conflict’s toll weakened both sides, enabling Macedon’s rise and Alexander the Great’s conquest of the world.
Thefactsofwar hopes this article has offered a comprehensive and insightful look into the Peloponnesian War, from its causes and events to its lasting impact. Through this, we aim to spark your curiosity to explore other grand historical chapters and draw valuable lessons from the past.
Translated by: Minh Tuan
Source: thecollector.com – What Was the Peloponnesian War?
