What caused the peloponnesian war. The Peloponnesian War 2022-12-19

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The Peloponnesian War was a major conflict that took place in ancient Greece between the city-states of Athens and Sparta. It lasted from 431 to 404 BCE and had far-reaching consequences for the Greek world. The war was caused by a complex mix of factors, including economic, political, and cultural differences between the two sides.

One of the main causes of the war was the growing tension between Athens and Sparta, which had long been rivals. The two city-states had different forms of government and different ways of life. Athens was a democratic city-state, with a strong navy and a thriving trade economy. Sparta, on the other hand, was an oligarchy, with a powerful army and a rigid social structure.

Another important factor was the growing power of Athens and its empire. Athens had established a large empire through its naval dominance and had gained control over many other city-states in the region. Sparta, which had traditionally been the dominant military power in Greece, saw this as a threat to its own position of power.

The war was also fueled by economic tensions between the two sides. Athens relied heavily on trade and its empire to generate wealth, while Sparta relied more on agriculture and its own resources. As Athens grew in power, Sparta feared that it would be unable to compete economically.

Finally, cultural differences played a role in the lead-up to the war. Athens was known for its culture of intellectualism and artistic innovation, while Sparta was more focused on military discipline and strength. These differences in values and ways of life contributed to the growing tension between the two sides.

In summary, the Peloponnesian War was caused by a complex mix of economic, political, and cultural factors. The growing power of Athens, the rivalries between the two city-states, and their differing values and ways of life all contributed to the conflict. Despite the eventual victory of Sparta, the war had a devastating impact on the Greek world and had lasting consequences for the region.

What were the causes of the Peloponnesian War

what caused the peloponnesian war

So much so that Sparta, the great rival of Athens, started the war with the justification of avoiding the excessive growth of military and economic power that Athens exercised over the rest of the Greek cities. Obviously, Pericles would have had no opportunity to realize his plan had there not been an ultimatum from Sparta and, consequently, a public debate on the Megarian Decree. This proved to be a disaster, which led to the loss of an Athenian army and navy. These tensions eventually led the two dominant city-states of Sparta and Athens to go to war in 431 BCE. By his use of the term τινες Diodorus seems to be saying that this is approximately what Ephorus said about the causes of the Peloponnesian War. Peloponnesian War and Its Aftermath When Athens moved the Delian League Treasury from the island of Delos to Athens, this was the last straw for the Spartans, who decided that the Athenians were in violation of the Thirty Years Peace that was between them.

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The Peloponnesian War

what caused the peloponnesian war

They planned to conquer the region, taking advantage of its disunity. See especially Müller 1841:lxiiia—b compare Creuzer 1845:325 ; Cauer 1847:60 with n1; Stelkens 1857:12—13, 25; Klügmann 1860:29; Matthiessen 1857—1860:878; Blass 1892:433; Endemann 1881:7—9; Vogel 1889:533; Meyer 1899:329-333; Busolt 1904:704; Schwartz 1903:680—681; Schwartz 1907:14; Peter 1911:172; Jacoby 1926b:93, ad FGH 70 F 196; Jacoby 1954:489—490, ad Philochorus FGH 328 F 121; Barber 1935:106—112; Momigliano 1975, esp. Much of what we know about the Peloponnesian War comes to us from the Greek historian Thucydides who lived through the war and composed a history of the conflict. What was the effect or result of the great Peloponnesian War? Firstly, the political structure of classical Greek society was itself a cause of war. The Corinthians, who were Spartan allies, convinced Sparta that Athens would not stop until they took over all of Greece. Each city-state functioned as its own independent government. Money and the Corrosion of Power in Thucydides: The Sicilian Expedition and its Aftermath.

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Peloponnesian War Causes & Results

what caused the peloponnesian war

Two kings from two royal families ostensibly ruled it. This disagreement led to friction and eventually outright war. The Delian League was an alliance formed after the Persian Wars 500 - 479 BCE as a means to deter future attacks on Greece from the mighty Persian Empire. They also became very successful in literature and art. Although there were many actors and city-states involved, the Peloponnesian War formed around two distinct rival sides: one led by Sparta and the other led by Athens.


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Causes & Consequences of the Peloponnesian War

what caused the peloponnesian war

Athens and Sparta were both able to rely upon a number of allied city-states, which meant that the war spread throughout Greece. Which was the most important effect of the Peloponnesian War? Athens needed a friendly Megara on its border since it provided gulf access, so it agreed in 459 BCE. It had amassed much wealth from maritime commerce and was the foremost naval power in Greece. Sparta began to contemplate war, but they seemed unwilling to declare war formally. From 350 - 338 BCE, the kingdom of Macedon moved in from the north and conquered much of Greece, taking advantage of weak and disunited city-states. Thucydides said that the Spartans were concerned that the Athenians would switch sides and assist the Helots instead. The Greeks had combined under Sparta and Athens' leadership to defeat the Persians, then the most powerful empire in Asia.

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What are the causes of the Peloponnesian War?

what caused the peloponnesian war

What were the results of Persian war? Sparta was able to defeat Athens in naval battle in 405 BCE, effectively destroying Athens' once strong naval power. Most of the fighting would occur on the Peloponnese, a region of southern Greece, which is where the conflict derived its name. The most significant result of the Peloponnesian War as Athens lost its empire and influence as a model of democracy. Athens was never the same again. What were the outcomes of the Persian war? The power of these two regions and their growing rivalry, were sparked into conflict due to rising tensions caused by the Delian League. Without its all-important navy, Athens could not function, let alone fight a war.

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What is the real cause of the Peloponnesian War according to Thucydides?

what caused the peloponnesian war

Which of the following was an effect of the Peloponnesian War? This era constituted the Golden Age of Athens and was concurrent with Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle's lives. My translation Diodorus 12. The Athenians, at this time, were also in dispute with the small city-state of Megara. The big cultural differences between the two Greek powers was also a contributory factor to the increasing tensions that later exploded into an all-out war that consumed the entire Greek world. Athens' aggressive policies did not help the situation- the city-state's ambitions certainly provoked the Spartans. Athenians rebuilt the Acropolis and used all the Persians weapons to make a bronze statue in honor of Athena. The third cause of the Peloponnesian War was likely due to Sparta's rebellion.

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6. Giovanni Parmeggiani, The Causes of the Peloponnesian War: Ephorus, Thucydides and Their Critics

what caused the peloponnesian war

Sparta Athens was forced to surrender, and Sparta won the Peloponnesian War in 404 BC. . Which was the most significant result of the Peloponnesian War? The object of ἀναγκάσαι is not explicitly stated, and this is not by chance, judging from schol. The Peloponnesian War marked the end of the Golden Age of Greece, a change in styles of warfare, and the fall of Athens, once the strongest city-state in Greece. They unilaterally banned the ships of that Megara from its port and its allies. Greece, the Greek islands, and the territories around the Aegean Sea were made up of independent city-states that frequently engaged in armed struggles for control of new territories and trade or rivalries between their leaders. The balance in power in Greece was shifted when Athens was absorbed into the Spartan Empire.

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What were the causes of the Peloponnesian wars?

what caused the peloponnesian war

Did Sparta ever lose a war? Importance of the Peloponnesian War. The speed and the initiative of the Persians found Athens still isolated. It held control of the Aegean Sea and was able to use its wealth from trade to finance its military. As Rood 1998:222—223 rightly points out, Thucydides is quite elusive on the issue of responsibility for the war. Though Sparta technically won the war, the toll to Ancient Greece was too great.

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Causes of the Peloponnesian War

what caused the peloponnesian war

The Athenians went on to produce their amazing civilization. Sparta, as well as several hundred other city-states, joined the military alliance in order to defend themselves from the outside threat. Consequences and Results The Peloponnesian War weakened Greek civilization militarily and economically. What happened to Sparta and Athens after the Peloponnesian War? A Companion to Ancient Macedonia. Fighting took place throughout Greece and the Aegean Sea and even impacted areas as distant as Sicily. The Delian League had broken up, leaving the peninsula fragmented.

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