Athens and Sparta had previously quarreled in the decades prior to the war. The First Peloponnesian War. End of the Peloponnesian war, Athens defeated By Sparta at Aigospotamoi, Rule of the Thirty Tyrants in Athens. Athens makes a disastrous expedition into Boeotia. Pericles began to plan his city’s defense, but he was stricken with plague and died two years later in 429 B.C.E. One of Sparta’s allies, Corinth, had directly engaged the Athenian army. The Peloponnesian War, one of the most significant events in ancient Greek history, enveloped the city-states of the ancient Greek world, forever changing the region. Sustainability Policy |  Nearly a century of the Peloponnesian War, followed by continued fighting and divisions, had left Greece vulnerable. Athens and Sparta would spar again. Terms of Service |  Archidamian War: name of the first part of the Peloponnesian War (431-404), the great conflict between Athens and Sparta. Peloponnesian War, (431–404 bce), war fought between the two leading city-states in ancient Greece, Athens and Sparta. The war began in 431 BC and lasted until 404 BC. By 411 Athens itself was in political turmoil. First we enumerate the causes of the war. How long did the Peloponnesian war last? As a Spartan ally, Corinth resumed hostilities toward Athens when Athens threatened Corinth’s interests in the region surrounding Corcyra. Diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute failed. Athens makes little forays on the Peloponnese by sea and Sparta destroys areas in the countryside of Attica. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. What were the 90-120 foot long ships carrying around 200 men that was used by the Greeks to batter the Persian fleet? Privacy Notice |  Encyclopedic Entry. The agreement was made official with the signing of the Peace of Nicias. Athens agreed and both sides signed a defensive treaty. It would be another decade of warfare before the Spartan general Lysander defeated the Athenian fleet at Aegospotami. Ancient Greek politics, philosophy, art and scientific achievements greatly influenced Western civilizations today. The Peloponnesian War remodeled the entire Greek state. Jeanna Sullivan, National Geographic Society, Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society Many excellent historians have discussed the causes of the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BCE), and many more will do so in the future. Greece remained bipolar in structure, with all the enmity still festering. Athens makes a disastrous expedition into Boeotia. when the Thebans launched a surprise attack on Plataea, who as a partner of Athens. Map of the Long Walls of Athens. This war shifted power from Athens to Sparta, making Sparta the most powerful city-state in the region. This lecture covers the Peloponnesian War. alliance of countries that opposed the Axis during World War II. The Spartans also suffered reverses at sea. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. A fifteen-year conflict, commonly known as the First Peloponnesian War, ensued, in which Athens fought intermittently against Sparta, Corinth, Aegina, and a number of other states. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. An overview of ancient Greek civilization. This set the stage for Cleon’s rival Nicias to persuade the Athenians to accept the Spartans’ offer of peace. It is called after the Spartan king Archidamus II. The war ended on 25 April 404 B.C. ... A long, long time ago, human beings roamed the earth looking for food. The war featured two periods of combat separated by a six-year truce. Margot Willis, National Geographic Society. On June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris, France. The first period lasted 10 years and began with the Spartans, under Archidamus II, leading an army into Attica, the region around Athens. Fighting ensued, and the Athenians then took steps that explicitly violated the Thirty Years’ Treaty. Use the videos, media, reference materials, and other resources in this collection to teach about ancient Greece, its role in modern-day democracy, and civic engagement. Thus, the Athenians had the stronger navy and the Spartans the stronger army. Build-up: In the year 446, at the end of the First Peloponnesian War, Athens signed a treaty with the Peloponnesian League. It became embroiled in too many conflicts for its army to handle, and its hold over Greece ended with defeat by Thebes and its Boeotian League allies at the battle of Leuctra in 371 BC. In the following years their respective blocs observed an uneasy peace. It is called after the Spartan king Archidamus II. The Peloponnesian league was a coalition of the Thebes, Corinth and Sparta. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Sparta and its allies accused Athens of aggression and threatened war. The end came in 405 when the Athenian navy was destroyed at Aegospotami by the Spartan fleet under Lysander, who had received much aid from the Persians. 10 years Updates? Aftermath: The so-called "Thirty Years Peace" would last less than half of that time. As a result, the two powers were relatively unable to fight decisive battles.The Spartan strategy during the Archidamian War was to invad… National Geographic Headquarters They launched incursions into Attican region. when Athens surrendered. But as we saw in the last video, as soon as the Persians are dealt with, tensions start to rise between Athens and Sparta and their various allies. In "The First Peloponnesian War", Athenians agreed to a thirty year peace treaty with Sparta, but it only ended up lasting fourteen years before more conflict arose between the … These 27 years were not full of conflict, though. Vocabulary. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. When the First Peloponnesian War broke out, Sparta was still preoccupied suppressing the helot revolt, hence its involvement was somewhat desultory. This war shifted power from Athens to Sparta, making Sparta the most powerful city-state in the region. Gina Borgia, National Geographic Society The First Peloponnesian War. The treaty brought an end to the conflict commonly known as the First Peloponnesian War, which had been raging since c. 460 BCE. Nearly a century of the Peloponnesian War, followed by continued fighting and divisions, had left Greece vulnerable. Within a few months, however, Pericles fell victim to a terrible plague that raged through the crowded city, killing a large part of its army as well as many civilians. The war ended on 25 April 404 B.C. This copper engraving by Matthaus Merian illustration depicts the Athenian naval defeat near Corinth over the Corinthian and Spartan fleet around 430 B.C.E. The so-called Peace of Nicias began in 421 and lasted six years. Importance of the Peloponnesian War Archidamian War: name of the first part of the Peloponnesian War (431-404), the great conflict between Athens and Sparta. The first Peloponnesian war was fought from 460BC - 445BC. The Spartan army began by raiding lands within an Athenian allied territory, particularly a region near Athens called Attica. Athens (under Pericles and then Nicias) successful until 424. This war started in 431 and ended in 421 with something that came close to an Athenian victory and a Spartan defeat. Finally, in the spring of 431, a Spartan ally, Thebes, attacked an Athenian ally, Plataea, and open war began. She or he will best know the preferred format. In 428 they tried to aid the island state of Lesbos, a tributary of Athens that was planning to revolt. On the advice of Pericles, its most influential leader, Athens refused to back down. The Peloponnesian War was a conflict between Athens and Sparta—the two leading ancient Greek city states—and their respective allies. Review what you ’ ve submitted and determine whether to revise the.... From several victories, acted to restore democratic Rule defined as violent between. The media viewer party, which was in turn replaced by the Athenians to accept the.... ' narrative covers the first Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens that started in 460 B.C of educators and the. 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