The Decline of Athens

The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC)

The growth of Athenian power aroused the jealousy of Sparta and other independent Greek states and the discontent of Athens’s subject states The result was a war that put an end to the power of Athens

The long struggle, called the Peloponnesian War, began in 431 bc It was a contest between a great sea power, Athens and its empire, and a great land power, Sparta and the military coalition it led, called the Peloponnesian League

The plan of Pericles in the beginning was not to fight at all, but to let Corinth and Sparta spend their money and energies while Athens conserved both He had all the inhabitants of Attica come inside the walls of Athens and let their enemies ravage the plain year after year, while Athens, without losses, harried their lands by sea. However, the bubonic plague broke out in besieged and overcrowded Athens. It killed one-fourth of the population, including Pericles, and left the rest without spirit and without a leader The first phase of the Peloponnesian War ended with the outcome undecided

Almost before they knew it, the Athenians were whirled by the unscrupulous politician Alcibiades, a nephew of Pericles, into the second phase of the war (414–404 BC) Wishing for a brilliant military career, Alcibiades persuaded Athens to undertake a large-scale expedition against Syracuse, a Corinthian colony in Sicily. The Athenian armada was destroyed in 413 BC, and the captives were sold into slavery.

This disaster sealed the fate of Athens The allied Aegean cities that had remained faithful to Athens now deserted to Sparta, and the Spartan armies laid Athens under siege In 405 bc the whole remaining Athenian fleet of 180 triremes (oar-powered three-decked warships) was captured in the Hellespont at the battle of Aegospotami Besieged by land and powerless by sea, Athens could neither raise grain nor import it, and in 404 BC its empire came to an end The fortifications and long walls connecting Athens with Piraeus were destroyed, and Athens became a vassal, or subject state, of triumphant Sparta

Let’s Review!

1 What factors led to the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, and what were the main opposing forces in the conflict?

2. Describe the initial strategy of Pericles at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War and its impact on Athens and its enemies

3 How did the bubonic plague affect Athens during the first phase of the Peloponnesian War, and what were its consequences on the population and leadership?

4 Who played a significant role in initiating the second phase of the Peloponnesian War, and what ill-fated expedition did Athens undertake under his influence?

5. What event marked a turning point in the Peloponnesian War, sealing the fate of Athens, and how did the city eventually succumb to Sparta in 404 BC?

The End of the Greek City-States

Sparta tried to maintain its supremacy by keeping garrisons in many of the Greek cities This custom, together with Sparta’s hatred of democracy, made its domination unpopular At the battle of Leuctra, in 371 BC, the Thebans (under their gifted commander Epaminondas) put an end to the power of Sparta. Theban leadership was short-lived, however, for it depended on the skill of Epaminondas When he was killed in the battle of Mantinea, in 362 BC, Thebes had really suffered a defeat in spite of its apparent victory The age of the powerful city-states was at an end, and a prostrated Greece had become easy prey for a would-be conqueror

Such a conqueror was found in the young and strong country of Macedon, which lay just to the north of Classical Greece. Its King Philip II, who came into power in 360 bc, had had a Greek education Seeing the weakness of the disunited cities, he made up his mind to take possession of the Greek world Demosthenes saw the danger that threatened and by a series of fiery speeches against Philip sought to unite the Greeks as they had once been united against Persia

The military might of Philip proved too strong for the disunited city-states, and at the battle of Chaeronea (338 BC) he established his leadership over Greece Before he could carry his conquests to Asia Minor, however, he was killed and his power fell to his son Alexander, then not quite 20 years old Alexander firmly entrenched his rule throughout Greece and then overthrew the vast power of Persia, building up an empire that embraced nearly the entire world known to the Mediterranean peoples Alexander’s conquest of the Greek city-states spread Greek ideas and culture widely throughout the empire

Let’s Review!

1 How did Sparta try to stay in control, and why did other Greek cities not like Sparta's way of ruling?

2 What big event led to the end of Sparta's power, and who was the important person that helped Thebes win?

3. Even though Thebes seemed to win at the Battle of Mantinea, why did they actually lose, and what happened when Epaminondas died?

4 What caused the powerful city-states in Greece to become weaker, and why were they easily attacked by others?

5 How did King Philip II of Macedon use the problems between Greek cities to his advantage, and what did Demosthenes do to try to stop him?

Spotlight: Alexander the Great, how great was he?

Directions: Use the documents A-F from these slides to help you complete the chart, then answer the question at the bottom of the page

Document Information Does this document provide evidence that Alexander the Great was in fact “great”?

A: Alexander’s Empire Map

B: The Campaigns of Alexander, circa 130 BC

C: Alexander of Macedon, 1991

D: The Campaigns of Alexander, circa 130 BC

E: Alexander’s Legacy Chart

F: Footsteps of Alexander the Great, 1997

How Great Was Alexander the Great?

What makes you say that?