The Peloponnesian War The Struggle for the Future of Greece.

The Peloponnesian WarThe Peloponnesian War

The Struggle for the Future of Greece

Thucydides

His History is our main source for the war

Manuscript is incomplete at time of death

Eyewitness accounts, recreation of speeches, tell the facts, not myth

Reasons for War

End of the Thirty Year Peace 440-431

Spartan land dominance, Athenian sea power

Corinth “Athens is a threat to Greek liberty.”

Reasons for War Corinth – 2nd largest naval power Athens - natural leader of the Greeks Sparta – fears Athens

Athenian Strategy

Pericles’ plan pays off, as the Athenians can get supplies through the long walls, and with the help of their fleet.

The City Secured

Attica withdraws

Spartan army invades, ravages city

Walls protect food supply

But the Plan is Flawed . . .

Can’t attack from within

Can’t keep thousands stuffed inside city

Can’t outlast the plague

The Plague

“In general, there was no known cause, but people in good health were all of a sudden attacked by violent heat in the head and red and inflamed eyes, and internally the throat and tongue were bleeding . . . The body itself was not very hot, nor pale, but reddish, livid and breaking out into all manner of pustules and ulceratic wounds.”

The Death of Pericles

429 BCE

Oligarchs vs. Democrats

Settlement vs. War

Cleon’s Plan or the Archidamian War

Invade Sparta

Logic: Deter Spartans from invading Attica

& Helots will revolt

425 BCE – invades with army, dead in 422

The Peace of Nicias

Nicas negotiates a treaty

30 year truce that lasts only 7 years

Everyone goes back to their land

But pro-war faction does not vanish

Alcibiades the Agitator

Everything you could want in a politician:

Young, good speaker, clever . . .

Highly educated, daring, good at parties

But best of all, he was the nephew of Pericles

With a leader like this, what could go wrong?

He is politically amoral Picks the war effort because it suits him Wants to lead and this side needs a leader By 420 he is strategos Figures out how to attack Up until now, the plan had only been how

to defend Athens

The Sicilian Expedition

Sparta depends on the Magna Graecia for supplies and Corinth for trade

Cut off the supplies, and you have victory

Go for Syracuse

The Magna Graecia

Could this plan work?

Capture Syracuse (main city in Sicily)

Capture Sicily

Cut Corinth and Sparta off from trade and supplies

Problems

How to get the fleet past Corinth?

Could an Athenian army take Syracuse?

How could Athens afford this?

Nicias vs. Alcibiades

Nicias on the war: need large land army Feasibility of plan Take all supplies along Very expensive “With this Nicias concluded thinking that

it would either disgust the Athenians by the magnitude of the task . . . or that they would be persuaded to do this in the safest way possible”

Alcibiades’ Speech

“Know that we shall increase our power at home by this adventure abroad . . . Let us humble the pride of the Peloponnesians by sailing off to Sicily . . . And at the same time we shall become either masters, as we very easily may, of the whole of Hellas . . . Or in any case ruin the Syracusians, to no small advantage to us and our allies.”

Athenians Want War

3 Commanders to keep things fair and balanced . . .

Alcibiades

Nicias

Lamachus

The Expedition Begins

134 triremes, 27,000 men

Treasury is emptied

Defacing of statues

Alcibiades arrested

Spartans get a spy

Nicias Takes Command

How to win the war when the guy who wanted it is now on the other side???

And the guy who didn’t want it is now in charge???

Things are not looking good for Athens

Disaster Strikes

Get the fleet home

Surprise Ambush

Land Assault

Most terrible loses in the history of Greece

Damage Control

Athens raises second fleet

Lack of leadership dooms attempt

Oligarchs take control in 414

Democrats favored by 410

Welcome Home, Alcibiades

Recalled from exile

Four years of victories

Falls from favor

405 BCE

Athenians attempt to restock ships

Spartans and Corinthians are waiting

Athenians fail to guard fleet

There can be no recovery

Spartans Invade Attica

In 404, Athens surrenders

Athenians forced to pull down walls of city

Athenian fleet restricted

Ally with Sparta (forced to do this)

The Consequences are Dire

Lost the Empire

Never a major political influence again

Sparta does not have the leadership skills to unite Greece

Coming Soon . . . Who is closer to the idea Greek woman:

Uma or Jessica?