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The Full History of the Peloponnesian War - Athens vs Sparta

Kings and Generals・2 minutes read

The Peloponnesian Wars were complex conflicts between Athens and Sparta, marked by key battles, alliances, and power struggles across Greece. Victory for Athens in naval battles, defeat in Sicily, and surrender to Sparta marked the end of the war, reshaping the political landscape of ancient Greece.

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The Peloponnesian Wars were complex geopolitical conflicts involving Athens and Sparta, documented by Thucydides and sparking scholarly discussions.
The formation of the Delian League by Athens and the Peloponnesian League by Sparta in the 5th century BCE set the stage for conflict.
Athens' naval campaigns, democratic reforms, and power consolidation through the Delian League treasury relocation fueled tensions with Sparta.
The conflict escalated through battles like Sybota, Potidaea's revolt, and the siege of Plataea, marked by accusations of imperialism and defense of democracy.
Athenian victories in strategic naval battles like Naupaktos and Pylos shifted the tide in their favor, leading to a resurgence of democracy.
The Sicilian Expedition's failure, Alcibiades' controversial role, and the subsequent Athenian surrender to Sparta reshaped the course of the war.
Lysander's decisive victories in the Hellespont, leading to the massacre of Athenians and Athens' surrender, marked the end of the war and the rise of Thebes as a prominent power.

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What were the Peloponnesian Wars?
Geopolitical conflicts involving Athens and Sparta.

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Summary

00:00

Peloponnesian Wars: Athens vs Sparta in History

The Peloponnesian Wars are renowned geopolitical conflicts in Mediterranean history, involving Athens and Sparta.
Thucydides and other authors documented the wars, sparking discussions among classicists, philosophers, and political scientists.
The wars' complexity makes discussing all details challenging, including prelude and aftermath.
The video on the Peloponnesian Wars will cover various battles and political changes in Hellas.
The Delian League, led by Athens, was formed in 478 BCE to liberate Greek cities from Persian rule.
The Peloponnesian League, under Sparta, was established in 550 BCE to maintain Spartan influence.
The construction of Long Walls in Athens in 479 BCE caused tension with Sparta.
Athens' aid during the Helot Revolt in Messenia was initially rejected by Sparta.
Athens' power grew through naval campaigns, democratic reforms, and the relocation of the Delian League treasury to Athens.
The Thirty Years Peace in 445 BCE divided ancient Greece into spheres of influence between Athens and Sparta, marking a Cold War period.

14:23

Conflict and alliances in ancient Greece

A Democratic coup in Epidamnus in 435 BCE expelled Oligarchs to Illyrian tribes, leading to conflict.
Corcyra, Epidamnus's mother colony, did not initially intervene in the conflict.
Corcyra sought help from Athens, leading to a proxy war in Sparta's sphere of influence.
The Battle of Sybota between Corcyra and Corinth escalated the conflict between 435-431 BCE.
Athens sent ten ships to Corcyra in a defensive alliance against Corinth's 150 ships.
Corinth and Corcyra clashed in a naval battle near Corfu, with Athens supporting Corcyra.
Athens and Corcyra faced Corinth in a naval battle, with Athens initially acting defensively.
Athens reinforced Corcyra with twenty ships, leading to Corinth's retreat.
Athens imposed economic sanctions on Megara in 432 BCE, sparking tensions with Sparta.
Potidaea, a Corinthian colony, revolted against Athens, leading to a siege and eventual surrender.

28:15

"The Peloponnesian War: Athens vs Sparta"

Thucydides describes the conflict between Athens and the Peloponnesian League, highlighting the mutual accusations of imperialism and defending democracy.
The Peloponnesian League initiates the war by invading Attica, leading to a scorched earth policy to starve out Athens, countered by Athens blocking the Gulf of Corinth.
Perikles reassures Athenians that victory will come through strategy and naval power, avoiding ground combat with Spartan hoplites.
After a month of pillaging, the Spartans return home for the harvest, allowing Athens to hold a public funeral where Perikles delivers his iconic Funeral Oration.
Perikles's Oration frames Athenian deaths as sacrifices for democracy, contrasting Athens with militaristic Sparta.
In 429 BCE, the Peloponnesian League attempts to lift the Athenian blockade at Rhium, leading to a naval battle where Phormio's innovative tactics secure an Athenian victory.
Phormio also leads a successful battle at Naupaktos, outmaneuvering the Peloponnesians and ensuring Athenian control of the Gulf of Corinth.
A defeat for the Athenians occurs at Spartolus, near Potidaea, where Athenian forces are overwhelmed by peltast reinforcements, resulting in significant casualties.
The death of Perikles allows for Athenian allies to revolt, with Thebes encroaching on Plataea, leading to a conflict that marks the official beginning of the Peloponnesian War.
Archidamos besieges Plataea, leading to negotiations and a standoff between Sparta and Athens over the city's fate.

41:42

Plataeans' valiant defense against Spartan siege

Plataeans extended their walls and dug under Spartan mounds to delay construction.
They built fortifications inside the city using materials from the mound for defense.
Plataeans disabled Spartan siege engines with lassoes and fire.
Spartans resorted to surrounding and starving Plataea after failed attempts to breach the walls.
Plataeans suffered malnutrition due to the blockade by Spartans.
Plataeans attempted a breakout, with only 220 soldiers succeeding.
Escapees reached Athens, but Athenians did not send aid due to avoiding direct combat with Sparta.
Plataeans surrendered after negotiations with Spartans, leading to a show trial and executions.
Thebans condemned surviving Plataeans to death, sold women into slavery, and burnt the city.
Athens faced financial strain after the Mytilenean revolt, leading to a debate on punishing Mytileneans.

55:46

Demosthenes' Victory: Athenians Triumph Over Spartans

Spartans attempted to invade Naupaktos with 3,000 hoplites, supported by Locrians who switched sides.
Demosthenes, upon hearing of the siege, received 1,000 Acarnanian hoplites and forced the Spartans to retreat.
Spartans aimed to subdue Acarnania by taking positions at Proschium with Ambraciot allies.
Demosthenes arrived with reinforcements, including triremes, Messenian hoplites, and Athenian archers.
Ambraciots broke through initially but were ambushed by hidden troops, leading to chaos and heavy casualties.
Eurylochos was killed in battle, and Menedaios requested to retreat, leaving behind some troops.
Demosthenes blocked Spartan reinforcements at Idomene, leading to a successful ambush and surrender of Spartan hoplites.
Athenians, led by Demosthenes, built fortifications at Pylos to raid Sparta, trapping Spartan hoplites on Sphacteria.
Athenians surrounded and defeated Spartans on Sphacteria, leading to the surrender of 292 Spartan hoplites.
Athens gained the upper hand in the conflict, planning further expeditions against Boeotia and Kythera.

01:09:23

Athenian-Spartan conflict culminates in Amphipolis battle.

Athens planned to break through the Long Walls connecting Megara to Nisaea, part of the Peloponnesian League, to force Megara's surrender.
The Athenians, with allies, blockaded the port at Nisaea and took the local Spartan garrison hostage.
Spartan general Brasidas, stationed nearby in Boeotia, gathered troops from Corinth, Sicyon, and Phlious to counter Athens' move.
Brasidas settled near Megara, waiting for the Athenians to withdraw, eventually gaining entry into the city.
Athens faced challenges in Boeotia, with Demosthenes and Hippokrates planning a naval invasion of Phocis and a land attack on Delium.
Phocis, crucial for controlling communications, was not successfully taken due to pro-Spartan interference.
In Delium, a significant battle ensued, resulting in Athenian losses and the death of their commander.
A truce in 423 BCE allowed for a temporary ceasefire, during which Amphipolis was captured by Brasidas.
Athens, led by Cleon, launched a naval expedition to retake Amphipolis, resulting in a stand-off with Brasidas.
The Battle of Amphipolis ended in a decisive Spartan victory, with the death of key generals on both sides, leading to negotiations for the Peace of Nicias.

01:23:16

Tensions and Alliances in Ancient Greece

Corinth threatened to secede from the Peloponnesian League to intimidate Sparta.
The Corinthians proposed an alliance to the Argives, who accepted and were joined by Mantinea.
Tensions rose between Athens and Boeotia due to the demolition of Panactum.
Alcibiades pushed for a pro-war agenda in Athens, forming alliances with Mantinea, Argos, and Ellis.
Athens attacked Epidauros with a coalition of democracies, aiming to isolate Corinth geopolitically.
King Agis of Sparta negotiated with the Argives outside Argos, avoiding a battle initially.
The Spartans faced off against the Argives and Athenian allies at Mantinea, resulting in a battle.
The Spartans defeated the Argives and their allies at Mantinea, with significant losses on both sides.
After the Battle of Mantinea, peace was made between Argos and Sparta, leading to the collapse of the anti-Spartan alliance.
Athens and Sparta remained officially at peace, but tensions grew, leading to further conflicts and political turmoil in both cities.

01:37:08

Alcibiades' Sicilian Expedition: Rise and Fall

The Priestess of Clazomenae named Hesychia arrived in the city, signifying peace.
Alcibiades led Athenian troops to set sail for Sicily, despite Hermes statues being defaced in Athens.
Accused of the defacement, Alcibiades defended himself and embarked on the Sicilian Expedition.
Sicily, with Greek and Phoenician colonies, was a complex political landscape with Syracuse as a key city.
Athens' military intervention in Sicily in 415 BCE involved a massive force of 5,100 hoplites, 480 archers, and more.
Alcibiades was called back to Athens for trial but mysteriously disappeared on the way.
Nicias led the Athenian army in Sicily, devising a plan to surprise Syracuse and gain an advantage.
The Athenians clashed with the Syracusans, resulting in a battle where Syracuse lost 260 men and Athens 50.
Gylippus arrived in Syracuse with reinforcements, turning the tide against Athens.
Athens faced a dire situation, with Demosthenes' failed attack leading to discussions of retreat before a lunar eclipse delayed their decision.

01:51:34

Athenian defeat in Sicilian Expedition ignites war

Athens attempted to use their heavy ships to break through the enemy's forces but failed, leading to a decision to leave via land.
The 40,000 survivors of the battle, led by Nicias and Demosthenes, marched across Anapus and camped on a hill before settling in inhabited land.
Despite attempts to push through the Acreaen Cliff, they failed and faced low supplies as they fought to break through on the fifth day.
Nicias and Demosthenes tried to march to Camaraina or Gela but were split during a night march, with Demosthenes losing control over his scattered half.
Demosthenes surrendered with his 6,000 survivors to the Syracusans, while Nicias and his troops reached the River Erineus and took a position on high ground.
Nicias tried to bribe his way out but was bombarded with javelins by the Syracusans, leading to a failed night escape plan.
The Athenians were attacked at the River Assinarus while trying to drink water, with Nicias attempting to surrender but facing a massacre by the Syracusans.
Nicias and Demosthenes were executed, and most survivors were forced into manual labor in a quarry under harsh conditions.
Athens suffered a massive loss in the doomed campaign, leading to political turmoil and the establishment of the Tyranny of the Four Hundred in Athens.
Sparta gained strength, sought financial assistance from Persia, and initiated the second phase of the war with pre-emptive escalations on both sides.

02:05:21

Athenian Triumphs in Hellespont Naval Battles

Athenians spread out their right wing and had their left wing move up the Hellespont, leading to a land-based battle.
Athenian wings at sea defeated their enemies and saved their comrades by crushing the Peloponnesian centre.
Most Peloponnesian ships escaped, but Athens lost fifteen ships and captured twenty-one, leading to a significant Athenian victory.
Abydos battle occurred later, involving a man from Rhodes named Dorieus, with varying accounts by Diodoros and Xenophon.
Battle details include the number of ships involved, the landing of Rhodians, and the intervention of Pharnabazos.
Thrasyboulos and Thrasyllus led the Athenians, with Alcibiades arriving with additional ships, leading to a major Athenian victory.
Despite victories in Cynossema and Abydos, Athens faced challenges securing control due to Persian assistance to Sparta.
Details of naval forces, including numbers of ships and leaders like Mindaros and Alcibiades, are crucial in understanding the conflict.
Cyzicus battle involved strategic moves by Alcibiades, leading to the capture of the Peloponnesian fleet and a significant Athenian victory.
The victories in the Hellespont boosted Athenian morale, leading to a resurgence of democracy and harsh measures against tyranny.

02:18:47

Naval Battles and Political Intrigue in 406 BCE

Lysander met his end in a knife brawl after rushing out of a burning structure, ending his story as a statesman, traitor, general, and turncoat in 406 BCE.
Callicratidas succeeded Lysander as the navarch and attempted to break through the Athenian sphere of influence by rallying 140 ships for a naval battle against Conon.
The siege of Delphinium in 406 BCE on Chios, an Athenian base, saw the Spartans allowing the Athenian garrison to surrender before leveling the fortress.
Callicratidas then attacked Methymne on Lesbos, facing resistance but eventually breaching the walls with differing accounts of betrayal by locals.
Conon fled from Callicratidas to Mytilene, leading to a naval battle where 30 Athenian ships were destroyed, but most crews survived.
Conon tried to send for help to Athens during the siege, with one ship reaching its destination while others were intercepted by Callicratidas.
The Battle of Arginusae in 406 BCE saw Athens sending 155 ships, including eight generals, against Sparta's 140 ships led by Callicratidas.
The Athenian fleet strategically positioned itself against Callicratidas' split fleet, resulting in a long and challenging battle where Callicratidas met his end.
After the battle, the Athenian generals faced blame for not rescuing drowned sailors, leading to a heated debate and eventual execution of six generals.
Despite the Athenian victory, financial struggles and loss of key generals left them vulnerable, while Sparta sought to regroup with Persian support for the ongoing conflict.

02:31:57

Lysander's Naval Victory Over Athens

The Peloponnesian League cities, fearing the Athenians, called for a meeting in Ephesus to persuade Spartan leader Lysander to resume his role as Naval Transport Supremo.
Lysander prepared a fleet of 35 ships in 406/405 BCE with Persian funds to rearm the Peloponnesian fleet and secure support from towns like Miletos and Caria.
Lysander captured Caria and set his sights on the Hellespont, a strategic location fought over by many.
Athenians improved their navy and set up a base in the Hellespont, where Alkibiades advised on fortifications and the importance of land troops.
Lysander, with Spartan supporter Aracus, built a formidable army and navy of 170 ships, while Athens had 180 ships and 36,000 men.
Athenians, led by Philokles, split their squadron, allowing Lysander to defeat them in a series of naval battles.
Lysander's victory led to the massacre of 3,000 Athenians, with Conon fleeing to Cyprus.
Athens, besieged by Lysander, sent an embassy led by Theramenes to negotiate terms with Sparta.
Athens surrendered to Sparta, accepting terms that included reduced navy, reintegration of exiles, and a moderate oligarchy.
The Thirty Tyrants, installed by Theramenes, faced opposition from democrats like Thrasyboulos, leading to the Phyle Campaign to restore Athenian democracy.

02:45:42

Political turmoil in Athens: a historical overview.

Thrasyboulos was becoming more assertive in his goals, aiming to restore noble polity in Athens.
The Battle of Munychia was set in Peiraeas, a port known for radical democracy.
Diodoros and Xenophon provided differing accounts of the events leading to the Battle of Munychia.
Thrasyboulos led the Democrats in a successful charge against the Tyrants, resulting in the deposition of the Thirty.
Sparta, under Lysander and Pausanias, intervened in Athens' political turmoil, with Pausanias eventually leading an attack against the Democrats.
Pausanias' forces clashed with the Democrats, resulting in a victory for Sparta and the restoration of democracy in Athens.
The Peloponnesian War had severe impacts on Greek city-states, leading to economic losses and population devastation.
The war's aftermath saw shifts in power dynamics, with Sparta's dominance waning and Thebes emerging as a significant player in Hellas.

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