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What to do?• The two major alliances are at the height
of tension.
• Sparta threatening to attack, Athens has a protective wall built around the city.– How would the Athenians feel?
• What about the people who live in the region of Attica but outside Athens’ walls? How would they feel?
The beginnings• Athens was becoming very pushy and Sparta
was approached to help out.• Sparta’s alliance started to react to Athens• 300 Thebans (Sparta’s ally) attack Athens’ ally
Platea. • Athens has placed blockades on Corinth for
supporting Sparta.• Phase 1 of the war went from 431BC to 421BC.• In 431 Sparta marched their army to Attica and
Athens and fought shedding a lot of blood.• They attacked by land because of their strong
army.
Athenian Retaliation
• To retaliate for Spartan aggression Athens sent their navy off the coast of the Peloponnesus and attacked. – They had several victories of the coast.
• Athens called everyone from the surrounding area inside the city state, (inside the walls.)
• Somewhere between 150,000 – ½ million moved in.
– What problem would arise with the influx of people?
Differing Strategies
• Athens– strategy was to wear down the Spartans while
the battles were going on.
• Sparta– Invade and complete destruction of Attica.
Athens Deteriorates• Athens is losing the battle outside the wall.
• Pericles delivers the Funeral Oration as a memorial to the fallen soldiers and as inspirational propaganda.
• Inside the walls Athens becomes very overcrowded and conditions very unclean.– A plague of typhus breaks out.
– (Ate the skin.)
– 1 out of 3 people died.• Conditions so bad that huge pits were dug, bodies were thrown in
and burned.
• In 429BC Pericles died from this disease.• The other generals who ruled with him took over until a new leader
could be elected.
Phase 1 Ends
• In 421BC, both sides could see that the war was going nowhere so Sparta and Athens signed a peace treaty.
• The treaty was to last 50 years.– This way both sides would have time to
rebuild.
50 Year Peace Treaty?
• In 420 Alcibiades was elected Athens’ new leader.
• The 50 year peace treaty signed by both sides in 421BC only lasted 9 years. (But within 5 years they had attacked a Spartan ally.)
• During the peace time there was a Cold War mentality.
• What is that? – Lots of suspicion and spying.
Alcibiades as Leader
• Alcibiades had it all: looks, charm, money, brains (in the books, not common sense), good family.
• Pericles’ nephew
• He rebuilt the Athenian War machine during peace time. (20,000 more soldiers, 130 triremes and 130 cargo ships.)
• Because he spent so much on the military the Athenian treasury was depleted.
Invasion of Melos• Melos was an ally of Sparta.
• Very easy take for Athens.
• All men on Melos were killed.
• All women and children were sold into slavery.
• Why do you think he would attack this little island?– Two theories
• To tick off Sparta• To show small city-states the power of Athens.
The Downfall of Alcibiades
• Shortly before the attack on Syracuse the busts of the God Hermes were mutilated. (God of flock and travelers)
• This was seen to be a bad omen, awful things would happen.
• Athenians were upset and they believed Alcibiades was behind it.
• He was to be tried for the crime.
• He fled to Sparta where he believed he would be safe.
Yet Another Traitor Among the Greeks
• Alcibiades got drunk and told the Spartans of the Athenians “secret” plan to attack Syracuse.
• Athenians set out for Syracuse with their fleet.
• When they arrived, they were met by the Spartan fleet.
• They fought off the coast of Sicily• In 412BC the Athenian fleet was totally
destroyed.
What improvements were made to the Athenian military after
phase 1 of the war?130 more triremes, 130 cargo
ships and 20,000 soldiers.
What led to the complete destruction of the Athenian fleet?
A sneak attack by the Spartans at Sicily