Logo
Logo
Log inSign up
Logo

Tools

AI Concept MapsAI Mind MapsAI Study NotesAI FlashcardsAI Quizzes

Resources

BlogTemplate

Info

PricingFAQTeam

info@algoreducation.com

Corso Castelfidardo 30A, Torino (TO), Italy

Algor Lab S.r.l. - Startup Innovativa - P.IVA IT12537010014

Privacy PolicyCookie PolicyTerms and Conditions

The Ascendancy of Athens and the Prelude to the Peloponnesian War

The ascension of Athens post-Greco-Persian Wars and the formation of the Delian League set the stage for the Peloponnesian War. Athens' growing power, exemplified by the Long Walls and naval expansion, alongside the imposition of policies on allies, fueled tensions with Sparta. The fragile Thirty Years' Peace, marred by conflicts like the Samian revolt and the Megarian Decree, ultimately collapsed, leading to war.

See more
Open map in editor

1

5

Open map in editor

Want to create maps from your material?

Insert your material in few seconds you will have your Algor Card with maps, summaries, flashcards and quizzes.

Try Algor

Learn with Algor Education flashcards

Click on each Card to learn more about the topic

1

Delian League purpose

Click to check the answer

Defensive alliance against Persian aggression, led by Athens.

2

Transformation of Delian League

Click to check the answer

Athens converted the League into an empire, controlling members through military force and tribute.

3

Consequences of Athenian imperialism

Click to check the answer

Expansion and imposition of policies led to unrest, setting the stage for the Peloponnesian War with Sparta.

4

Early in the ______, the relationship between Athens and Sparta began to deteriorate due to Sparta's discomfort with Athenian military enhancements.

Click to check the answer

Pentecontaetia

5

Sparta's rejection of Athenian assistance during the ______ in 465 BC contributed to the growing tensions between the two city-states.

Click to check the answer

helot uprising

6

Athens aggravated the situation by settling helots in ______ and interfering in the dispute between Megara and ______.

Click to check the answer

Naupaktos Corinth

7

The conflict between the Athenian and Spartan alliances ended with the ______ in 446/5 BC, which failed to address the deeper issues.

Click to check the answer

Thirty Years' Peace

8

Samian Revolt Consequence

Click to check the answer

Samian revolt in 440 BC exposed weaknesses in the Thirty Years' Peace; Athens suppressed it without Spartan help.

9

Battle of Sybota Significance

Click to check the answer

Athens breached peace by allying with Corcyra against Corinth, leading to the Battle of Sybota.

10

Potidaea's Role in Conflict

Click to check the answer

Athens' interference in Potidaea, a Corinthian colony, prompted the Battle of Potidaea, violating peace terms.

11

Athens' implementation of the ______ Decree, which excluded ______ from its markets and harbors, escalated tensions with their ally, ______.

Click to check the answer

Megarian Megara Sparta

12

In ______ BC, a ______ assembly considered the economic sanctions against ______ and other complaints, leading to a declaration of war.

Click to check the answer

432 Spartan Megara

13

Despite Athens proposing ______ and King ______ II advising caution, the Spartan assembly was influenced by ______ to declare war.

Click to check the answer

arbitration Archidamus Sthenelaidas

14

The Spartans deemed that Athens broke the ______ Years' Peace, signaling the start of the ______ War.

Click to check the answer

Thirty Peloponnesian

Q&A

Here's a list of frequently asked questions on this topic

Similar Contents

History

The Peloponnesian War and its Phases

View document

History

The Sicilian Expedition and its Consequences

View document

History

Thucydides and the Advancement of Historical Methodology

View document

History

The Intricacies of Thucydides' "History of the Peloponnesian War"

View document

The Ascendancy of Athens and the Prelude to the Peloponnesian War

In the aftermath of the Greco-Persian Wars, particularly after the repulsion of the Second Persian invasion in 480 BC, Athens emerged as a dominant force in the Mediterranean. The Delian League, formed under Athenian leadership, was ostensibly a defensive alliance against Persian aggression. However, over time, Athens leveraged its position to transform the League into an Athenian empire, exerting control over its member states through military might and the collection of tribute. This period, known as the Pentecontaetia, witnessed Athens' rise to power, marked by the construction of the Long Walls, the growth of its navy, and the flourishing of Athenian culture. The empire's expansion and the imposition of Athenian policies on its allies laid the groundwork for discontent and the eventual conflict with Sparta and its Peloponnesian allies.
Reconstruction of the Acropolis of Athens with the Parthenon and the Erechtheion with the Caryatids, blue sky and ancient olive trees.

Rising Tensions and the Outbreak of the First Peloponnesian War

The seeds of discord between Athens and Sparta were sown early in the Pentecontaetia. Sparta's unease with Athenian fortifications and the subsequent dismissal of Athenian aid during the helot uprising in 465 BC strained relations between the two powers. Athens' strategic settlement of the helots in Naupaktos and its involvement in the conflict between Megara and Corinth exacerbated tensions. The First Peloponnesian War, which began in 459 BC, was characterized by sporadic hostilities and shifting alliances. The war concluded with the Thirty Years' Peace in 446/5 BC, a tenuous agreement that acknowledged the coexistence of the Delian and Peloponnesian Leagues but did little to resolve underlying animosities.

The Erosion of the Thirty Years' Peace

The Thirty Years' Peace was undermined by a series of conflicts and political maneuvers. The Samian revolt in 440 BC, though suppressed by Athens without Spartan intervention, revealed cracks in the peace. The situation deteriorated further when Corinth suffered a naval defeat and Corcyra, fearing Corinthian reprisal, sought an alliance with Athens. In contravention of the peace treaty, Athens allied with Corcyra and engaged in the Battle of Sybota. Subsequently, Athens' demands on Potidaea, a Corinthian colony, led to the Battle of Potidaea and a clear breach of the peace terms. These events underscored the fragility of the peace and the growing hostilities between the Athenian and Peloponnesian Leagues.

The Megarian Decree and the Inevitability of War

The imposition of the Megarian Decree by Athens, which barred Megara from Athenian markets and ports, was a significant affront to the Spartan ally and further strained diplomatic relations. The economic sanctions against Megara, along with other grievances, were brought before a Spartan assembly in 432 BC. Despite Athenian offers for arbitration and the cautionary stance of King Archidamus II, the assembly was swayed by the bellicose rhetoric of the ephor Sthenelaidas. The Spartans concluded that Athens had violated the Thirty Years' Peace, effectively declaring war. This decision marked the end of diplomacy and the beginning of the protracted and devastating Peloponnesian War.