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The were expansionary and used their military and financial power to interfere in cities outside their empire. At the brink of war over Athens' treatment of the Peloponnesian League city of Megara, they were given the opportunity by the League to back off and refused. War ensued.
Their overconfidence and aggressiveness led them to intervene excessively in the Greek cities outside Athens' empire. Those cities banded together into the Peloponnesian League to resist it.
Further Athenian interventions and an unwillingness to compromise brought on the war.
By turning the anti-Persian league into an empire whose resources Athens progressively diverted to its building programme and bloated public service, Athens benefited greatly, but upset the Peloponnesian city-states. Athens continued to apply pressure and intervene in disputes between the cities, going some steps too far culminating in trying to ruin Megara.
The Peloponnesian cities appealed to their leading city Sparta which asked Athens to stop. Athens, confident of its walls and dominant navy, refused and Sparta reluctantly declared war.
Two interesting tales:
1. When a Spartan delegation made a final appeal to Athens to lift its ban on Megara, the Athenians pointed to the decree of their assembly which required the ban. The Spartans said 'turn it to face the wall' in an effort to resolve the impasse.
2. A contemporary poem laid the cause of the war on Pericles bringing on the war to gratify his girlfriend 'that mad bitch Aspasia' who was angry that some Megarians had kidnapped two of the prostitutes she ran.
Largely so.
Athens first got itself an empire by diverting the anti-Persian league to its own financial benefit and power after peace with Persia.
It then interfered with other cities outside its league/empire, forcing them to form an alliance - the Peloponnesian League - to protect themselves. Against increasing Athenian intransigence, culminating with trying to ruin Megara, a Peloponnesian city, Athens was given an ultimatum to back off. Confident of its own strength, Athens refused and war ensued.
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During the Peloponnesian War the Athenians massacred the men of?
Melos
Who won the peloponesian war athenians or spartens?
Although the Athenians were very successful in the beginning, the Spartans eventually won the Peloponnesian War.
Who lost the peloponnesian war?
Athens won the first Peloponnesian War but Sparta won the second war
What did the athenians do after the presian wars?
It converted the Delian League which it had led against Persia in the later stages of the war into an empire of its own, and began interfering in the other cities, leading to the devastating Peloponnesian War.
What was the peloponnesian war analysis?
Presumably an analyis of the Peloponnesian War. Who did it?
What war did Sparta start with Athenians?
The Peloponnesian War .
Who were the main groups fighting in the peloponnesian war?
The Athenians and the Spartans .
During the Peloponnesian War the Athenians massacred the men of?
Melos
Who lost the peloponnesian war 431 to 404bc?
The Athenians lost to the Spartans .
What war was fought between the Spartans and Athenians over money and power?
Peloponnesian War.
What war was fought between the Spartans and the Athenians over money and power?
Peloponnesian War.
What were Spartas and Athens strategies in the Peloponnesian war?
The Peloponnesian League led by Sparta besieged Athens in an attempt to starve it into coming to terms. The Athenians brought its people inside the walls and defended them, using its navy to bring in food, and to raid the Peloponnesian cities.
Who won the peloponesian war athenians or spartens?
Although the Athenians were very successful in the beginning, the Spartans eventually won the Peloponnesian War.
Did Spartans or Athens win the war?
The Spartans won the Peloponnesian war, the only war between the Athenians and the Spartans.
Who lost the peloponnesian war?
Athens won the first Peloponnesian War but Sparta won the second war
How long did Spartans and Athenians battle for?
The Athenians and Spartans fought each other in what is referred to as the Peloponnesian War from 431 to 404 BC .
Why did no one win the peloponnesian war?
The Peloponnesian War was won by the Spartans over the Athenians even though both city-states , literally , fought to the point of exhaustion .
