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Explain Why Athens Could Not Effectively Handle The Peloponnesian War

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Athens could not effectively handle the Peloponnesian War, do you agree? Why/why not?
Yes, I agree that Athens could not effectively handle the Peloponnesian War. The Peloponnesian War, a long and gruelling conflict between Athens and Sparta, lasted from 431 BCE to 404 BCE. While Athens was a formidable naval power and possessed a strong economy, it ultimately lost the war due to a combination of factors. This essay argues that Athens could not effectively handle the Peloponnesian War because of its over-reliance on its navy, poor management of its allies, and ineffective leadership.
Athens had a powerful navy, which made it a formidable force on the seas. However, its reliance on its navy proved to be a significant disadvantage in the Peloponnesian War. Athens lacked a strong land army, which meant it struggled to defend its territory against Spartan attacks. Furthermore, maintaining a large fleet of ships and paying for the upkeep of its sailors drained …show more content…

In 411 BCE, a group of oligarchs known as the Four Hundred overthrew the democratic government in Athens and established an oligarchy. This was done with the support of the Spartan army, which had been occupying parts of Attica, the region around Athens. The oligarchs established a new government that was heavily influenced by Sparta. They reduced the power of the assembly, which was the main democratic institution in Athens, and established a council of 500 citizens to govern the city. This council was heavily weighted towards the wealthy and excluded many of the poorer citizens of Athens. According to Kagan (2003), “The oligarchy was short-lived, as it faced resistance from the democratic forces in Athens” (p. 238). In 410 BCE, the democratic government was restored largely due to the efforts of a general named Thrasybulus, who had led a rebellion against the oligarchy and had gained the support of the democratic forces in

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Unlike the Athenian democratic system the Spartans believed in Oligarchy, meaning ruling by a few. Sparta came to reach the height of it power after defeating rival City Sate, Athens in the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) (Bailey). The oligarchy was a governmental system composed by a limited number of elite citizens such as: Ephors, five magistrates with executive and judicial privileges, elected by assembly; two kings, army leaders and chief priests; gerousia, council of thirty elders comprise of men at least sixty tears old, twenty-eight of which were elected by assembly and includes two kings; assembly of citizens, men over thirty years old, they do not vote, but shout acclamations supporting the decisions of the oligarchy above (Bailey). The Spartan governing system led to a military based society where male children from the age of seven would start going to a special educational institution, which was military based. This led to Spartans being warrior like people unlike the Athenians.

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The historian Thucydides described himself as a wealthy Athenian general whose exile to the Peloponnese allowed him to personally observe, from both the sides of the conflict, a comprehensive account of the Peloponnesian War. Book 1 in Thucydides’ “History of the Peloponnesian War” is dedicated to explaining over fifty years of the events and proceedings that led to the abandonment of the Thirty Year’s Peace and subsequent war. In Book 1 he identifies four main incidents, which I shall refer to as ‘grievances’, regarding the conduct of Athens towards both their Delian members and the Peloponnesian allies. Yet he also mentions what he deems to be a more ‘real’ truth than these four grievances that led to Sparta and the Peloponnese going to

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Sparta relied heavily on its military for economic growth. This created many weaknesses in its economy. First of all, Sparta relied on their slaves to produce goods. However, a resistance from the slaves or a movement could have caused a disruption.

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