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How Did Alcibiades Affect The Peloponnesian War?

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Alcibiades is the most responsible for the defeat of Athens in the Peloponnesian War over Pericles, Lysander, and Nicias. Due to Alcibiades inability to remain loyal to a single nation, his selfish desires, and his repeated manipulation to maneuver situations into his favor, Alcibiades tactics made detrimental impact on the outcome of the Peloponnesian War. Pericles was seen as incorruptible and as a virtuous leader (Plut. Pericles 2). Nicias was hesitant to endanger men’s lives and was not one support a spontaneous or an ill-conceived plans (Plut. Nicias 6). Lysander, while dedicated to aggressive and effective strategies, gained his momentum in the war by obtaining financial assistance from the Persians prince Cyrus the Younger (Plut. …show more content…

Alcibiades motives seem to stem from his desire to be considered distinguished and famed (Plut. Alcibiades 6). His selfish motives can be seen through his interaction with the Spartans. While taking asylum in Sparta, after fleeing the Athenians for the mutilation of Hermae statues, Alcibiades made it no secret that he had impregnated the Spartan King’s wife and claimed to have done this so that his descendants will one day rule Sparta (Plut. Alcibiades 23). His motives for being in favor of the expedition to Sicily was for his own grandeur, and not for the benefit of Athens and its resources (Thucy. History of the Peloponnesian War 6.15.2). When Alcibiades motions for the people of Athens to recall Alcibiades back into Athens, abandon democracy, and turn to oligarchy in order to gain Tissaphernes alliance, and therefore the Persian King’s alliance (Thucy. History of the Peloponnesian War 8.47.1), all of which was based on Alcibiades assumptions in his power of persuading Tissaphernes, which did not …show more content…

Pericles 2). Pericles saw the Peloponnesians as lacking in funds to sustain a war and thought it best to attack by sea (Thucy. History of the Peloponnesian War 1.140-.145). To Pericles the war as inevitable. While it is said that Pericles started the war, his impact on the war did not lead to the outcome of the defeat of Athens. His strategy to wait out the land attacks by the Spartans by remaining inside Athens walls may have been successful had the people of Athens, including Pericles, not be subjected to a plague that took over Athens (Thucy. History of the Peloponnesian War

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