Peloponnesian War Causes

This war was between the Athenian empire and the Peloponnesian league. The war was divided into 3 distinct phases, the first phase was the Archidamin war, during this phase Athens ordered attack, after attack after attack on Attica. the second phase was the Sicilian war and the last and final phase was the Ionian (Decelean war). The main reason for the start of this war was because the Spartans were scared that the Athenians were growing in power and that they controlled most of the Mediterranean region form Greece to Hellas. According to Thucydides, this was not the only factor that caused the war. Apparently, Athenians wanted to throw the Persians out of their home land after an Athens leader took over the Delian league. In which they did, the Athens took over a great sum of the Peloponnesian land. As the tension continued, Athens began to build a wall surrounding its empire to prevent Sparta from attacking. At this point in time, the tension between all the city states in Greece were on high alert. An almost “every-man-for-himself” situation. The sum of all this eventually started the Peloponnesian war.

Peace of Nicias was meant to be signed between Athens and Sparta. However, due to circumstance, the treaty failed and the fighting continued. After the complete destroyed of Aegospotami, the war was finally over and Athens had surrendered.

This war had reshaped the Greece. Athens no longer became the strongest city-state, as Sparta took that place hold. This war caused a domino effect on the rest of Greece. Poverty ran through the street and city-states were not able to rebuild themselves. Deciding which governmental structure to take was also another factor in which caused a civil war in Greece. The Peloponnesian war lead to a great deal of many more problems Greece will face within its