The peloponnesian war was a battle between the Peloponnesian league and the delian league. Sparta was worried that Athens was growing too powerful and decided that if they attack sooner rather than later that they would have a better chance of defeating them instead of letting them become more powerful over time Sparta was Supported by nearly 200,000 Helots (serfs) who worked the farms of Messenia and Laconia, the Spartans fielded professional hoplites, year-round infantry not subject to the normal restrictions that free agriculture placed on yeomanry in infantry battle. Athens had armored farmers for soldiers. In the wake of the Persian retreat (479 B.C.E.), Athens fleet increased. Nurtured on the tribute of vassal states in the Aegean, Athens did not discard its triremes; instead, they became a “benign” police force of sorts for its Greek subject allies overseas. In 418 bc Athens intervened peloponnesus and …show more content…
Some deserters told Lysander, and he decided to take advantage of the split Athenian fleet. The entire Peloponnesian fleet put to sea, defeated Philocles and then attacked the unprepared Athenian fleet. While Lysander was attempting to capture Athenian ships by dragging them out to sea, a Peloponnesian army was landed on the European shore and captured the Athenian fleet. In Xenophon Lysander took advantage of Athenian complacency. The Athenians were forced to travel some way to find food, and had got into the habit of dispersing from their ships at the end of each day's sailing. On this day Lysander sent out his fast ships as normal, but this time prepared the entire fleet for battle. When the scouts saw that the Athenians were beginning to disperse they raised a shield as a symbol. Lysander crossed the Hellespont and fell on the disorganised