Peloponnese War
The Conflict
Prelude
Notes taken from Wikipedia and heavily modified. The growth of the power of Athens made war inevitable. Indeed, the nearly fifty years of Greek history that preceded the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War had been marked by the development of Athens as a major power in the Mediterranean world. Athens proceeded to bring under its control all of Greece except for Sparta and its allies, ushering in a period which is known as the Athenian Empire. At the same time, a number of its formerly independent allies were reduced, over the course of the century, to the status of tribute-paying subject states of the Delos League. This tribute was used to support a powerful fleet and, after the middle of the century, to fund massive public works programs in Athens, causing resentment. Friction between Athens and the Peloponnesian states, including Sparta, began early in the wake of the departure of the Persians from Greece, Sparta attempted to prevent the reconstruction of the walls of Athens (without the walls, Athens would have been defenseless against a land attack and subject to Spartan control), but was rebuffed. Conflict between the states flared up again, when a helot revolt broke out in Sparta . The Spartans summoned forces from all of their allies, including Athens, to help them suppress the revolt. Athens sent out a sizable contingent , but upon its arrival, this force was dismissed by the Spartans, while those of all the other allies were permitted to remain. The Spartans acted in this way out of fear that the Athenians would switch sides and support the @helots; the offended Athenians repudiated their alliance with Sparta. When the rebellious @helots were finally forced to surrender and permitted to evacuate the state, the Athenians settled them at the strategic Gulf of Corinth .
Belligerents
The Delos League
Led by
Strength
Casualties
Objectives
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