Peloponnesian War facts for kids

Map showing the alliances during the Peloponnesian War

The Peloponnesian War was a major conflict in Ancient Greece. It happened between 431 BC and 404 BC. The war was fought between two powerful groups: Athens and its friends, and the Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta. Athens and Sparta were the strongest city-states in Greece. They had both won big wars against the Persian Empire before this.

Athens was known for its democracy, where citizens had a say in government. Sparta was an oligarchy, meaning a small group of powerful people ruled. But the war wasn't just about different ways of governing. It was also about who would control trade and who would be the most powerful in Greece. Sparta eventually won the war. Athens was greatly weakened and never fully recovered its old power.

What Happened During the War

In the 400s BC, Athens was the strongest power at sea. Sparta was the strongest power on land. This difference shaped how the war was fought.

The Archidamian War (First Phase)

The first part of the war was called the Archidamian War. Sparta often invaded the area around Athens, called Attica. Athens, with its strong navy, attacked the coasts of the Peloponnese. They also tried to stop rebellions in their own empire.

This phase of the war ended in 421 BC. Both sides signed a peace treaty called the Peace of Nicias. But this peace did not last long. Fighting soon started again in the Peloponnese.

The Sicilian Expedition

In 415 BC, Athens sent a huge army and navy to attack Syracuse in Sicily. This attack was a disaster for Athens. Their entire force was destroyed in 413 BC. This was a major turning point in the war.

The Decelean War (Final Phase)

The last part of the war was called the Decelean War, or the Ionian War. During this time, Sparta got help from the Persian Empire. Sparta supported rebellions in Athens' allied states in the Aegean Sea and Ionia. This weakened Athens' control over its empire.

Eventually, Athens lost its strong navy. In 405 BC, the Athenian fleet was destroyed in a big battle. This loss effectively ended the war. Athens surrendered the next year.

How the War Changed Greece

The Peloponnesian War completely changed the world of Ancient Greece. Before the war, Athens was the most powerful city-state. After the war, it was much weaker. Sparta became the new leading power in Greece.

The war was very expensive for all of Greece. Many areas, especially the Peloponnese, became poor. Athens was badly damaged and never got back its old wealth. The war also changed Greek society. The fight between democratic Athens and oligarchic Sparta led to many civil wars in other Greek cities. Each side supported groups that believed in their type of government.

Greek warfare also changed. Before, battles were often more limited. But the Peloponnesian War became a total struggle. Cities were destroyed, and the countryside was devastated. This war marked a sad end to the "Golden Age of Greece" in the 400s BC.

Related Pages

• History of the Peloponnesian War

Important Writers

• Plutarch
• Thucydides, who wrote History of the Peloponnesian War
• Aristophanes, who wrote the play "Lysistrata"

Images for kids

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  Fragment of the Athenian Tribute List, 425–424 BC.

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  The walls surrounding Athens

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  Bust of Pericles

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  Destruction of the Athenian army at Syracuse.

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  Sicily and the Peloponnesian War

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  The key actions of each phase

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  The triumphal return of Alcibiades to Athens in 407 BC.

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  Encounter between Cyrus the Younger (left), a Persian prince, and Spartan general Lysander (right), in Sardis. This meeting was written about by Xenophon.

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  Lysander outside the walls of Athens; 19th century lithograph

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  The Spartan general Lysander has the walls of Athens torn down in 404 BC, after Athens lost the Peloponnesian War.

See also

In Spanish: Guerra del Peloponeso para niños