Peloponnesian War

ByDavid, Valerian, Anthony

Documentary Pitch

Our Pitch Our movie is directed towards high

school scholars. (around our age) PG-13 Movie Our Movie will have one person

(narrator) and he will talk about it

Introduction (part 1) The Peloponnesian War was between

Athens and the Athenian empire versus Sparta, Thebes, Corinth, and the members of the Peloponnesian Confederacy

It took place from 431 - 404 B.C.E. It was the first war to be recorded by an

eyewitness historian of the highest caliber The war began on 4 April 431 B.C. Ended on 25 April 404 B.C.

Introduction (part 2) The war may be divided into three major periods

› The Archidamian War› The Ionian or Decelean War› The Sicilian war

Five phases› Phase 1 (431-427)› Phase 2 (426-421)› Phase 3 (421-417)› Phase 4 (412-408)› Phase 5 (407-404)

Causes (part 1) The main cause of the war was

Sparta's fear of the growth of the power of Athens

If Sparta had not also been eager for war then peace would have lasted. Sparta was waiting an opportunity

Sparta seized the opportunity

Cause (part 2) Confident of victory she refused an

offer of arbitration made by Pericles Sparta sent an ultimatum that would

have practically destroyed Athenian power

Pericles urged the people to refuse and Sparta declared war

Phase I (part 1) Sparta relied on the traditional strategy of

Greek warfare hoped by invading Attica and destroying

the crops she would force Athens either to sue for peace or come out to fight the standard set piece battle in which typical Greek wars were decided

In numbers , discipline , combat effectiveness of troops Athens was inferiorto the Spartan-Theban forces

Phase I (part 2) When the Spartans invaded, population

of Attica moved into the city Athens became impregnable to attack Its great fleet secure the empire

against revolts and could take the offensive to raid the Peloponnesian coast

Phase I (part 3) every spring and autumn the Athenian

land army would devastate the lands of Sparta's allies (especially Megara)

If Megara could be recovered, then Spartan land access to Attica would be blocked and her Theban allies would not dare come down from the north unaided.

Phase I (part 4) June 430 plague brought with the grain

from Egypt or Libya swept the city, overcrowded with the rural refugees

Athenian troops sent north to reenforce the army besieging Potidaea brought the plague

Pericles himself died in 429

Phase I (part 6) Athens began to offer peace in 430,

but Sparta refused 430-29 Potidaea finally surrendered,

boosting the Athenian position 429 Athens won two great naval

battles at Chalcis and Naupactus June 428 Mitylene on Lesbos revolted

Phase I (part 7) 427 the Spartan fleet under command

of Alcidas retreated instead of helping Mitylene, forcing surrender in July

the surrender in August of Athens' ally, Plataea, to a Theban army which destroyed both population and city itself

426 Athens gained the upper hand in Corcyra, This brought the war to a near stalemate.

Phase II 426 Athens new political leaders of the

democratic party, Cleon and Demosthenes

Athenian forces attempted to carry the war to Boeotia (Thebes), Sparta, and even Sicily

426 two Athenian armies moved toward Thebes, one under Demosthenes via Acarnania other under Nicias via Tanagra.

Phase II (part 2) 425 Athens won its greatest victory at

Spacteria Sparta sued for peace Cleon refused 424 all Athenian offensive plans failed admirals return from Sicily, due to

Syracusan policies in November against Thebes was

defeated at Delium by Athens

Phase II (part 3) 422 Brasidas continued victorious

despite Athenian reinforcements Brasidas defeated the Athenian force,

killing Cleon dying in the process April 11, 421 Nicias concluded a peace

treaty between Athens and Sparta that he hoped would end the war

Phase III (part 1) animosities and policy conflicts which

divided the Greek cities remained during this period

Corinth and Thebes refused to the peace treaty b/ Sparta and Athens actually fulfilled its obligations

420 a new alliance of Athens, Argos, Mantinea, and Elis faced the Spartan - Boeotian Alliance

Phase III (part 2) Athens new democratic leader in

Alcibiades.

Sparta military leader in King Agis Agis assembled a powerful army at Phlius

but was forced to make a treaty and withdraw b/ the failure of his Boeotian allies

Alcibiades pressured the Argives into denouncing the treaty

Phase III (part 3) Agis 418 won the largest land battle of

the war at Mantinea 416 B.C. Alcibiades had ambitions for

conquering Syracuse, controlling all of Sicily, defeating Carthage, and defeat of a surrounded Peloponnese

Phase III (part 4) expedition launched in June of 415 and the

command was divided among these three Alcibiades, Nicias, and Lamachus

Lamachus was killed, the fleet was defeated

Nicias assault in July 413 was also defeated The Athenian fleet was blocked in the

harbor and then defeated in battle. Nicias army massacred and the generals were executed

Phase IV (part 1) Sparta resumed the war officially in August

414 all Greece expected Athens to loose b/

Sparta now had a strong fleet March 413 King Agis occupied Decelea to

keep Athens in a constant blockade on the land side and cut off the Athenian silver mines

Athenian empire started to fall apart with one city revolt after another in 412 and 411

Phase IV (part 2) Persia entered by authorizing its satrap in

Sardis, Tissaphernes, to support Sparta oligarchic party seized power in Athens

and started to offer surrender until blocked by a resurgence of the democratic party

Alcibiades fled from Sparta to Sardis, persuaded Tissaphernes to withhold his support from Sparta

Phase IV (part3) Athens became totally dependent on

food from Crimea through the Hellespont Athenian commanders Thrasybulus and

Thrasylus defeated the Spartan, Mindarus, at Cynossema in September of 411

March of 410 Alcibiades won a great victory over the opposing navy giving Athens again maritime supremacy

Phase IV (part 4) Sparta suggested peace, but the

democrat demagogues as usual refused to listen.

409 Alcibiades recaptured Byzantium, cleared the Bosporus and secured the grain supply.

Made a triumphant return to Athens on 16 June 408

Phase V (part 1) Autumn of 408 a new Spartan admiral

was appointed.› Lysander and became that formidable force

Alcibiades was forced to divide his own fleet› one force at Notium under Antiochus

ordered to refuse battle For the next year Lysander was

superseded by Callicratidas

Phase V (part 2) Callicratidas blockaded the Athenian

fleet of Conon in Mitylene harbor Callicratidas was drowned while loosing

and Sparta again offered peace Athenian democrats led by Cleophon

refused

Phase V (part 3) September 405 Lysander captured

practically the whole Athenian fleet thus brought the entire war to an end

in one stroke

Phase V (part 4) After six months of starvation Athens

surrendered on generous terms offered by Sparta› Corinth and Thebes protested

The city walls and those connecting Athens to Piraeus were torn down and the empire dissolved

Bibliography http://www.laconia.org/

gen_info_literature/Peloponnesian_war.htm#Peloponnesian%20War:%20Phase%202%20(426-421)