Times of Conflict

Times of ConflictLesson 9.3 Fact Finder

Do Now Take out your Lesson 9.3 Fact

Finders.

The Peloponnesian War Begins

A. In the 400’s BC, Athens and Sparta were the most powerful Greek city-states


1. Leaders of Athens wanted even greater power over other Greek city-states

2. Leaders of Sparta feared Athens would

become stronger than they were


a. This led to a rivalry between the two


B. Athens placed city-states of Delian

League under an Athenian Empire


1. They received many tributes and its treasury overflowed

2. Pericles used this to strengthen city’s

defense walls

Athens’ Defense Walls


a. The Long Walls connected Athens to the port of Piraeus

Piraeus


b. He also invested money into the navy

c. This powerful navy allowed Athens to pressure more city-states to come under its rule


C. Sparta was alarmed by these actions

▪ 1. Tension turned to fighting that lasted 15 years

▪ 2. In about 445 B.C., both sides signed a peace treaty called the Thirty Years’ Peace

Activity Turn to pages 336 and 337 of your

textbook and let’s observe an Athenian warship.

Renewed Fighting

A. 14 years later, Athens and Sparta began

fighting again

▪ 1. Sparta invaded Attica, and people fled to safety in the walls of Athens city

Renewed Fighting

1. The Spartan army destroyed the abandoned homes and crops

Renewed Fighting

2. A plague broke out in Athens killing many,

including PericlesNOOOO!!

!!

Renewed Fighting

B. Athens suffered through many leaders in

the following years

Renewed Fighting

a. Many of them were demagogues, who were popular because they told people what they wanted to hear, even though it was not true

Renewed Fighting B. Sparta built up its navy and

defeated the Athens in 405 B.C.

1. The Athenians surrendered to the Spartans a year later

III. The Thirty Tyrants

A. Spartans decided terms of peace

1. They broke up the Athenian Empire and

limited it to 12 ships

2. Also ordered Athens to take down the Long Walls and close the port of Piraeus

The Thirty Tyrants

B. Sparta also took control of Athenian

government

1. They replaced democracy with a dictatorship

▪ a. This is a government with absolute power

The Thirty Tyrants

B. This dictatorship was an oligarchy with 30 pro-Spartan aristocrats

i. They were known as the Thirty Tyrants,

due to their cruel rule

The Thirty Tyrants

ii. They threw former leaders in prison

iii. Also killed many Athenians and forced

many others into exile

The Thirty Tyrants

2. The Thirty Tyrants ignored Athenian laws and took citizens’ rights and citizenship away

The Thirty Tyrants

a. Only 3,000 of the richest citizens of Athens, known as the Three Thousand, still had the right to a trial

IV. Athens Regains Independence

A. Other Greek city-states helped Athens by taking in exiled citizens

1. In Thebes, an exiled Athenian general

formed an army to regain Athens

2. Thebans helped the general and other exiles to regain the port of Piraeus

Athens Regains Independence

a. The leader of the Thirty Tyrants was killed

in the battle

b. Other tyrants asked Sparta for help


B. Sparta refused to help the Thirty Tyrants,

and the Three Thousand regained control of Athens

1. They set out to restore democracy


a. People felt little confidence in their government and wanted stronger leaders


b. Although a new Athenian council gained authority to govern the city-state, democracy never fully recovered

V. Competition Among City-States

A. Athens and Sparta had both suffered from years of fighting

1. Sparta tried to regain trade and power by

conquering city-states in Asia Minor under Persian Control

Competition Among City-States

B. Corinth, Athens, and Argos formed the

Corinthian Alliance in 375 B.C.

Competition Among City-States Sparta and this alliance hired

mercenaries, or soldiers willing to fight for anyone who pays them


1. Sparta defeated the alliance

C. Soon after, Athens and 70 other city-states

allied with Thebes to defeat Sparta

Thebes


1. In 371 B.C., the alliance defeated Sparta

2. The Thebans broke up Sparta’s Peloponnesian League, and formed a new league that did not include Sparta

3. Thebes also freed Sparta’s helots, and allowed them to form their own city-state, Messene

Messene

Competition Among City-States D. Resentment towards Thebes’

power

1. Athens and its allies attacked Thebes, but lost

▪ a. The Theban leader was killed in battle, and Thebes lost power over Greece


E. The city-states of Greece continued to

fight over power

1. Competition for power and wealth led to conflicts

▪ a. This led Greece to become unstable

Wrap Up What events led to a rivalry between Sparta

and Athens?

What did Pericles do to prepare Athens for war?

Who were the Thirty Tyrants?

How did Athens government change following its independence?

What led to the instability of ancient Greece?

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Times of Conflict