West European Studies: Peloponnesian War, Essay Example

The Peloponnesian War is the name that is given to the conflict that existed between Athens and Sparta between 431-404 BC. It was the driving force that made Athens break up its empire. The significance of this conflict is that it created division between the Greeks and aided the Persian Empire in the recovery of its lost possessions. In addition, the war lasted a quarter of a century and resulted in many social, economic and cultural consequences. The war is split into three distinct parts. (1) The Archidamia War where Sparta made repeated invasions of Attica and Athens claimed naval supremacy by raiding the coastal areas of Sparta (2)The second phase was the fighting in Peloponnesus where Athens sent a large naval fleet to attack Syracuse in Sicily and this provoked the final phase (3) The Decelean War or Ionian War. Here Sparta was supported by Persia and this resulted in depriving Athens of naval supremacy and destroyed the Athenian fleet resulting in their Surrender.

The war officially ended in 450BC. Pericles later rebuilt much of the grandeur of Athens including the Parthenon. The conflict was a disaster for Athens as it lost most of its empire and much of its trade.  The inability of Athens and Sparta to join forces and establish a military dominance would further weaken the empire over time.  A spirit of pessimism and disillusionment prevailed amongst the intellectuals of Athens and many blaming democracy for the military disaster and social decline. Both Athens and Sparta were drained of manpower and economic resources, as such the entire city-state structure were doomed.

The main cause of the war was the difference in world views between Athens and Sparta. Athens had established a great naval fleet, an empire for trade and a great number of allies. This lead to great wealth and power for Athens. Corinth an ally of Sparta was a great rival to Athens. This jealousy resulted in early conflicts that widened into the subsequent war. The Persian Empire watched this from the viewpoint of opportunity and later assisted Sparta in order to bring down Athens and subsequently reclaim a lot of their lost possessions and territories.