Chapter  9 The Golden Age
Lesson 3  Times of Conflict
I. The Peloponnesian War Begins
A. 400’s BC, Athens and Sparta are most powerful Greek city-states
1. Leaders of Athens wanted more power over other Greek city-states
2. Leaders of Sparta feared Athens would become stronger than they were
a. Led to a long series of battles between the two
B. Athens placed city-states of Delian League under Athenian Empire
1. They received many tributes and treasury overflowed
2. Pericles used this to strengthen city’s defense walls
a. Walls connected Athens to port of Piraeus
b. Also invested money into the Navy
C. Sparta was alarmed by these actions
1. Tension turned to fighting that lasted 15 years
2. In 445 BC, both sides signed Thirty Years’ War Treaty
II. Renewed Fighting
A. 14 years later, Athens and Sparta began fighting again
1. Sparta invaded Attica, people fled to safety in the walls of Athens city
a. The Spartan army destroyed the abandoned homes and crops
b. A plague broke out in Athens killing many, including Pericles.
2. Athens suffered through many leaders in the following years
B. Sparta built up its navy and defeated the Athens in 405 BC.
1. The Athenians surrendered to the Spartans
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 close the port of Piraeus and take down the city walls
B. Sparta also took control of Athenian government
1. They replaced democracy with a dictatorship
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a. government with absolute power
b. oligarchy with 30 pro-Spartan aristocrats
i. were known as the Thirty Tyrants, due to their cruel rule
ii. threw former leaders in prison
iii. killed many Athenians and forced
many others into exile
2. Thirty Tyrants ignored Athenian laws and took citizens rights away
IV. Athens Regains Independence
A. Other Greek city-states helped Athenians by taking them in
1. In Thebes an exiled Athenian General formed an army to regain Athens
2. Thebans helped them to regain the port of Piraeus
a. Leader of the Thirty Tyrants was killed in the battle
b. Other leaders asked Sparta for help
B. Sparta refused to help the Thirty Tyrants, and the Three Thousand regained control
1. They set out to restore democracy
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 under Persian Control
B. Corinth, Athens, Argos formed the Corinthian Alliance in 375 BC
1. The Spartans defeated the alliance
C. Soon after, Athens and 70 other city-states allied with Thebes to defeat Sparta
1. 371BC, the alliance defeated Sparta
2. Thebes freed Spartans helots and allowed them to
form their own city-state, Messene
D. Resentment towards Thebes’s power
1. Athens and its allies attacked Thebes and lost
a. Theban leader was killed in battle
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b. Thebes lost control 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
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