PeloponnesianWar:Sparta
BackgroundGuide
Chair:
EagleMUNC
BostonCollegeModel
UnitedNations
Conference
JackMcGrath
mcgratjw@bc.edu
Website:
www.EagleMUNC.org
March18-202016
PeloponnesianWar
ALetterfromtheChair
Ἀσπάζομαι,Λακεδαιμόνιοι!
Greece,thecradleofWesterncivilization,nowsitsinyourhands!Thebirthplaceof
literature,philosophy,mathematics,andmore;alandfragmentedby“politicalparticularism,”
butunifiedbya“sharedsenseofnationality.”1Thecomplexitiesofancientrulearenearly
impossibletoenumerate,butitisthetaskofthisbody,theSpartanγερουσία(Gerousia—the
CouncilofElders),tomaintainandexpandthecity-state’sinfluencecommercially,culturally,
andmilitarilydespitethemovesofyourrivals.
Whiletheintricaciesofforeignaffairswillcertainlyaffectthecouncil’spath,itis
necessarytorecognizetheoft-misunderstoodstatusofGreekpopulations.Itwouldbe
inaccuratetopresumethateveryGreekpossessedthecunningofOdysseusorthestoicpower
ofPallasAthena.Evenin“democratic”Athens,womenandslaveswerecompletelyneglected
inpoliticalprocesses.Nonetheless,theseunderrepresentedgroupsweretheglueofsociety.In
Sparta,womenwerestrongmatriarchsduringtimesofwar.Tensionsofthissortwillplayakey
roleinthissimulation.
Sparta,attheheartofthePeloponnese,wasoneofthefewGreekcity-statestohave
agriculturaldiversity.Thevastmajorityofthelandstothenorthandeastareuntenable—
mountainousorinfertile.Thescarcityofnaturalresourcesisoneofthereasonsthatmany
Greekcivilizationslookedbeyondtheirboundariestoaddresstheneedsoftheirrespective
populaces.Athens,forexample,developedastrongnavy,beginningcross-culturalexchanges
withAnatolianpeoplesandEgyptianmerchants,buildinganetworkofinfluenceacrossthe
1
Sarah B. Pomeroy, et al., Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History (Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 1999), 10.
PeloponnesianWar
Aegean.Thus,thisbodysitswithdistinctadvantagesanddisadvantagesvis-à-visitsGrecian
rivals.
WilltheGerousiaforgealliancesandpushforaunified,Spartan-ledGreece?Willthe
idiosyncrasiesofdifferentcity-statesleadtoirreconcilabledifferences?Theseareyour
questionsthatyouwillanswer.MaythegodsofOlympusblessyouwiththeirwisdom!
ἴθιεὐτυχής!
JackMcGrath
Classof2016,BostonCollege
History/PoliticalScience
mcgratjw@bc.edu
PeloponnesianWar
HistoricalBackground AlthoughSpartanruleofthePeloponnesewasvirtuallyunchallengedafterthe
eliminationofthePersianthreatin449B.C.,themakeshiftpeacebetweenGreekcity-states
wastenuousatbest.TheGreekshadachievedagreatdealinscience,philosophy,thearts,
extendingtheirinfluencefarbeyondtheirformalborders,profitingfromexchangingideaswith
othercultures.Consequently,therewasageneralwilltopreserveHelleniccivilizationby
avoidingin-fightingwheneverpossible.
ThedynamismofGreekculture,bornoutoftheincrediblediversitythatonecould
observefrompolistopoliswasincreasinglyanissue.Forexample,thegrowthofdemocracy
lookedincrediblythreateningtocertainpoliticalorders,butoligarchicalsystemspersisted
everywhere,despitenominalclaimstowardselectedrule.
TheSpartansandAtheniansachievedpeacein445B.C.Fromthatpointon,Athens
increasedtheirinfluenceinthewestandnortheast,desiringgreateraccesstoportstofurther
theirincreasinginterconnectednesswithothercivilizations.TheyfoundedacolonyinItalyin
443B.C.SicilyadoptedAtheniancurrencyasaformofpayment.Thracebecameincreasingly
important,aslucrativetradesindyes,furs,andgrainwhettedthepalettesofAthenianelites.
Essentially,AthenswasstrivingforPanhellenisticexpansion,wherebyculturalfactors
wouldleadtoitsincreasedpower.Nonetheless,militaryconcernspersisted.Samos,an
importantport,rebelled,nearlybeatingtheAthenianmilitaryawayfromoneofitsmost
preciousseaholdings.ThisrevoltspreadtoByzantium.Toaddresstheformer,anine-month
siegeultimatelyresultedinthecapitulationoftheSamianmilitaryin440B.C.Byzantiumwas
cutoffthroughstrategicsettlementsalongkeysupplypoints.Critically,Spartadeterminedto
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notinvolveitselfintheSamianrebellionontheadviceofothermembersinthePeloponnesian
League.
TheThirtyYears’Peacedisintegratedonaccountoffurthercrisesinthe430sB.C.
Corcyra,anislandoffofGreece,wasembroiledincivilwarin435B.C.betweenoligarchsand
democrats.Corinth,anoverseeroftheisland,sentafleettobeatbacktherebelling
democrats,butwasdefeated.
TheSpartanandAthenianDivisionsinGreece
TheCorcyreansdidnotbelongtothePeloponnesianLeagueorAthens’networkof
alliancesinitially.Corcyradidpossessasubstantialfleet,andthusAthensdidnotwanttosee
thecity-statefalltooneofitschiefrivals,Corinth.AtSybotain433B.C.,thetwoforcesclashed
PeloponnesianWar
asAthensintervened,seeingCorcyra’sfleetindistress.Thebattlewasastalemate,withboth
sidesclaimingvictory.
AthenscontinueditsmeddlinginthePeloponnesianLeague’saffairs.Potidaeawasa
politicalanomalyinGreece—anallyofCorinthandthePeloponnesianLeague,yetaformal
memberofAthens’alliance.AthensorderedPotidaeanstodismisstheirCorinthianoverlords,
rejectCorinth’sinfluence,deconstructseadefensesystems(presumablytoallowavastly
superiorAtheniannavytoexercisecontroluninhibited),andhandoverhostages.Potidaea,
closeinproximitytoMacedonia,wasgeographicallysignificant,containingmuchofthetimber
necessaryfortheproliferationofAthenianships.
Perdiccas,kingoftheMacedonians,hasencouragedamoveagainstAthensand
compelledCorinthiansympathizerstorevoltinPotidaea.Twothousandmen,“volunteers”by
allaccountshailingfromCorinthandotherPeloponnesianstates,headtotheembattledcitystatenow.
Concurrently,AthenshasprovokedMegara,claimingthatthepolisisholdingits
escapedslaves.MegarahadalsogivenCorinthsupportduringtheBattleofSybota.Megarian
merchantswerebannedfromallAthenianports.Theeconomywasdevastatedbythese
sanctions,andAthensrefusedtorevokethem.Thiscrisissawtheintroductionofopenconfict
betweenAthensandSparta,inauguratingtheArchidamianageofthePeloponnesianWarin
431B.C.(namedfortheSpartanKingArchidamus).
Pericles,themanintegralintheAtheniandecisiontofight,onlyfoughtduringthis
portionofthewar,institutingadefensivestrategy—acounterintuitivemaneuverthat
supportstheleader’sfamedeloquence.Byavoidingopenbattleandattackingtradinginterests
PeloponnesianWar
acrossthePeloponnesebyconcentratingitscitizenryinitsurbanbase,Athenshopedto
frustrateSpartatothepointofpeace.PlaguestruckAthensafewyearslater,creatingan
addedlevelofchaos.
Havingbeendemoralizedbydisease,theAtheniansbegansuingforpeaceagainstthe
willofPericles,whohimselfperishedfromtheplaguein429B.C.Anti-Athenianrevoltsat
strategictradingpostslikeMytileneintheAegeanaidedtheSpartansduringthe420sB.C.
Athenscontinuedtoexploititsstrongnavy,raidingtownsalongthecoastsundertheirnew
leader,Demosthenes.
Inmanyways,classdefinedSpartanlife.Slaves,knownashelots,tendedtofieldsand
servedtheirmastersathomewhilecitizenstrainedforwar.Intheabsenceofmasters,the
helotswereamassiveliabilitytotheSpartanstate,astheythreatenedtodestabilizethe
regime.Athenstargetedthisweaknessin425B.C.atPylos.Thisiswherethewarturnedin
Athensfavor.
AttemptingtorecoveraSicilianoutpost,anAthenianfleetseizedthepeninsulaof
PelosandsupportedMessenianpoliticalexilesthatweredecidedlyanti-Spartan.Sparta
attemptedtorecovertheland,butwasisolatedatSphacteria,whereupwardsof100Spartan
soldierssurrenderedascallsforpeacebegan.Athensoptedtocontinueleveragingits
supremacy.
In424B.C.,theAthenianarmymadearareforayatDelium,wheretheyweredecisively
defeatedbytheBoeotians.AtAmphipolis,astrategicallyimportantcitythatprotected
Atheniangoldinterests,anAtheniancontingentwasforcedtosurrender,asThucydideswas
PeloponnesianWar
unabletoreachthecitybeforetheSpartaninvasion.Cleon,aleadingAthenianpolitician,
madeeffortstoregainthecityin422B.C.tohisownperil.
ThePeaceofNiciaswasachievedin421B.C.,asAthenianpoliticianNiciasnegotiated
termswiththeprimarySpartanforces,butthedecentralizednatureoftheSpartanalliance
networkensuredthattheceasefirewouldremainprecarious.Thedealincludedaprovisionfor
fiftyyearsofpeace,therestorationoffortresses,tradingofprisoners,theneutralityofDelphi,
andthereturnofAmphipolisandPanactumtoAthensinexchangeforPylos.Therewere
additionalprovisionsthatAthenswouldsupportSpartainthecaseofanotherhelotrevolt.
CurrentIssues
Corinth,Boetia,andMegararefusedtoacceptthePeaceofNicias,preventingSparta
fromreturningPanactumandAmphipolos.Corinthians,nowmistrustingtheirSpartanallies,
haveattemptedtoforgeanewalliancewithArgostopreventSpartan-Athenianhegemony—
theArgivealliance.Elis,acity-statethatcontendedwithLepreium,enteredintothisleagueto
avoidSpartanarbitration.ThracianChalcidansfollowedsuit.BoeotiaandMegararemained
neutralonaccountoftheirpoliticalsystems,asmistrusthasonlycontinuedtogrow.
ThedomesticpoliticalsituationinSpartahasalsoshifted,astheephors,whosplit
powerwiththekingthatnegotiatedthePeaceofNicias,hasleftoffice.Now,Spartasitsonthe
precipiceofdisasterifitsinternalandexternalnetworksofsupportcollapse.Spartahascritical
geopoliticaldecisionstomakeinthecomingyears.Thesurvivalofthemilitaristicstateisin
jeopardyifthecurrentsituationcontinuesunresolved.
PeloponnesianWar
BlocPositions
ThisbodywillconsiderthesecondpartofthePeloponnesianWar,followingthePeace
ofNicias,fromtheperspectiveofSparta.Theprimaryconcernofthedelegatesshouldbe
consolidatingSpartanpowerandorganizingtheirrelationshipswithpossibleallies.Somemay
wanttofocusonestablishingrelationshipsbetweenSpartaanditsallies,whileothersinthe
bodymaywanttoconsiderSparta’smilitaristicapproachtopowerasawayofsecuringitshold
overSparta.Alliancesareever-changingandwiththeeverincreasingdesireofthePersiansto
interfereinGreekaffairs,itisuptothedelegatestoconsidertheamountofcooperationand
involvementthatSpartawillhavewiththosewhoitinitiallyopposed.
ThegoalofthisbodyistoensurethesurvivalofSpartainthecomingyears.Thestate
facesthreatsfromitsneighborsthatmayleadSpartadownaturbulentpath.Itisuptothis
bodytoensurethatSpartaachievesmilitaryandforeignpolicyvictories,whilesecuringcontrol
athome.
AthensandSpartaBalanceofPower:AthensisinYellow.SpartaisinRed.
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QuestionstoConsider 1. Whatistheoptimalwaytomaintainlegitimacyamongallieswithoutrenegotiatingthe
basictermsofthePeaceofNicias?
2. Whatdiplomaticleveragecanbeusedtomaintainpeace?
3. Isthemaintenanceofpeacenecessary?Woulditnotbebetterforaunified,Spartan-led
statetoensurepeacewithouttheencumbrancesoftheAtheniansorArgives?
4. WhatlessonshavebeenlearnedfromthewarwithAthens?
5. WhatexternalmaneuverswillunsettleAthenstoleveltheplayingfield?
WorksCited
SarahB.Pomeroy,etal.,AncientGreece:APolitical,Social,andCulturalHistory(Oxford:
OxfordUniversityPress,1999).
Thucydides,TheHistoryofthePeloponnesianWar,trans.RichardCrawley(London:Longmans,
Green,andCo.,1874).
R.F.Tannenbaum,“WhoStartedthePeloponnesianWar?”inArion:AJournalofHumanities
andtheClassics2,no.4(1975):533–546.
DonaldKagan,TheOutbreakofthePeloponnesianWar(Ithaca,NY:CornellUniversityPress,
1969).
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