Peloponnesian War

The Peloponnesian war is traditionally divided into three phases: the Archidamian war (431-421), Peace of Nicias and the Sicilian Expedition (421-413), and the Ionian war (413-404). The war was between the city-states of Athens and Sparta and their respective allies. Major fighting occurred during the Archidamian War. The first ten years of the war are named after the Spartan King Archidamus, who had opposed war with Athens and whose cautions policy dominated Spartan strategy at …

…ameliorate them, he showed sound leadership and tactical prowess. “But the Peloponnesian War was over in name only. Sparta’s allies, Corinth and Thebes, soon turned against her, and the Athenians, seeing Sparta occupied on every hand, soon rejoined the old confidence and began to rearm. In 396, hostilities broke out once more and continued in desultory fashion for nearly forty more years, involving Sparta against a shifting coalition of Athens, Thebes, Corinth, and their allies.”