The First Peloponnesian War

The First Peloponnesian War

       After the defeat of the Persian army at Plataea, the Greek world finally saw total peace. However, this would inevitably be short-lived as the Athenian city-state grew into an empire. With Sparta no longer being the lone superpower in the Greek world, Athen's rise to power threatened Sparta's hold. Between the two superpowers would form leagues: the Spartan Peloponnesian League and the Athenian Delian League.

(Peloponnesian League in Red; Delian League in Yellow)

       Prior to the First Peloponnesian War, the expansion of Athens would mean new adventures for the small empire. As Athens would take to bold endeavors against Persia by invading Egypt in 457 BC, the Spartan Peloponnesians would experience helot (slave) revolts throughout its lands. Wishing to quarl these revolts as quickly as possible, Sparta sought an agreement with the helots who, aided by Athens, took to the mountains. With the agreement met and allowing the helots to escape from the mountains peacefully, Athens would gift the helots with Naupactus, a port city-state to the left of the Corinthian Gulf. This naturally infuriated the Spartans who understood this gifting would allow the Athenians to have an ally to patrol the Gulf alongside Athens and give the Athenians territory in the Peloponnesian League. The first of many grievances.

       To add insult to injury, Megara and Corinth, two city-states in the Peloponnesian League went to war with one another in the same year. This again saw Athenian intervention where the Athenian-backed Megara would defect from the league and ally with Athens. This move would prove useful for Athens as this provided land security from Sparta as Megara fell on the land-bridge that connected the two sides of mainland Greece West of Athens. With Athens securing more and more allies, Sparta would feel more and more threatened. Eventually, Aegina, whose navy rivaled Athens and was located East of Megara in the Saronic Gulf, became an Athenian tributary. At last, the line had been crossed for Sparta.

       Seeking to draw out and strike down the Athenian Army in one swift move, the Spartan Navy managed to sneak the Spartan Army into Boeotia, north of Athens, who would then move to attack Attica, Athen's home region. Burning farms to pull the Athenians out for a decisive battle finally fought at Tanagra in 457 BC. However, this battle was not as decisive as hoped and saw many casualties on both sides. Unable to continue the fight realistically, the Spartans pulled back through Boeotia to Sparta, facing no more an immediate threat from Athens.

(Attica's Rural Regions Burning)

       In retaliation, an angry Athens soon attacked Boeotia for allowing the Spartans to attack Attica when suddenly in 455 BC in Egypt, Athens faces a major defeat against the Persians. This struck the Greek people who no longer saw Athens as an invincible empire. Sensing a rebellion soon within the empire, Athenian Statesman and General Cimon managed to secure a 5-year treaty with Sparta. In 447 BC, Athens' fears were realized and Boeotia, Euboea, and Megara rebelled against the empire. Now facing instability on a massive scale, Athens was forced to negotiate peace with Sparta in 445 BC, signing the Thirty-Years' Peace Treaty.