The Peloponnesian War

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The Peloponnesian war (431–404 BC) was an ancient Greek war fought by Athens against the Peloponnesian led by Sparta. Thucydides famously claims that the war started “because the Spartans were afraid of further growth of Athenian power, seeing as they did have the greater part of Hellas was under the control of Athens”. The two main protagonists from opposing sides Lysander and Alcibiades had the most influential impact on the end of the war.

Lysander was appointed Spartan navarch for the Aegean Sea in 407 and undertook the major project of creating a strong Spartan fleet which could take on the Athenians and their allies. Lysander collected 70 triremes and took them to Ephesus; Lysander pitched camp there and ordered for merchant vessels to land their cargos there, thus reviving the business and market life of Ephesus with profit and hope. Lysander persuaded Cyrus, the great king’s son to help the Spartans fund an increase in the sailors pay thus inducing sailors serving in the Athenian fleet to come over to the higher paying Spartan fleet. “I earnestly request you to add one penny to the seamen’s pay, that instead of three pence, they may now receive four pence”. When Alcibiades the Athenian commander challenged Lysander to battle he declined making sure his troops were in good repair, when Alcibiades left his fleet at notium seeking funds the Athenian squadron was placed under the command of Antiochus. During the time Alcibiades was away Lysander managed to engage the Athenian fleet resulting in loss of several ships and death of Antiochus. This defeat enabled Lysander to gain partisans amongst the cities subject to Athens by promising to instil decemvirates.

Lysander sailed to various cities and ordered all Athenians to go ...

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...e ‘great Peloponnesian war’ novel, as it ends in mid-sentence, there is a great deal of uncertainty whether he intended to revise the sections he had already written. Much like Thucydides, Plutarch’s “parallel lives” was entirely subjective interpretation as he manipulated his material to fit his world view of life as a battle between good and evil, he also tweaked quotes to his need and focused on character not events to make moral judgements. The analysis of history generally occurs as a subjective work as interpretations and judgements are portrayed in works. History is better understood as a piece of literature rather than an objective record of the historical events which embodies the words of W.R connor who describes Thucydides as “an artist who responds to, selects and skilfully arranges his material and develops its symbolic and emotional potential”.

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