Peloponnesian War Intro

The rise of Athens produced a natural rivalry in the Peloponnese with Sparta for supremacy in ancient Greece. In this war lasted from 431 to 404 BC participated almost all Greek city-states behind the Athenian and Spartan alliances and fought in Greece, Sicily and Asia Minor. It ended with the defeat and surrender of Athens, leaving Sparta as the dominant power in Greece.

We begin our tour on the hill of Pnyx where Athenians gathered to host their popular assemblies, thus making the hill one of the earliest and most important sites in the creation of democracy. Here Pericles delivered his speeches and we will discuss his cunny strategy of avoiding battle. Then we will drive to Egaleo Hill to get a panoramic view of the fortifications and defence of Athens. The last part of the tour is the battlefield of Delion, some 60 km from Athens. In this battle in 424 BC the Athenians in their attempt to neutralize Boeotia were defeated by the Thebans.