Why did Sparta Not Destroy Athens?

First of all, as Sparta claimed, they spared them because of their great contribution during the Persian wars. In those wars Athens was one of the leaders of the coaliation and its men and ships helped won several battles that saved the Greek city-states, most notably Marathon and Salamis.

Did Athens have a stronger army than Sparta?

Sparta was leader of an alliance of independent states that included most of the major land powers of the Peloponnese and central Greece, as well as the sea power Corinth. Thus, the Athenians had the stronger navy and the Spartans the stronger army.

What caused Spartas downfall?

Spartan power declined due to the military, social and cultural factors that allowed other states to challenge their preeminent position in the Greek world.

Was Athens Army Strong?

As Athenian soldiers grew in number and strength, the Greek city-state also greatly boosted its number of horsemen. Their cavalry force grew from fewer than 100 riders to some 2,200 during the fifth century bc.

What happened between Athens and Sparta?

The Peloponnesian War was a war fought in ancient Greece between Athens and Sparta—the two most powerful city-states in ancient Greece at the time (431 to 405 B.C.E.). This war shifted power from Athens to Sparta, making Sparta the most powerful city-state in the region.

Was Athens military strong?

The Athenians kept pace with rising territorial commitments by greatly increasing the size of their military. Athens’ army went from a late sixth-century bc count of 3,600 armored spearmen to 13,000 citizen regulars on the rolls by 431 bc. Likewise, the Athenian fleet grew from 60 to 300 ships over the same period.

How did the military of Sparta and Athens differ?

Sparta had a powerful army and Athens knew that they could not beat them but they had the power of a naval unit which Sparta didn’t have. What the two communities had in common was that they were both thinkers.

What happened to Athens after the Peloponnesian War?

After the Peloponnesian War, the Spartans set up an oligarchy in Athens, which was called the Thirty. It was short-lived, and democracy was restored. And due to an ill-conceived Spartan foreign policy, Athens was able to recover. Worse, the Thirty alienated Sparta’s friends.

Who won the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens?

Who Won: Sparta or Athens? Sparta won the Peloponnesian War by decisively crushing the Athenian navy at the battle of Aegospotami in 405 BC. Earlier in the war, Sparta had inflicted a severe naval defeat on Athens at the battle of Syracuse in 413 BC.

What would have happened if the Spartans destroyed Athens?

Had Spartans destroyed Athens, the fear of other Greeks that Sparta’s warrior culture is only about war and destruction would prove real thus resulting in not being recognized as hegemons and soon would find themselves as enemies of all Hellenes.

Did Athens fight in the Persian War?

Athens had led the Greeks to victory at Marathon in 490 BCE and had fought alongside the Spartans at Plataea in 479 BC (see the Persian War). Athens had a long martial record, including wars with its neighbor Thebes with which it competed for power over the Boeotian region.

How did strategic alliances help Sparta defeat the Athenians?

However, strategic alliances, as well as an important shift in Spartan policy that allowed them to run more frequent raids on Athenian soil, eventually allowed Sparta to gain an edge over its opponent.