This is the History of the World Podcast with me Chris Hasler

And you're listening to volume three, the classical world

episode 14

The Peloponnesian War Part 2. Oh, We'll need a quick recap regarding the chronological timeline.

In 479 VCE, the Athenians supported by the Spartans, were able to expel the Achimian Persians from Greece,

which ended the Persian invasions of Greece. After the Persians left, there was no longer an essential requirement for the Athenians and the Spartans to work together.

The Spartans returned to the Peloponnese and their closest allies within the Peloponnese,

while those other Greek city states or Polace formed the Deelian League, with Athens as its main power.

With Sparta and Athens at the heads of their respective confederations,

distrust of each other manifested. Confederate to venture out of the Peloponnese.

Athens believed that its fate could be determined by gaining more power so that it could

compete on a level footing with the Persians who had previously been a dominant threat.

When Sparta suffered a massive earthquake in the four-60s B.C.E, the Athenians could exploit the

opportunity to gain more power and influence over the lands

and polo of the Aegean.

Sparta would see its own power and influence diminish as a consequence and now felt

that its own national security could be in jeopardy as a consequence of the seemingly

power-hungry Athenians becoming more imperial in their nature.

Athens appeared to be unstoppable, but rebellions and some unexpected defeats enabled the Spartans to regain a firmer footing

in the minds of other Greek poles and some of those who had swapped their loyalties from

Sparta to Athens in the past, such as Megara,

were now rethinking their position, and some of those who had had pro-Athanian rulers installed by Athens such as the Beocean Poles

...