Peloponnesian War                                                                        back to Greece

• After the Persian threat was removed it wasn't long before Athens and Sparta were rivals themselves.
• Sparta had long been the leader of Greece. She didn't want Themistocles to rebuild her walls. He went to Sparta to talk to them, all the while the walls were going up in Athens.
• Themistocles had their spies captured
• When he heard the walls were finished he laughed in their faces and went home
• Athens with the states that were its allies formed the Confederacy of Delos. Each state gave money or men to the confederacy
• This money was used for defensive purposes
• Pericles became leader after Themistocles. People made fun of him because of his big forehead. He was often called "onion head"                                                                                                                  
• He used the Confederacy's money to beautify the Acropolis and was criticized for this. He led his people into a war
• The war lasted 27 years (431-404 B.C.). States began to gang up on Athens and she would use her great navy to blockade them and use trade embargoes to make them surrender
• There were many land battles fought only in the summer during this time
• Sparta invaded Athens in 431 B.C. The Athenians retreated inside their walls. A plague entered the city and Pericles died.
• The Athenians began to use their navy on coastal raids in Peloponnesus
• The war became an endurance test with no side being right or wrong                                                                                                                  
• The final battles of the war were fought at sea. Athens lost more of these battles then she won. She was finally defeated at the Hellesport.  A 6 months blockage on Athens resulted in her surrender.

Phillips the Great 338 B.C.

• He came from Macedonia just north of Greece. He realized that the Greek states were all bickering with one another and he got together a very professional army.  Greece soon fell to Phillips, the Macedonian.  This was the end of the Greek city-states.
• His son was Alexander, born 356 B.C. in Macedonia. He studied with Aristotle as his tutor till age 16. he then returned home where he learned the skills of battle and fighting from his father, Phillips who was eventually assassinated when Alexander was 20. Alexander was ambitious and built up his army to 35,000 men. When Alexander drank he became arrogant and offensive according to records. 
• He named many cities Alexandria

Before The Battle

• He was out numbered 6-1. He won the battle at Issis
• Merchants, traders, geographers, historians, road measurers, all followed his army
• His opponent was Darius with an army of 200,000 who assembled in Babylon and headed north. Alexander headed south
• So as his army need not go back to Greece he and his soldiers lived off the land during their march.
• He had to defeat Darius’s navy so they couldn’t defeat Greece and Macedonia. he was successful in cutting off their supplies to the soldiers.
• Darius and Alexander fought across a river                       
• Alexander had great determination as he was outnumbered in the BATTLE OF ISSIS by 6-1 but he still won the battle

The Battle

• It changed the course of history

Alexander's Army

• A very professional army
• Slingers, archers, javelin throwers were part of his army
• Persian army was very traditional and defensive
• Macedonian army was very aggressive, 20 ft. long spike, underarm points of first 5 rows of spikes stuck out. The enemy had to get across 15 ft. of spikes to reach 1st man

Psychology

• Alex was up to the task. He exercised with his men, had the energy of a soldier & his men liked him

Courage

• He had great courage, wounded many times. Led from the front. Poured away water if he knew soldiers had no water
• He was the last of the Great Generals who led the charge
• Supreme self confidence
• Alexander never lost a battle
• Alexander held the line. They crossed the river, fighting confused and desperate. They fought face to face, wounded couldn't be removed
• Alexander turned on Darius who fled and his army lost heart and followed
• Thousands of Persians were killed

After the Battle

• He took over Darius's tent
• He captured Darius' family
• All dead men buried and families didn't have to pay taxes
• Visited the wounded
• He came down the coast and defeated the rest of the navy
• In Egypt - Alexandria
• Headed East after Darius
• Own people killed Darius
• Persians soldiers to join army
• Showed respect for Persians
• He got the Persians men onto his side
• He headed east for India.  Left many cities in his name
• Got to India
• Men wanted to go home
• Went back to Babylon
• June 323 B.C. at 32 he died - maybe poisoned
• Those he suspected of treachery he killed
• He could inspire men
• After death, empire collapsed.  Lots of contact between cultures

  THE END OF ANCIENT GREEK HISTORY.