Athens and Sparta
Athens and Sparta were the two largest Greek city-states of the Ancient world. They were the biggest of rivals, two towering cities at their peak, the most influential cultural, military, and trade powers of western civilization in the first millennium B.C. They are sharply contrasting yet strikingly similar, setting the stage for the Peloponnesian War. Their differences were the effect of geographical isolation but they began with the same base of ideas on which to build. The Peloponnesian War was between the two over Sparta's fear of Athens' growth of power, and especially the Megarian Decree, an Athenian economic sanction against the Spartan ally Megara. This sanction against the state would prove disastrous for its economy without the wealth of the Athenian economy to augment their trade, forcing Sparta's war machine to spring to life. Ultimately the Peloponnesian War was over the ideological and cultural rivalry between Athens and Sparta.
Ancient Athens......
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Approximate Word Count: 1265
Approximate Pages: 5 (260 words per double-spaced page) |