Persian and Peloponnesian Wars

Paper Summary:

The paper describes both the Persian and the Peloponnesian Wars; their origins, outbreaks and their achievements. The paper points out that in the Persian War, it was Sparta, along with its ally Athens, that destroyed Xerxes' great Persian army, but in the Peloponnesian War, Sparta turned against its former ally and brought it to its knees by draining the Athenian state treasury, splintering its political harmony and devastating its military power.

From the Paper:

"This decision by the coalition turned out to be a very wise choice, for the Spartan army demonstrated their courage when three hundred Spartan warriors, led by the illustrious Leonides, managed to hold off Xerxes' huge army for several days at a narrow pass known as Thermopylae on the eastern coast of central Greece. Xerxes, upon being told of this small army of Spartan warriors, "was flabbergasted that this paltry force did not immediately retreat when faced by his magnificent army." Unfortunately, the Spartans were deceived by one of their own and the Persians managed to surround them, leading to their complete destruction."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Diamandouros, Nikiforos. Hellenism and the First Greek War of Liberation. Athens: Institute for Balkan Studies, 1976.
• Rawlinson, George. History of the Greek and Persian Wars. New York: Washington Square Press, 1967.
• Rich, Charles and James Shipley, Eds. War and Society in the Ancient Greek World. New York: Routledge Publishing, 1993.

More papers on Persian and Peloponnesian Wars:

• Essay # 90215 : "The Greco-Persian War 499-479 BCE"
• Essay # 23025 : "The History of Ancient Athens"
• Essay # 60368 : "Ancient Athens: Delian League To An Empire"

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