Greek and Persian Wars | Engineering the Fall of Athens (Lecture 15)

Lecture 15: The fall of Athens began with the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War in 431 B.C. against Sparta. The first decade of fighting ended in a moral victory for Athens, but instead of resting content, Alcibiades goaded the Athenians to embark on a risky expedition against Syracuse that ended with a crippling defeat. In the wake of this blow, the Persian satraps Tissaphernes and Pharnabazus attempted to develop an alliance with Sparta. Disgusted by the double-dealings of Tissaphernes, the Spartans joined Pharnabazus in an effort to block the Athenian food supply, resulting in a series of battles during the summer of 410 B.C. and the spring of 409 B.C. that culminated with an Athenian victory at Cyzicus. An overwhelming victory for Sparta at Aegospotami in 405 B.C., however, ended the Peloponnesian War and cemented Sparta’s dominance. Athens, it seemed, was finished—and Persia could take credit for engineering its downfall.

Recommended Reading:
Kagan, The Fall of the Athenian Empire.
Plutarch, The Rise and Fall of Athens: Nine Greek Lives.