The Peloponnesian War is conventionally divided into three principal phases:

(1) 431 to 421 the Archidamian War

This phase is named after the Spartan king Archidamus who had opposed war with Athens and whose cautious policy dominated Spartan strategy at the beginning of the war.

During this period, the Spartans under the leadership of Archidamus marched into Attica and beseiged its territory.

The Athenians, under the leadership of Pericles (who died in 429), withdrew into Athens and fought the Spartans by raiding the Peloponnesian coastline and by encouraging helot revolts.

Athenian strategy was otherwise focused on recovery of the land empire of around 460, when Megara and Argos were allied with Athens and Athens controlled all of central Greece except for Thebes.

426

Demosthenes attempts to invade Boeotia by marching from Naupactus through Aetolia; worst disaster of the first part of the war.

425

Athenian victory at Pylos; capture of 292 (out of 320) Spartan hoplites.

424

Battle of Delium in Boeotia; Athenian attempt to reestablish land hegemony fails conclusively.

422

Battle of Amphipolis in Thrace; both Cleon and Brasidas killed.

This phase of the war was brought to an end by the Peace of Nicias (421), which produced a cessation of hostilities.

(2) 421 to 413 ending with the Sicilian Expedition

421

peace of Nicias including return of Spartan prisoners

421

The Athenians recapture Scione in Thrace; all of the men were put to death; all of the women and children were enslaved.

418

Sparta restores its leadership of the Peloponnesian League with a victory over the Argive League at the Battle of Mantinea--the largest hoplite battle of the war (10,000 hoplites on each side).

416

Athenians beseige the island of Melos; when it capitulates, all the men are killed and all the women and children enslaved.

415-413

the Sicilian Expedition

(3) 413 to 404 the Decelean War or the Ionian War

413

the Spartan king Agis II (Archidamus died 427) invades Attica for the first time since 425 and establishes a garrison at the deme Decelea, which functions both as a base from which to conduct raids into Attica and as a refuge for runaway slaves&emdash;about 20,000 fled.

During this period, fighting was carried on mainly in the Aegean Sea.

411

oligarchic revolt at Athens; franchise reduced to 5000; democratic party now located on Samos; 410 oligarchs revolt put down and democracy restored.

406

Battle of Arginousae islands&emdash;The Athenian fleet under Promachus is victorious over the Spartan fleet under Callicratidas in the largest naval battle of the war; losses on both sides were heavy and eight Athenian generals were convicted of failing to rescue survivors; two of them fled and the other six were executed (including Pericles, the son of Pericles).

405

Battle of Aegispotami &endash; the Athenian fleet under Conon pursues the Spartan fleet under Lysander to the Hellespont; the Spartans take Lampsacus and the Athenians beach opposite at Aegispotami where there is no harbor. Lysander catches Athenian forces on the beach in a surprise attack and executes all 3000 Athenians captured. Conon escapes to Cyprus.

404

In 405 Lysander and the Spartan fleet blockade the Piraaeus and a Peloponnesian army surrounds Athens; in the Spring of 404 Athens surrenders.