The Peloponnesian War was a major war in Greece that was primarily fought between Athens and Sparta. The Peloponnesian War was actually two wars, lasting from 460 to 446 BCE and 431 to 404 BCE. Although all wars are considered bad, the First Peloponnesian War was not as bad as the Second. Although the first war had many causes, some actions had a greater impact than others. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In the 5th century BCE, Sparta and Greece were the major powers of Greece. As the two cities continued to grow, they would eventually overlap and cause major conflict. Greece was becoming fearful of Athens' growing power and the fact that it was able to significantly increase the size of its navy through tribute from allies and dependents. Also, Athens relaunched the project to rebuild the Long Wall, the fortifications that protected their port of Piraeus. One of the few things that delayed Sparta's action was the fear that Corinth would side with Athens. After the end of the first war, Greece entered a period known as the Thirty Years' Peace, which would not last thirty years and, in reality, hostilities would never truly cease. A major point in relations between Athens and Sparta during the Thirty Years' Peace. , which would ultimately lead to the Second Peloponnesian War, was the city of Poteidaia in 432 BCE. Athens wanted to take timber and minerals from Thrace and demanded that Poteidaia remove its fortifications around the city. After this, Poteidaia requested aid from the Spartans to help defend against Athens and the Spartans granted it. Even after Sparta joined Poteidaia, Athens implemented its plan and besieged Thrace. Shortly after, Athens also issued the Megarian Decrees, which prevented the city of Megara from using Athenian ports or their allies. Sparta, an ally of Megara, asked Athens to repeal the decree as it would make Megara very dependent on Athens due to control of trade. Even though Athens refused to repeal the decree, Sparta still did not officially declare war, as it was not prepared to engage in another protracted conflict. The second war began when Thebes attacked Plataea. Platea was an ally of Athens, which prompted them to come and join the fight. Seeing this, Sparta led the Peloponnesian army into battle. This was the start of the Second Peloponnesian War. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In Greece, the Delian League was created to unite the many Greek city-states in the event of an attack, such as the war with the Persians. The problem with the Delian League was that it did the opposite of what it was supposed to do. Sparta and many Greek city-states outside of Athens were unhappy with Athens' complete domination of the Delian League. They therefore formed the Peloponnesian League, rival of the Delian League. The competitive nature of the two groups led to difficult relations over who was more powerful, and what better way to achieve this than a massive war..