The Peloponnesian War was between Athens and Sparta, two main city-states of ancient Greece. It lasted from 431 to 404 BCE. War took hold of a large part of the Greek world and it was Thucydides who judged it. This war was considered one of the greatest works in world history and one of the most important up to that time. To find out more about the Peloponnesian War, take a look back at these two key city-states. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essaySparta was the leader of an alliance of independent states that included many of the major land powers of the Peloponnese and Greece central, as well as the sea. power Corinth. The Athenian alliance was an empire that included much of the island and coastal states around the eastern and northern shores of the Aegean Sea (82,626 square miles). The Athenians had a stronger navy and were more financially stable than their enemies and the Spartans had a stronger army. Athens and Sparta had already fought before the Peloponnesian War, in what some may consider the First Peloponnesian War, which accordingly they agreed to even call it and did in 445 what was called the Thirty Years Treaty which was in some way a peacemaker. Later, the Athenians took steps to break the Thirty Years Treaty as they now reunited with Corcyra, a colony of Corinth. From there, Sparta and its allies accused Athens of aggression and threatened war. Because of Pericicle (the most influential ruler), Athens refused to back down. Many efforts were made to resolve the disputes, but without success. Around the spring of 431, a Spartan ally named Thebes attacked an Athenian ally named Plataea and war began. In reality, the years of fighting between Athens and Sparta can be divided into two periods separated by a six-year truce. The first period lasted about 10 years. It began with the Spartans who were under the rule of Archidamus II, who then led an army into Attica, the region around Athens. It was here that the Peticles refused to attract superior allied forces, but instead insisted that the Athenians remain in their city and harass the enemy coast and shipping. In just a few months, Pericles fell victim to the plague. Killing a large number of civilians and a large part of the army. Thucydides survived a plague attack that left an impressive impact on Athenian confidence. Meanwhile, the Spartans attacked Athenian bases in western Greece, but were later repulsed. The Spartans also suffered a withdrawal at sea. Around 428, they attempted to aid the island state of Lesbos, a tributary of Athens, which was planning to revolt. This revolt was then led by the Athenians who gained control of the main city Mytilene. At the insistence of the demagogue Cleon, the Athenians voted to massacre the men of Mytilene and unfortunately enslave everyone else. But they change their mind the next day and only kill the leaders of the revolt. Spartan originalities during the plague years all failed, except for the capture of the strategic Plataea in 427. Over the next few years, the Athenians took offense and began attacking the Sicilian city of Syracuse and led a campaign in western Greece and the Peloponnese itself. Around 425, the table was empty for Sparta which began to sue for peace. This was led by Brasidas, he was a hero of the Battle of Delium, a Spartan force achieved enormous success in.