Study for the Honors Ancient History Exam. Master the material with flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each featuring detailed hints and explanations. Prepare effectively for success!

Multiple Choice

What triggered the Peloponnesian War, and what was its long-term consequence for Greece?

Rivalry over power and shifting alliances among Athens and Sparta fuels the Peloponnesian War. Athens, with its naval empire through the Delian League, and Sparta, leading the Peloponnesian League, perceived each other as a direct threat to their own ways of organizing and controlling Greek affairs. The struggle over who would dominate Greek politics and how alliances were drawn in around that competition drew in most of the Greek world into a protracted and exhausting conflict. The long-term consequence is a Greece that is politically and economically weakened, unable to present a united front or recover quickly from the devastation of war. This vulnerability opens the door for Macedonian dominance under Philip II, who would soon bring the Greek city-states under his influence and set the stage for the subsequent conquests of Alexander the Great.

Rivalry over power and shifting alliances among Athens and Sparta fuels the Peloponnesian War. Athens, with its naval empire through the Delian League, and Sparta, leading the Peloponnesian League, perceived each other as a direct threat to their own ways of organizing and controlling Greek affairs. The struggle over who would dominate Greek politics and how alliances were drawn in around that competition drew in most of the Greek world into a protracted and exhausting conflict.

The long-term consequence is a Greece that is politically and economically weakened, unable to present a united front or recover quickly from the devastation of war. This vulnerability opens the door for Macedonian dominance under Philip II, who would soon bring the Greek city-states under his influence and set the stage for the subsequent conquests of Alexander the Great.