It was the dominant power in mainland Greece, but was soon at war with its previous allies and Athens, and was decisevly defeated by Thebes three decades later, after which its series of losses of military manpower relegated it to a second-rate power.
Sparta did not win the war, the coalition of city-states it led did. After the war, the coalition broke up, and the city-states went back to their usual occupation for fighting each other. Sparta lost traction as it had lost too much of its military manpower, and was eventually defeated by Thebes, and ceased to be a principal power.
Because of there stealth.
They fear that Caesar will gain too much power, and become king of Rome.
defeating an army that was much greater in numbers.
Philip II during his campaign to be the leading state of Greece sent a message to Sparta saying "You are advised to submit without further delay, for if I bring my army into your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people, and raze your city.." Sparta sent back a reply "If". Alexander and Philip stayed clear of Sparta. With much of Greece already united under his hegemony, Sparta could be left alone while he concentrated on his campaign against the Persians who had subjugated the Greek states in Asia Minor.
Athens was not in control of Sparta before, during or after the war. The only facet of its military that was stronger than Sparta's was the Athenian navy.
Peloponnesian War"The Spartans voted that the treaty had been broken, and that war must be declared, not so much because they were persuaded by the arguments of the allies, as because they feared the growth of the power of the Athenians, seeing most of Hellas already subject to them" Book One, Chapter 88 Landmark Thucydides .Sparta was afraid of the growing power of their rival city-state, Athens
Sparta won the Peloponnesian War. Despite much success in the beginning, Athens made some crucial strategic blunders which proved to be their downfall.
The period was one of turmoil in the Greek world. As a leading power, Sparta was embroiled in much of it.
Sparta had a better army by far, but Athens had a much better navy.
Sparta did not win the war, the coalition of city-states it led did. After the war, the coalition broke up, and the city-states went back to their usual occupation for fighting each other. Sparta lost traction as it had lost too much of its military manpower, and was eventually defeated by Thebes, and ceased to be a principal power.
The city-states of Athens and Sparta as well as their allies were involved in the war that started at 431 and ended at 404 BCE. The Spartans and their allies were the winners of the war that later was named "the Peloponnesian war"
Loss of the Persian War stopped Persian expansion into the Greek world. The Peloponnesian War so weakened the Greek world that it became an easy target for takeover by Macedonia, which was then able to harness the combined Macedonian-Greek forces to takeover the Persian Empire.
Sparta because they did not have as much freedom as Athens.
It varied over time - early it was Sparta until it consolidated its territory. Then Athens tried to establish and empire after the Persian invasion but was put down by the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. With Sparta debilitated by wars, Thebes took over until the Macedonian empire took control. ________________________ Sparta and Macedonia were the only two Greek states that could really be called militaristic. Unlike Athens which became a large power by way of trade and naval supremacy, Sparta rose through its military might and bravery and Macedonia through its military innovation and techniques. It was said that while Athens was centred around great buildings, Sparta was built by courageous men who "served their city in the place of walls of bricks." Thebes, Corinth and Argos could be classified as militaristic to a much lesser degree.
Sparta civilization was all about power and battle; every boy was trained to grow up and be a military weapon. On the other hand, Athens was all about advancements in technologies and not so much battle. Athens' military was mostly filled with potters, bakers, speakers, and so on. It was very much different than Sparta
Niccolo Machiavelli