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.
The power of the Athenian led Delian league and to curb the power of Argos and Corinth. "Sparta formed its Pelopnnesian League, motivated at least partly by Athen's use of Delian League funds to rebuild its Acropolis"
Sparta .
After the Great Peloponnesian war, Sparta, Athens, and Thebes all struggled to dominate Greek affairs.
the power struggle between Athens and Sparta. Athens had emerged as a dominant naval power in the Aegean while Sparta was the leader of the Peloponnesian League. Tensions between the two city-states grew as they competed for influence and resources, eventually leading to the outbreak of the war.
Sparta fought in the Peloponnesian War primarily to counter the growing power and influence of Athens, which threatened its dominance in the Greek world. The war was fueled by a rivalry between the two city-states, with Sparta leading the Peloponnesian League and Athens at the helm of the Delian League. Additionally, Sparta sought to protect its allies and maintain the balance of power in Greece. Ultimately, the conflict was about control, security, and the differing political systems of oligarchy versus democracy.
Athens' expansionist activities were opposed by the Peloponnesian League headed by Sparta. Continuing Athenian pressure on cities outside its empire resulted in a series of clashes which led to war between the two power blocs.
Sparta was temporarily the main power until overturned by Thebes three decades later.
There were two opposing power blocs - the Athenian empire and the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. After the Peloponnesian War between the two when Athens lost, Sparta dominated temporarily for three decades until beaten and replaced by Thebes.
Sparta initiated the Peloponnesian War primarily to counter the growing power and influence of Athens, which had expanded its empire and asserted dominance through the Delian League. Tensions escalated due to Athenian imperialism and its aggressive policies, which threatened the autonomy of other Greek city-states. Additionally, Sparta aimed to protect its own interests and maintain its leadership in the Peloponnesian League. Ultimately, the desire to assert military dominance and preserve traditional power dynamics in Greece drove Sparta to conflict.
Jealousy manifested between Sparta and Athens as Sparta controlled the Peloponnesian League and Athens's controlled city and state governments in Greece. The war resulted in Sparta and Athens's quest to have ultimate control over the country's military and government.Athens, having established an empire out of the Delian League city-states it led against Persia, began to use this power to interfere in the affairs of other Greek cities, culminating in trying to bankrupt Megara, a member of the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. Athens ignored appeals by Sparta to back off, refused War then broke out.
Athens took greece over and slay the spartans for good in about 599B.C.E
The war fought between Sparta and Athens was the Peloponnesian War, which occurred from 431 to 404 BCE. This conflict arose from power struggles and territorial disputes, primarily between the Delian League led by Athens and the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. The war ultimately resulted in the defeat of Athens and a temporary decline in its power, while Sparta emerged as the dominant force in Greece.