BACKGROUND OF THE PERSIAN & PELOPONNESIAN WARS
549-333 - PERSIAN EMPIRE
549 - Cyrus is king of Persia. In 543, he conquered qll of Asia Minor
546 - Cyrus is conquered under King Croesus
539 - Cyrus added Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, and Phoenicia
525 - Cyrus' son conquered Egypt
512 - Darius extended the Persian Empire to Thrace in Greece
*499-494 - IONIAN GREEKS IN ASIA MINOR REVOLT AGAINST THE PERSIANS, ATHENIANS GIVE AID
*490 - Persian expedition against Athens; Athenians defeat Persians at MARATHON
486 - Egyptian revolt against Persians, aided by Athens
484 - Death of Darius, Xerxes is king
480-479 - PERSIAN INVASION OF GREECE TO PUNISH GREEKS FOR AIDING IONIAN REVOLT
480 - Battle of Salamis, Great naval victory for Greeks against Persians
479 - Battle of Plataea and then Mycale, Greeks drive Persians from Greece
**478 - Organization of the DELIAN LEAGUE UNDER ATHENIAN LEADERSHIP (AGAINST PERSIA)
468-466 - Greeks drove Persians from S.W. Asia Minor and the Aegean Sea
448 - PEACE OF CALLIAS between Persia and Athens ends Persian Wars
*457-450 - FIRST PELOPONNESIAN WAR BETWEEN ATHENS AND SPARTA
*454 - Transfer of the Delian League Treasury from the island of Delos to Athens, this symbolized the conversion of the Delian League into the Athenian Empire
447-445 - BOEOTIA, MEGARA, AND EUBOEA revolted against the Athenians, Sparta intervenes against Athens, THIRTY YEARS' PEACE between Athens and Sparta
433 - Corcyra, colony of Corinth, an ally of Sparta, is granted an alliance by Athens
432 - Revolt of Potidaea against Athens (Potidaea was a Corinthian colony)
***431-404 - PELOPONNESIAN WAR BETWEEN ATHENS AND HER ALLIES AND SPARTA AND HER ALLIES IN THE PELOPONNESIAN LEAGUE
A. 431-421 - Fought to a draw
B. 421-416 - Uneasy peace
C. 416-404 - Renewal of War, Athens attacks Syracuse in Sicily and suffers disastroud defeat, Sparta, with Persian help, defeated Athens
430 - Plague in Athens
429 - DEATH OF PERICLES, ATHENIAN GENERAL AND LEADER (end of Pericles' cautious policy)
425 - Sparta loses fleet to Athens (is not rebuilt for 13 years)
421 - PEACE OF NICIAS; ends of 1st phase of the war
420 - Alcibiades was elected general in Athens
416 - ATHENIAN EXPEDITION AGAINST THE ISLAND OF MELOS
415-413 - At the urging of Alcibiades, Athens sent a expedetion to Syracuse in Sicily, Siege of Syracuse, Athenians defeated and loss a fleet, Alcibiades fled to Sparta, severe blow to Athens, which, is still able to fight, however
413 - Renewal of fight between Sparta and Athens
412 - Agreement between Sparta and old enemy Persia, Persians subsidize Spartan fleet in exchange for the cession of cities in Asia Minor to Persia
411 - Oligarchic Coop in Athens (the 400), Alcibiades recalled to head the fleet
410 - RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY IN ATHENS
405 - SPARTAN VICTORY AT AEGOSPOTAMI, Spartans capture Athenian fleet and cut Athens off from its food supply from the Black Sea area
404 - SURRENDER OF ATHENS, END OF WAR, ATHENS LOST ITS EMPIRE, ALCIBIADES ASSASSINATED, ATHENS HAD TO DISMANTLE ITS CITY WALLS AND WAS NOT PERMITTED TO HAVE A FLEET
404 - Oligarchic rule of THIRTY TYRANNTS SUPPORTED BY SPARTA
403 - RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY IN ATHENS
CAUSE OF PERSIAN WARS (490-4799 BC) - Persians resent Greek, esp Athenian support of Ionian Greeks in Asia Minor (today Turkey). Persians wanted to punish Greeks for supporting the revolt of the Ionian Greeks. Greeks wanted to liberate Ionian Greeks from Persian domination.
CAUSE OF PELOPONNESIAN WAR - Resentment of Sparta and her allies toward the Athenian Empire and the Athenian Imperialism. Seemingly inevitable war between Athens and Sparta for the leadership of Greece after Greek defeated the Persians.
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