key people of plp wars

Key people:

Themistocles: Athenian leader who supported increasing the navy and helped scheme to rebuild the Athenian walls following the Persian wars, even though Sparta did not want Athens to do so. Fought at Thermopylae.

Pericles: A powerful Athenian politician whom Thucydides admired. Transformed the Delian League into a true Athenian empire and advocated for certain reforms, such as paying jurors.

Archidamnus: A Spartan king who helped negotiate the end of the 1st Plp. War with Athens and who ruled in the leadup to the 2nd Plp. War. Was said to be a cool, calm, and collected leader.

Nicias: An Athenian politician and general who was known for negotiating the failed Peace of Nicias with Sparta after the first 10 years of the Peloponnesian War. He also helped command Athenian forces during the siege of Syracuse in Sicily.

Demosthenes: An Athenian general known for his victory at Pylos, and correctly guessing the mode of the Spartan attack there.

Cleon: An Athenian demagogue who rose to power after the death of Pericles. He was known for his aggressive policies during the war, and his refusal to negotiate with the Spartans.

Brasidas: A Spartan general who was victorious at Amphipolis, and was well-respected for how kindly he treated the civilians there to a point where other poleis requested he liberate them from the Athenians as well.

Alcibiades: An Athenian politician of great prominence in the second half of the Peloponnesian War who was known as being a lover of Socrates and having a colorful personality. He was also known for switching sides between Athens and Sparta throughout the war.

Thrasybulus:An Athenian general who helped resist an oligarchic coup that occurred in 411 BCE. He was elected by pro-democracy Athenian sailors at Samos.

Lysander: A Spartan naval commander who laid siege to Athens despite suffering losses to Athens previously. His eight-year long siege of Athens is what ultimately ended the war and resulted in Spartan victory.

Socrates: Prior to his more famous identity of being a philosopher, Socrates served in the Peloponnesian War and was highly-decorated. Known for being the “father of Western philosophy.” As mentioned previously, was a lover of Alcibiades.

Thucydides: Author of The Peloponnesian War, considered to be among the world’s first true historians. Some consider him to be the father of political realism, due to his ideas about the pursuit of power and the lack of morality in international conflict. This is illustrated especially through the Melian Dialogue.

Xenophon: Athenian military leader and historian who wrote about the final chapters of the Peloponnesian War, picking up where Thucydides had left off. He eventually became associated with Sparta, despite being born in Athens.

Epaminondas: A military commander from Thebes, who led it to dominance in ancient Greece. Some consider his actions to have weakened Greece in general and led the way to dominance by Alexander the Great of Macedonia.