Ancient Greece War Project

Ken Klieman
Peloponnesian War Project
History of Greece:
700 B.C.E. - 460 B.C.E.
Ancient Greece was made up of approximately 100 autonomous (individual) city-states. These
city-states traded with one another and for the most part maintained a healthy, cooperative existence.
The two leading city-states in Greece at this time were Sparta - a war based community - and Athens -
an intellectual based community.
The use of slaves was prevalent in all city-states in Greece. Slaves took care of the everyday
necessities of running a community (cleaning, cooking, basic manufacturing). This enabled the citizens
of the city-state - the men - to pursue what was considered the higher goals of the community, such as
getting ready for combat and discussing politics. Women at this time weren't given official roles of
prestige. They were considered equal to slaves and given just a little bit more public respect than
children. In reality, women played a huge role in controlling public opinions and ideas by persuading
their husbands behind closed doors.
In 490 and 480 Persia unsuccessfully invaded Greece. Their goal was to acquire Greece's natural
resources, and more slaves for their own community. Both invasions were repealed by a joint force of
the city states headed by Athens. Athens main weapon against the second invasion was their newly
developed navy. Their navy was successful in isolating the invading Persia forces from their supplies.
Also the navy gave the Greecian soldiers added mobility to attack the Persians freely.
After the second Persian attack, Athens was a leader in forming the Delian League. Essentially
the Delian League was a union of most of the city states and the gateway for Athens to dominate all of
Greece. In order to maintain the Grecian navy, Athens collected money from the rest of the members of
the Delian League. If a member decided to withdraw from the alliance, as in the example of Thasos in
465 B.C.E., Athens would lead an attack on the "rebel city- state" to force the city-state to rejoin their
union.
Sparta, a traditionally military based society, was skeptical of Athens dominance the Delian
League. A problem with the League was that there wasn't any checks on where the collected money was
going to. The smaller city states, such as Megara and Boeotia, were relatively helpless in demanding
that Athens spend their money, as it promised to, on upkeep of the navy and to the building of new
ships. While the existing navy was falling apart, Athens began building new palaces to Athenia and
other Olympian Gods. They also built new amphitheaters for their well known playwrights, such as
Sophacles, Euripides, and Aristophanes to perform their new plays. Most of the city-states was
frustrated by the misuse of their money, and ongoing pressureh from Athens. In addition, another
overall feeling was distrust of a war based community, Sparta, taking over all of Greece.
Delos, the inital headquarters of the Delian League, was a city state that had the power of
foretelling the future. One of its citizenry, had the power to interpret oracles which told the results of
great wars which were just about to be fought as well as predicting danger from incoming natural
disasters.
With Sparta at the lead of the protest, the Delian League began to fracture, and the threat of a
Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta soon began.
Agenda:
1) Read the History of Greece 700 B.C.E. - 460 B.C.E.
2) Read your role assignments.
3) Answer the Reading Comprehension questions as a group.
4) Read the description of your city state and your mission.
5) Figure out a course of action and JUST DO IT!

Ken Klieman
Reading Comprehension Questions:
1) How do you think slaves felt about the impending war? Women?
2) What do you think Athens main war goals were?
3) What do you think Sparta's main war goals were?
4) If you were running a city-state, whose side would you choose -
Athens or Sparta?
Your Mission if You Decide to Accept it is to do the Following:
1) Defend your state's borders. You can't be invaded by any other city state.
2) Negotiate a plan of action by discussing the following within your own group:
Membership to the Delian League
Leadership of the Delian League
Trading rights
Loyalties between City-States
3) Negotiate with the other city-states based upon your groups plan of action.
4) Fight a war if you need to. If you chose this option you must figure out
what your defense strategy will be. Who you will attack and why. And
how you will attack them.
Athens Group Description:
Life is great! We are prospering more than ever before. With the Delian league money we are
able to build like we never have been before. It is only fair we should pamper ourselves a little bit, after
all we were the ones who used our intelligence in building new ships to defeat the Persians. Because of
our leadership there has been peace in all of Greece for the first time in 200 years. Unfortunately we
have been hearing a few complaints from our city-state brothers in the Delian League about the money
that they are giving us. Our job is to maintain peace in Greece and we are doing it. the reason we
invaded Thasos was as an example to the other city-states. If anyone gets behind in their payments, we
will naturally invade them. As far as the way the money is spent, since we collect he money we can
spend it as we wish. If all of the money was spent on ships, our men would wear out from over work.
We need to pamper our city, in order to create a relaxed mood among our citizenry.
As far as negotiating goes, our position is the following:
1) Instead of Delian League membership payments being 50 gold
coins per lunar cycle per citizen, we can reduce it to 30 or lower.
2) We must maintain that we stay in control of the Delian League, since
only our guidance and intellectual skill can adequately guide the
whole of Greece as one.
3) If a city-state allays itself with us against Sparta, we can also lend
that city state some of our slaves, and free use of our ships in
their trading.
We are a fair people. All we want is what is due to us.
Agenda:

Ken Klieman
Athens or Sparta?
Trading rights
Sparta Group Description:
We hate Athens. First of all, we are the warriors and it was our job to defend Greece from
Persia. They made us look bad, by being our defender. We hate them. And then they start to demand
money from us for defense. Defense from whom? Persia is no longer a threat. Who do they think
they're kidding? It is obvious from our spies that they are using the money they steal - I mean collect -
from other city states to just make their city wealthier. We refuse to let this go on. It is our duty to fight
for what we believe in. As far as negotiating goes, our position is the following:
coins per lunar cycle per citizen, we demand that it be reduced to
10 or none.
2) We demand that the Delian League either be dismantled or that it be
lead by a council headed by the strongest city-state.
In other words - us.
3) If a city-state allays itself with us against Athens, we can lend
that city state some of our slaves, and free use of our superior
warriors in its defense.
We are not afraid to fight for what we believe in.
Agenda:

Ken Klieman
Athens or Sparta?
Trading rights
Delos Group Description:
Ever hear of the Delphi oracle? Well that's us. Yep we know the future through our oracles. I
guess one can say that we have privileged access to Mount Olympus. Since we usually let others know
the future for a price, we haven't been affected by the money and power struggle between Athens and
Sparta. If their money demands get to high we will just start to charge more for our prediction abilities
or we may just not tell them their future at all. We'll see who is the smartest or the strongest when a
hurricane comes by and the only people who are prepared are the ones who know that it is coming. Let
them fight over material power. We are the ones who are really in control.
25.
2) We agree with Sparta. We would like to see some equity in the
Delian League leadership. But unlike Sparta we would like it to
have fair representation with one elder per city-state. As far as
who is the president of the council, might we suggest that it be
the one who has the best ability to see what may happen in the
future, such as a person from our fair city.
3) We suggest that all city-states align themselves with us. We will give
the true leadership that Greece deserves.
Agenda:

Ken Klieman
Athens or Sparta?
Trading rights
Thasos Group Description:
We want independence. That's it. Athens wants us to pay extortion dues to them so we can be
defended by some dead empire. Give me a break. That is why we fought to be separate back in 465
B.C.E. Don't you remember. Athens increased the Delian League dues to 50 gold coins per citizen per
lunar month. We had to say no way. They are simply asking for extortion money. And look at them.
No new ships are being built. All they are doing is shinning up their beaaauuutiful city. It makes us
sick.
Sparta isn't any better. They think they are the most powerful. Yeah right. If they are so
powerful, why did Athens have to save their hides against the Persians? Huh? That's right they don't
know either. I wouldn't trust a Spartan any more than I could throw him. No way man. We want
independence! We have had it with these so called leaders of the new Grecian empire. The best empire
is one that doesn't exist!
1) We demand the immediate dismantling of the Delian League with the
immediate stop of all per lunar cycle payments.
2) We suggest that all city-states become independent.
Agenda:

Ken Klieman
Athens or Sparta?
Trading rights
Boeotia Group Description:
We are open to negotiation. We don't like the state of affairs now with the bickering between
Sparta and Athens, and we want to see it come to an end. We respect the military strength and
leadership of Sparta. At the same time we trust the continual mental strength of Athens and their
guidance. Our main goal is to maintain peace in our time between our brother and sister city-states,
whether we be unified or independent.
25.
have fair representation with one elder per city-state.
3) We suggest that all city-states align themselves how they wish to, as
long as the hatred and bickering stops.
Agenda:

Ken Klieman
Athens or Sparta?
Trading rights
Megara Group Description:
We are open to negotiation. We don't like the state of affairs now with the bickering between
Sparta and Athens, and we want to see it come to an end. We respect the military strength and
leadership of Sparta. At the same time we trust the continual mental strength of Athens and their
guidance. Our main goal is to maintain peace in our time between our brother and sister city-states,
whether we be unified or independent.
25.
have fair representation with one elder per city-state.
3) We suggest that all city-states align themselves how they wish to, as
long as the hatred and bickering stops.
Athenian General:
You demand that for the true guidance of the Grecian people, Athens needs to maintain control
of the Delian league and to keep it whole. You have the military power to back up what you say. Those
Spartans talk a lot but you are confident that you can beat them in any war. Essentially you push for
Athens to keep its commanding role in Greece.
Athenian General:
You demand that for the true guidance of the Grecian people, Athens needs to maintain control
of the Delian league and to keep it whole. You have the military power to back up what you say. Those
Spartans talk a lot but you are confident that you can beat them in any war. Essentially you push for
Athens to keep its commanding role in Greece.

Ken Klieman
Athenian Politician:
There is a push form the citizens of Athens to fight. Everyone says it is to show the Delian
League who is really the boss, but you know they want a war because no one wants to give up the
money coming in from the other city states. Your wife tells you that a war might start an uprising from
the slaves, and if this happens all the city states will lose. You decide to negotiate anything in order to
prevent a war. Do anything you can, just don't let a war break out!
There is a push form the citizens of Athens to fight. Everyone says it is to show the Delian
League who is really the boss, but you know they want a war because no one want s to give up the
money coming in from the other city states. Your wife tells you that a war might start an uprising from
the slaves, and if this happens all the city states will lose. You decide to negotiate anything in order to
prevent a war. Do anything you can, just don't let a war break out!
Enough of this non-sense. The best thing Athens can do in your opinion is to just kick butt! if
Sparta wants a war we'll give it them! As a back-up you have a connection with spies in the Spartan and
Delios groups. They will show who they are by scratching their forehead right between their eyebrows.
Look for them. They will tell you the inside secrets of what their group is planning. In order to be
spotted you may want to scratch your forehead as well.
Athenian Spy on Delos:
Report to the Delos group. When asked you will claim to be a politician. Never reveal your
identity, or else you may be killed. Your job is to find out what your group is planning and report your
findings to your Athenian connection. They will show who they are by scratching their forehead right
between their eyebrows. Look for them. In order to be spotted you may want to scratch your forehead
as well.
Athenian Spy on Sparta:
Report to the Spartan group. When asked you will claim to be a politician. Never reveal your
findings to your Athenian connection. They will show who they are by scratching their forehead right
between their eyebrows. Look for them. In order to be spotted you may want to scratch your forehead
as well.

Ken Klieman
Spartan General:
You demand that for the true guidance of the Grecian people, Sparta needs to maintain control of
the Delian league and to keep it whole. You have the military power to back up what you say. Those
Athenians talk a lot but you are confident that you can beat them in any war. Essentially you push for
Spartans to keep its commanding role in Greece.
Spartan General:
You demand that for the true guidance of the Grecian people, Sparta needs to maintain control of
the Delian league and to keep it whole. You have the military power to back up what you say. Those
Athenians talk a lot but you are confident that you can beat them in any war. Essentially you push for
Spartans to keep its commanding role in Greece.
Spartan Politician:
There is a push form the citizens of Sparta to fight. Everyone says it is to show the Delian
League who is really the boss, but you know they just want a war because no one wants to continue to
give up their money to Athens. Your wife tells you that a war might start an uprising from the slaves,
and if this happens all the city states will lose. You decide to negotiate anything in order to prevent a
war. Do anything you can, just don't let a war break out!
Spartan Politician:
There is a push form the citizens of Sparta to fight. Everyone says it is to show the Delian
League who is really the boss, but you know they just want a war because no one wants to continue to
give up their money to Athens. Your wife tells you that a war might start an uprising from the slaves,
and if this happens all the city states will lose. You decide to negotiate anything in order to prevent a
war. Do anything you can, just don't let a war break out!
Spartan Politician:
Enough of this non-sense. The best thing Sparta can do in your opinion is to just kick butt! If
Athens wants a war we'll give it them! As a back-up you have a connection with spies in the Athens and
Delios groups. They will show who they are by walking with a limp. Look for them. They will tell you
the inside secrets of what their group is planning. In order to be spotted you may want to walk with a
limp as well.

Ken Klieman
Spartan Spy on Athens:
Report to the Athenian group. When asked you will claim to be a politician. Never reveal your
findings to your Spartan connection. They will show who they are by walking with a limp. Look for
them. In order to be spotted you may want to walk with a limp as well.
Spartan Spy on Delos:
Report to the Delos group. When asked you will claim to be a politician. Never reveal your
findings to your Spartan connection. They will show who they are by walking with a limp. Look for
them. In order to be spotted you may want to walk with a limp as well.
Delos Treasure:
Everyone who wants to have their fortune told must first pay Delios 50 gold pieces. You just
collect the money. Occasionally you may need some new sandals, so you take a little bit out of the
general fund for your own needs. So what. As far as the war goes, you feel Sparta may protect your
interests and keep the money for oracle reading keeps on coming in.
Delos Oracle Reader:
Only you have the wisdom and power to read the oracles of the future. You know that after
many battles, deaths and 56 years of war Athens surrenders to Sparta. This is your secret. Only reveal it
when war is the only alternative for both sides and if revealing this fact will prevent a war. There is
speculation that if a war were to break out , the slaves will revolt. This is just not true. You are the only
one with insight. Don't forget it.
Delos Politician:
Enough of this non-sense. The best thing Delios can do in your opinion is to just kick butt! If
Athens and Sparta want a war we'll give it them! As a back-up you have a connection with spies in the
Athens and Sparta groups. They will show who they are by rubbing the back of their head. Look for
them. They will tell you the inside secrets of what their group is planning. In order to be spotted you
may want to rub the back of your head as well.
Delos Spy on Sparta:
Report to the Sparta group. When asked you will claim to be a politician. Never reveal your

Ken Klieman
findings to your Spartan connection. They will show who they are by rubbing the back of their head.
Look for them. In order to be spotted you may want to rub the back of your head as well.
Delos Spy on Athens:
Report to the Athens group. When asked you will claim to be a politician. Never reveal your
findings to your Spartan connection. They will show who they are by rubbing the back of their head.
Look for them. In order to be spotted you may want to rub the back of your head as well.
Thasos Politician:
You want independence and you will fight for it. You will do anything to get Athenia off of
your back. If this means we will fight on Sparta's side - so be it!
Thasos Politician:
You want independence and you will fight for it. You will do anything to get Sparta off of your
back. If this means we will fight on Athens' side - so be it!
Thasos Politician:
Delos has the right idea. You want independence, but with Delos at the lead. Athens and Sparta
are for the birds. Who needs such a grouch of a leader?
Thasos Politician:
Independence and nothing but! You believe Thasos cannot be attached to any other city state.
You just need to do your own thing!
Megara Politician:
Megara Politician:
back. If this means we will fight on Athens' side - so be it!

Ken Klieman
Megara Politician:
Megara Politician:
Independence and nothing but! You believe Megara cannot be attached to any other city state.
Boeotia Politician:
Boeotia Politician:
back. If this means we will fight on Athen's side - so be it!
Boeotia Politician:
Boeotia Politician:
Independence and nothing but! You believe Boeotia cannot be attached to any other city state.

Ancient Greece War Project

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