The Peloponnesian War was a devastating military conflict between Athens, and a group of other city states called the Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta. In the first year of the war, Athens had the advantage because they had a lot of money and a good navy. So, they were safe inside their walls, and the Spartans could not break through.
But in the summer of 430 BC, the Athenians began to die from a terrible plague. In the third year of the war, more than half the people in the city of Athens died from illness. People from the surrounding countryside had fled inside the city gates, fleeing Spartan attacks. The Spartans had the town surrounded. The Athenians could not get to their crops. Finally, in April, in the year 404 BC, Athens surrendered.
The Spartans could not enjoy their victory for long. In 371 BC, they were defeated by the Thebans. Classical Greece was on the decline, and finally, came under the gifted Macedonian ruler, Philip II.
