History of the Peloponnesian War - Essay Example

Another reason why the Peloponnesian War was a defining moment in Greek history is that it resulted in devastating economic costs that caused widespread poverty across both the Peloponnese and Athens. Athens was completely devastated and the city-state was never able to regain its pre-war prosperity. The weakened Greek city-states became vulnerable to attacks by Persia and Macedonia and were eventually conquered by King Philip of Macedonia.

Lastly, unlike the Persian war, the Peloponnesian War brought several social changes in Greece. For example, after the war, civil wars became a common occurrence in ancient Greece thereby resulting in the devastation and destruction of ancient Greek cultures, whole cities, depopulation, and the eventual end of the ancient golden age of Greece (Thucydides, 1.1 p. 15). In conclusion, although the Persian war had several effects including the signing of the thirty years of peace, the Peloponnesian remains the most defining moment in the history of ancient Greek. I, therefore, agree with I agree with the assessment of Thucydides that the Peloponnesian Wars were the most important in Greek history.