Athens vs. Sparta! The Peloponnesian War Cast of Characters Scene 1 Scene 5 • Narrator • Narrator • Pericles – General in the • Pericles Athenian army and popular • Boy from Athens leader in Athens • Woman from Athens
• Athens Representative #1 • Athens Representative #1 • Athens Representative #2 • Athens Representative #2 Scene 2 • People of Athens (whole class)
• Narrator Scene 6 Representatives from city-states in Athens’ alliance • Narrator • Euboea Representative • Athenian Soldier #1 • Ionia Representative • Athenian Soldier #2 • Thrace Representative • Alcibiades – General in the Athenian Army and a Scene 3 gambler/drinker
• Narrator Scene 7
• Sparta Representative #1 • Narrator
• Sparta Representative #2 • Spartan Soldier #1 Spartan Soldier #1 • • Spartan Soldier #2 • Spartan Soldier #2 • People of Sparta (whole class) • People of Sparta (whole class) Scene 8 Scene 4 • Narrator Narrator • • Athens Representative #1
• Pericles • Athens Representative #2
• Boy from Athens • Sparta Representative #1 Woman from Athens • • Sparta Representative #2 • Athens Representative #1 • Athens Representative #2 • People of Athens (whole class)
1 Scene 1 – Assembly Hill in Athens
Narrator: The scene is the meeting place of the Athenian Assembly. Pericles, a popular general and leader in Athens is speaking about the power of Athens. The Persian War ended about 40 years ago, and since then, Athens has grown to be the most powerful city-state in Greece.
Pericles: I want to tell all of you that I am so proud of what the people of our great city have accomplished! From the power of our mighty navy, to the culture and arts in our city, we are truly educating all of the Greece about what it means to be successful!
Athens Representative #1: We have even created the Delian League – An alliance led by Athens and made up of city-states who have agreed to pay us money in exchange for military protection.
Athens Representative #2: I know, we’re so rich now! The money from this alliance is the main reason why Athens has grown to be so rich and powerful.
Athens Representative #1: It seems so long ago that we were under the threat of the Persian Empire. Crazy King Xerxes with his idiotic idea that he could conquer us. Well, we showed him, didn’t we?
Athens Representative #2: We sure did! He just went back to his palace in Persia, crying all the way like a little tiny baby girl!
Pericles: Yes, it has certainly been a great time for Athens these past 40 years. You know, I’ve been thinking about increasing the taxes for the cities in our alliance. I think all of our houses could use a good sprucing up, don’t you? We can call it our “working hard bonus,” right? Wink, wink, nudge, nudge!
Athens Representative #1: As long as the cities in the Delian League don’t find out what we really use the money for!
Athens Representative #2: Technically, we’re supposed to use that tax money to protect city-states in our alliance…
Pericles: So what if they do find out? Remember when the city-state of Thrace tried to rebel last year? It didn’t take more than two days to shut that rebellion down. And then we punished the city by increasing its taxes and taking away some of its military protection.
Athens Representative #1: You’re right, we do have the greatest empire in the world!
Athens Representative #2: Plus, it helps that those filthy, uneducated Spartans just went back to their usual “caveman” ways after the Persian War. They give us no threat whatsoever!
Narrator: Pericles and the representatives from Athens laugh smugly as they think about the power that the Athenian Empire has. While it was true that Athens had worked hard to gain the wealth and power that it had, it was becoming more and more obvious to other city-states that Athens was becoming arrogant and greedy.
2 Scene 2 – Euboea: City-state that is part of Athens’ Delian League
Narrator: Representatives from the city-state of Euboea have invited representatives from other city- states who are part of the Delian League alliance to discuss their thoughts about Athens’ treatment of them.
Euboea Representative: Thank you so much for coming. Hopefully we can use our strength in numbers to make Athens realize that we’re getting sick of this stupid “power trip” they are on.
Ionia Representative: This alliance started out so well! All we had to do was give a little bit of money to Athens and in exchange they would protect us from invasions from Sparta or other empires.
Euboea Representative: We thought they actually cared about us! What a big, fat lie that was!
Thrace Representative: But now they are treating us like royal subjects, like they are our kings or something.
Ionia Representative: And I don’t think they are using all of that tax money to build up their army. I got a letter from a friend in Athens last week that said that their leader, Pericles, has a big, new addition to his house.
Euboea Representative: I don’t see how Pericles having a nice house helps us stay safe!
Thrace Representative: It made our people so mad that we tried to organize a peaceful rebellion last year, and they crushed it so quickly, it’s a wonder all of our soldiers weren’t killed!
Euboea Representative: Oh, I heard about that! Didn’t Pericles come in with practically the entire Athenian navy?
Thrace Representative: Yes! You should have seen him—he was perched at the front of one of their boats, like he was a king or something. I thought they were supposed to be a democracy—a government for the people.
Ionia Representative: There doesn’t seem to be much that we can do. None of us have any military weapons that are as strong as what Athens has. However, I’ve heard that the Spartans are planning their own alliance. I think they might be planning to go to war with Athens.
Thrace Representative: They may be uncivilized and only care about the next battle, but they do know how to get the job done!
Narrator: Although the city-states in Athens’ alliance were upset with Athens, they weren’t going to jump so quickly to join Sparta’s side. Even though Sparta raised strong warriors, many other cities in Greece didn’t care for Spartan way of life. So it was risky to switch to the “enemy side” without waiting to see what Athens and Sparta each wanted to do.
3 Scene 3 – Sparta
Narrator: Representatives from Sparta are meeting to discuss creating an alliance to rival Athens’ alliance.
Spartan Representative #1: We will create an alliance just like Athens. We are sick and tired of their quest for empire. They are acting more like the Persians that we helped them to defeat not so long ago.
Spartan Representative #2: We will call our alliance the Peloponnesian League – An alliance led by Sparta, but we will not force the cities in our alliance to pay money to us.
Spartan Representative #1: But I do think it’s fair to make the cities promise to give us soldiers during times of war.
Spartan Soldier #1: Did you say war?!
Spartan Soldier #2: War! Fight! Death! Destruction!
People of Sparta (Shouting): DOWN WITH ATHENS! DOWN WITH ATHENS!
Narrator: In true Spartan fashion, the people continue to shout loudly. This is how Spartans voted. It was clear that they wanted to go to war with Athens.
People of Sparta (Shouting): YES FOR WAR! YES FOR WAR!
Spartan Representative #2: Hold on, everyone. Before we go to war, we need to figure out our strategy.
Spartan Soldier #1: The strategy is simple: War with Athens. We win. End of story.
Spartan Representative #1: We need more than that. Athens proved themselves to be worthy competitors during the Persian War. After all, it was actually our army that fought in the only battle we lost in the Persian War.
Spartan Soldier #2: Yeah, but only because brave Leonidas stayed behind with 300 Spartan warriors and saved everyone else!
People of Sparta (Shouting): THIS IS SPARTAAAAA!!!
Narrator: Before the Spartan citizens break out into some sort of crazy “war dance,” the Spartan representatives try to regain control.
Spartan Representative #2: Here is the Spartan strategy to win: #1) We will cut off Athens’ food supply by destroying the crops they grow in the farms outside of the walls of the city. If they starve, they will have no choice but to surrender.
4 Spartan Soldier #2: And #2) We need to make sure to keep all battles on land since Athens has a more powerful navy.
Spartan Soldier #1: We will be victorious! Now bring me something to kill!
Narrator: In 431 B.C., Sparta declared war on Athens. When the Spartans marched on Athens, they burned crops in the fields outside of Athens’ walls. Athens had no choice but to watch helplessly. The war would last for 25 long years because neither side was willing to surrender.
------Scene 4: Marketplace in Athens – 6 months into the war
Narrator: Pericles speaks to the Athenian people in the marketplace. Sparta is slowly starving the Athenian people by burning down their crop fields. The Athenian people are angry with Pericles, who is refusing to let them fight.
Woman from Athens: Pericles, why won’t you dispatch our navy to attack Sparta by the sea?
Boy from Athens: We have no food coming in! My family has been starving for weeks!
Pericles: My dear Athenians, I know this seems tragic right now, but listen to my plan for how Athens will win the war: #1) We will ignore the Spartans to avoid a land battle.
People of Athens (Shouting): YOU CRAZY OLD MAN! THAT IS STUPID!
Narrator: Pericles is surprised to see such shouting from his normally peaceful Athenian people.
Pericles: Jeez, did the gods put something weird in your breakfast this morning?
Boy from Athens: We haven’t had any breakfast, you moron!
Woman from Athens: Didn’t you get our point about starving?!
Pericles: Well, as I said, we are going to continue to ignore the Spartans.
Narrator: The people of Athens start to shout at Pericles again. Before things get out of control, Athenian representatives step in.
Athens Representative #1: With all due respect, sir, Spartans are not known for being ignored. Their unwashed smell alone demands attention.
Woman from Athens: They are dirty, stupid, and are now starving us!
Athens Representative #2: Besides, what will we do for food? The people are beginning to starve.
5 Pericles: Okay, okay, here is more of Athens’ winning strategy: #2) We will use our navy to bring supplies to Athens. And #3) Along the way, our navy will attack cities in Sparta’s alliance. Finally #4) We will hide behind the walls of our city.
Athens Representative #1: What about the farmers living in the countryside outside the city?
Pericles: They will come into the city with us.
Athens Representative #2: Won’t it become overcrowded? What about disease and cleanliness?
Pericles: We are Athens! We are survivors! We can prove that we are stronger than Sparta.
People of Athens (Shouting): WE STILL THINK YOU ARE CRAZY!
Narrator: For the first year of the Peloponnesian War, no battles were fought. Eventually, the Spartans themselves ran out of supplies, so they went home. Athens continued to slowly starve. The war even paused twice to play the Olympic Games.
------Scene 5: Behind Athens’ walls – 12 years into the war
Narrator: Year 12 of the war began with a Spartan land attack. The Athenian people retreated behind their walls. Things would not turn out well for the Athenians.
People of Athens: Sick sounds—coughing, sputtering, gasping, etc.
Boy from Athens: What is happening to us? We are all sick and dying!
Narrator: A terrible plague – a fast-spreading disease that is very contagious – swept through Athens. More than 25% of Athens’ population died—possibly as many as 100,000 people.
Woman from Athens: This is all Pericles’ fault! He has crowded too many people into the city walls. Things are dirty and unsanitary here.
Narrator: The plague was so terrible that the people of Athens became deeply discouraged.
People of Athens (Shouting): THE GODS ARE PUNISHING US!
Narrator: The Athenians began to feel like there was no hope. And it only got worse when their leader, Pericles, also died from the plague.
Athens Representative #1: People of Athens, it is with a heavy heart that I must announce that our fearless leader, Pericles, has died from the plague.
People of Athens: Gasps and surprised sounds.
Boy from Athens: Who’s going to help us now? My parents are dead and I am an orphan!
6 Woman from Athens: He may have been an idiot sometimes, but Pericles was our leader for more than 20 years. What will we do?
Athens Representative #1: We will give Pericles a proper funeral and we will keep on surviving.
Athens Representative #2: In honor of Pericles, we must not give up the fight! As long as our army keeps ignoring the Spartan army, Sparta will not win!
Narrator: The Athenian people did not want to give up, but they also didn’t want to make any silly mistakes that would cost them the war. As a result, the war entered a long period of a stalemate— neither side was willing to fight.
------Scene 6: Athenian army camp at Sicily, an island– 16 years into the war
Narrator: The Peloponnesian War has been going on for 16 years. Athens still refuses to meet Sparta in a land battle, and Sparta has done a great job avoiding a battle at sea.
Athenian Soldier #1: Sir, we just got word from Athens. Their ships are running low on supplies.
Athenian Soldier #2: They are also getting fed up with not engaging Sparta in battle. They want to attack.
Alcibiades: As the leading general for the Athens army, I have just the idea to get this war going again. We shall invade and conquer the island of Sicily. We will take supplies from Sicily to send back to Athens.
Athenian Soldier #1: I’m not so sure. Sparta controls Sicily. Do we really have enough strength to conquer Sicily AND carry on a war with Sparta at the same time?
Narrator: The problem wasn’t the idea itself—it was the person who was suggesting it. While he was a good soldier, Alcibiades had built a reputation for himself as a gambler and a partier.
Alcibiades: Oh, come on now, where is your gambling spirit?! Life is all a gamble, just like the money I like to gamble away at parties! Plus, if we win, the whole world will know my name!
Athenian Soldier #2: Don’t you mean the whole world will know Athens’ name? It’s not all about you.
Alcibiades (Laughing): Ha-ha-ha! With that pesky Pericles dead, we need a new famous face in Athens! And I have such a beautiful face.
Athenian Soldier #1: Let’s send General Alcibiades’ idea back to Athens for the people to vote on.
Narrator: Enough Athenian citizens liked Alcibiades’ idea and approved the attack on Sicily. But the invasion was a total disaster. The Sicilian army was stronger than Alcibiades expected. Eventually, the Athenian army had to retreat. Hundreds of soldiers were killed, and hundreds more were taken into slavery.
7 Scene 7: Spartan army camp – 16 years and 2 months into the war
Narrator: It has been 2 months since Athens’ disastrous attempt to invade Sicily. Alcibiades, fearing for his life, did not return to Athens. Instead, he… Well, let’s just see what happens.
Spartan Soldier #1: Hey, did you hear? The Athenian General Alcibiades has sold himself to us! That filthy traitor has abandoned his entire life in Athens in exchange for protection from Sparta!
Spartan Soldier #2: Are you serious? I didn’t think that wimpy little girly-man had it in him.
Spartan Soldier #1: After his idiotic plan to invade Sicily backfired on him, Alcibiades was supposed to return to Athens. They were going to—
Spartan Soldier #2: Kill him, I hope?!
Spartan Soldier #1: No, they would have given him a trial first. Those silly Athenians with their democracy. And then they would have ostracized him from the city.
Spartan Soldier #2: I like the Spartan way better. Killing traitors and helots was one of my favorite things to do in military training when I was a kid.
Spartan Soldier #1: Plus, Alcibiades has promised to give us all kinds of Athenian military secrets.
Narrator: Instead of returning to Athens to own up to his mistake, Alcibiades fled to Sparta. There, he told the Spartans important Athenian military secrets.
Spartan Soldier #1: The Athenians’ disaster in Sicily gives Sparta a huge advantage. They lost many weapons, ships, and soldiers.
Spartan Soldier #2: The only thing that we’re missing to really finish off Athens for good is a navy. Who do we know that has a huge navy?
People of Sparta (Shouting): THE PERSIANS! THE PERSIANS!
Narrator: With the Persians as Spartan allies, it didn’t take long for the Spartans to defeat the Athenians for good. In 404 B.C., more than 25 years after the war had begun, Athens surrendered to Sparta. The war was over. Sparta had won.
8 Scene 8: Assembly Hill in Athens – 3 months after the end of the war
Narrator: It was a huge surprise to everyone in Greece that Sparta won the Peloponnesian War. Now, Athens and the rest of Greece would have to wait to see what the consequences of Athens’ loss were.
Sparta Representative #1: Well, well, well. It appears that the so-called “Golden Age” of Athens is over. As the winners of this war, we have the right to give you punishments.
Sparta Representative #2: #1) You will tear down the walls that protect your city. #2) You will no longer have the most powerful navy in Greece. We order that 75% of your ships be destroyed.
People of Athens (Shouting): NO! THIS ISN’T FAIR!
Athens Representative #1: This isn’t part of our democracy!
Sparta Representative #1: Sparta will decide what type of government you shall have. We will send several Spartan men to rule Athens in an oligarchy. Your third punishment: #3) There is no more democracy in Athens.
Athens Representative #2: You filthy, uncivilized Spartans! You may have won for now, but this will not be the end of Athens!
Athens Representative #1: It will not be long before we rebel against the rulers you put into place!
People of Athens (Shouting): ATHENS WILL SURVIVE!
Narrator: Within one year, Athens had rebelled against the oligarchy that Sparta had started, and Athens was able to restore its democracy government. However, the 25-year-long war had seriously weakened both Athens and Sparta. The good news was that Greece would now enter a short period of peace while Athens and Sparta rebuilt their cities and their militaries.
The End
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