View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. During the winter of 427 BC, what returns to Athens?

2. While the Spartan fleet is at sea, what is happening in Mytilene?

3. What complication does geographic scope add to the difficulty of reading Book One?

4. After the prominent Spartan general, Pausanias, briefly becomes politically powerful, what causes his defeat?

5. After the war begins, what diplomatic success does Athens have?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Athens respond to the attack on Attica?

2. In 426 BC, what prevented the annual invasion of Attica by the Peloponnesian forces?

3. Describe the conditions before the lead up to the Peloponnesian War.

4. What was Thucydides' reaction to the aftermath of the Corcyran revolt?

5. What complicates the chronology of Thucydides' history?

6. How did Athens rise to its highest political power?

7. From the point of view of allies, how was Athens positioned in the war?

8. What happened to Brasidas during the unsuccessful assault on Pylos?

9. What is a good description of Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War?

10. What notable action did the Athenian fleet take in 425 BC on its way to Sicily?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Successful generals often rise to great political power. Write an essay about the events leading to the political power of Demosthenes, Cleon, and Alcibiades. In your essay, contrast the way each of these managed to gain their position.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about the contribution of Lesbos to the Athenian war cause. Include information from the chapter on Mytilene. In the paper, discuss how the goals and aspirations of the upper classes do not always coincide with the will of the rank and file population.

Essay Topic 3

In the time that Thucydides was writing, it was acceptable to put elements of creativity into a historical manuscript as though it were observed information. Many of the speeches delivered in both Athens and Sparta are reported as though Thucydides was actually present at the time. This practice would not be acceptable today. Give examples of this from the History of the Peloponnesian War and comment on their authenticity.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 765 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample