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

Short Answer Questions

1. Which government did Sparta seek to form an alliance with in spite of earlier conflicts?

2. What is a major upset to Athens during 447 through 446 BC?

3. What appears to be a mistake made by the Athenian forces under Pericles?

4. Where is the initial confrontation between Sparta and the Athenians?

5. Why do the Spartans fear the Helots?

Short Essay Questions

1. What indication by 428 BC suggested that military tactics were changing?

2. What complicates the chronology of Thucydides' history?

3. Rather than meet the Peloponnesian land forces head on, what was Pericles' recommendation?

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

5. After the battle for Pylos, what happened to the Spartan survivors?

6. What was the significance of the Mytilenean revolt against Athens?

7. How did Peloponnesian attacks on Attica in the summer of 428 BC affect Athens?

8. What was the first major geographical area in the Peloponnesian War?

9. What was Thucydides' attitude toward so-called supernatural occurrences?

10. What was Sparta's advantage in the war?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The most intriguing of the Greek generals of his day was Alcibiades. Trace his defections to Sparta, Egypt, and Persia before he was finally recalled at Samos and made commander of the loyal Athenian troops. Contrast Alcibiades with America's Benedict Arnold in terms of how extraordinary it was for Alcibiades to ever return to Athens.

Essay Topic 2

Go through the history and identify some of the major mistakes Athens made during the Peloponnesian War. Be specific about what the mistakes were and how they affected the outcomes. Use other examples from the book than the major mistake of the invasion of Syracuse.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay on the subject of slavery during the time of the Peloponnesian War. Stress the differences between Athens and Sparta over the treatment of slaves. Compare these differences with the differences in attitude between North and South in the American Civil War.

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