Hellenistic Era

Hellenistic Era is when the Greek civilization was leading the international culture and their way of life influenced by the people they ruled. Hellenistic itself refers to the "international" period of Greek history, when most of the Mediterranean and southwest Asia was under Greek rule. In 359 BC, King Phillip 2 of Macedonia comes to power and wants to take control of Greece. King Phillip 2, wanted control of Greece to lead the Greeks and Macedonians in a united force against Persia, who was weakening.

Athens lost the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC under rule of Pericles) because after the second Persian war, Sparta dropped out of the fighting. Athens formed alliances with the Aegean coasts and islands, the people would donate money for the triremes. When Anatolia became free from Persian rule, Athens still demanded the allies to donate money. The allies became angry with Athens and asked the Spartans to be on their side and attack Athens in a naval war. The conflict was brought on because "the Athenians had grown great and inspired fear in the Spartans, thereby compelling them to war. In the beginning o the war, Athens and Piraeus formed a single stronghold while showing cautions and a strategy. Athens used their navy to guard the sea routes so they could get grain and so they could attack Sparta and the allies. Athens eventually fell to Sparta and gave them their outlying possessions  got rid of their defenses, and became forced allies of Sparta. Sparta had also lost a lot of men and resources, so when Athens tried to return to a democracy and have independence  Sparta could not stop them. Overall, Athens lost the war because they became greedy with their power and caused the other city-states to attack. (top of page 81 for more reasons)