Definition

Proper noun A major ancient Greek conflict fought between the Delian League, led by Athens, and the Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta. The war lasted from 431 to 404 BC and resulted in the total defeat of Athens and the end of its political and naval supremacy in the Greek world.

Usage

The term "Peloponnesian War" is used as a singular, proper noun to name this specific historical event. It is always capitalized. * The historian Thucydides wrote a detailed account of the Peloponnesian War. * The Peloponnesian War is often studied for its political and military lessons. * A primary cause of the Peloponnesian War was the growing rivalry between Athens and Sparta.

Advanced Usage

• "The History of the Peloponnesian War": The title of the seminal historical work by Thucydides, which chronicles the conflict.
  • Thucydides' "History of the Peloponnesian War" is a foundational text in historical writing.
• Used attributively to describe things related to the war.
  • The Peloponnesian War period was marked by great political turmoil.
  • Scholars debate the Peloponnesian War strategies employed by the Athenian generals.

Variants and Related Words

• Peloponnesian (adjective): Of or relating to the Peloponnese peninsula or the war.
  • The Peloponnesian city-states were allied with Sparta.
• Archidamian War (proper noun): The name for the first phase of the Peloponnesian War (431–421 BC).
• Ionian War/Decelean War (proper noun): The name for the final phase of the Peloponnesian War (413–404 BC).

Synonyms

• There are no direct synonyms for this proper noun naming a unique historical event. It can be described peripherally as:
  • The great war between Athens and Sparta.
  • The Athenian-Spartan conflict (431–404 BC).

Related Phrases

• "After the Peloponnesian War": A common historical phrase denoting the period following Athens's defeat.
  • After the Peloponnesian War, Sparta became the dominant power in Greece.
• "Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War": Refers to the beginning of the conflict.
  • The siege of Potidaea contributed to the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War.

Noun

1. a war in which Athens and its allies were defeated by the league centered on Sparta; 431-404 BC