THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR AND OLD COMEDY

*Pericles (ca. 495-429 b.c.): Elected and reelected general-in-chief of Athens for 30 years. Leader of Athens during its Golden Age.

Peloponnesian War *(431-404 b.c.): Sparta and allies fight against Athenian Empire. Main cause: Balance of power issue; Sparta and others feared Athens conquering all the Greeks. Athens ultimately loses.

*Thucydides (ca. 460-400 b.c.): History of the Peloponnesian War. Athenian general. Attempted to write highly neutral and complete account of the war. One of the first real books of history.

*Aristophanes (ca. 448-380 b.c.): Comedic Playwright. Wrote Lysistrata, a satirical anti-war play. Wrote Clouds, an attack on the *Sophists and Socrates.