Peloponnesian War

Joint Crisis:

Peloponnesian

League

“Return with your shield or on it.”

—Spartan mothers

Dear Delegates,

Welcome to WUMUNS 2018! We are Graham Webb and Will McClellan.

As your directors, we are honored that you are joining us for the Peloponnesian

War Joint Crisis Committee. As delegates, you will be representing characters

from a variety of city-states in either the Peloponnesian or Delian League. The

Peloponnesian War was a brutal, bloody war that pitted polis against polis and

ideology against ideology. Whether you are a fierce general or an accomplished

politician, your choices will irrevocably shape the futures of the Greek city-states.

Will you marshal your forces and march to war or use diplomacy to construct

alliances and consolidate power? The choice is yours.

I, Graham Webb, am currently a junior majoring in Systems Science and

Engineering and Chinese Language and Culture. Despite my choice in majors, I

have always been fascinated with history and its application in today’s world. I

will be leading the Peloponnesian League (Spartan) committee, a group of mighty

warriors and veteran generals who were instrumental in shaping Greece. I have

participated in Model United Nations since my sophomore year of high school

and have seen countless battles, revolutions, trials, and betrayals. I cannot wait to

see what you can accomplish together as delegates. Molon labe!

I, Will McClellan, am currently a sophomore majoring in Political Science

and Economics. I am interested in why democracy came about and the major

influences that it had. Antiquity is where it all began; we would not have modern

democracy if it were not for the brave Greeks who stood up for the right of

representation for all people. I will be leading the Delian League (Athenian)

committee, a group of established politicians and dealmakers who were

incredibly influential in shaping Greek democracy. I have been involved with

Model United Nations since my freshman year, and I guarantee that you will have

an amazing time. There will be chaos, fighting, trials, and bonding with the many

members of your committee. May Athena’s blessings be with you!

If you have any concerns, please feel free to email both of us at

gwebb@wustl.edu and willmcclellan@wustl.edu. Good luck!

Respectfully,

Graham Webb and Will McClellan

Contents

Committee Mandate……………….…………..……………………… 5

Historical Background…….……………………………...…………. 5

480 BCE: Battles of Thermopylae and Salamis…………….……. 5

479 BCE: Creation of the Delian League and the Peloponnesian League…………..…….…………….…………………….

7

457–432 BCE: Golden Age of Athens……………………………….. 8

460–445 BCE: First Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens…………………..….…….…….…….…….………………….......….

9

Topic A: The Athenian Threat………….………………………… 10

Topic B: Military Alliances Abroad................................. 11

Topic C: Helot Rebellions…………………………………………… 12

Topic D: Survival of the League…………………………………. 12

City-state Profiles………………………………………………….……. 13

Delegate Positions………………………………………………………. 14

5

Committee Mandate Fellow Spartans!

The year is 431 BCE. A fragile peace from the First Peloponnesian War

hangs over Greece. However, the treacherous Athenians have little respect for the

treaty. Their radical democracy constantly challenges our hegemony over

Boeotia. Every day the Athenian navy grows stronger and their empire grows

larger.

At home, the Helots grow restless. Athenian propaganda continuously

attempts to incite rebellion, and a solution to the problem must be found.

Moreover, in a blatant act of aggression, the Athenians have sided with the

remote city of Corcyra, a colony of our valuable ally Corinth, deploying their fleet

against the Corinthians. With fighting sure to break out, the fate of Sparta and all

of Greece rests in your hands.

As members of the Gerousia, you are a collection of Spartan oligarchs

from throughout Laconia, many with elite Spartan hoplites pledged to your

service. Drilled from an early age, they are vastly superior to the Athenian

hoplites and surely will be the key to your victory. As warriors and diplomats, you

look to further your power, often at the expense of the Helots or the opposing

Athenians. As Spartans, it is your primary duty to expand Spartan power and

glory across Greece, but who is to say you cannot enhance your own?

Historical Background The Battle of Thermopylae was one of the most iconic battles in the

entirety of military history. When notified that the Persians were amassing a

massive force, King Leonidas of Sparta marshaled around six thousand hoplites

from allied nations along with three hundred Spartan hoplites to face them.

Because they were outnumbered sixty-two to one and would be annihilated

instantly if they allowed the Persians to outflank and surround them, the king

marched his troops up to the narrow pass of Thermopylae to try to hold off the

Persians.

480 BCE: Battles of

Thermopylae and Salamis

6

For the first two days of battle, the Spartans managed to hold off wave

after wave of Persian infantry using their heavy armor and shields while

continuously switching out exhausted hoplites for fresh ones. One particularly

effective strategy the Greeks used was to feign retreat, and when the Persians

broke formation to chase them, the Spartans would reform and inflict heavy

casualties.

On the next day, however, a Greek traitor showed King Xerxes of Persia a

secret pass to outflank the Spartans. At dawn of the next day, Leonidas realized

the betrayal and used his remaining Spartans to fight to the death while the other

hoplites escaped. Even though they were defeated, the Greeks managed to inflict

twenty thousand casualties and hold off the Persians for three days, managing to

buy enough time for the rest of Greece to marshal their troops against the

invaders. In addition, the bravery of the Spartans rallied many soldiers to the

Greek cause.

7

The Battle of Salamis was a naval battle that pitted a Greek coalition navy

led by the Athenians against a much larger Persian fleet. After the battle of

Thermopylae, the Athenians were forced to evacuate Athens and retreat to the

island of Salamis. On the eve of the battle, the Spartans wanted to retreat farther

and seal off the Isthmus of Corinth with a giant wall to halt Persian land forces.

Themistocles, the Athenian commander, thought differently. Basing his actions

off a prophecy from the Oracle of Delphi stating that “Salamis will be the death of

women’s sons,” he argued that the Athenians should make their stand there,

despite the fact that the Persians’ 1,207 triremes outnumbered their 371.

To compensate for this, Themistocles ordered the naval vanguard to lure

the Persians into the Strait of Salamis on the morning of the battle, where their

vast numbers would switch from an advantage to a hindrance. Finally, after the

Persians had been baited, the Greeks launched their attack, slamming into the

Persian ships and boarding them with their heavily armored hoplites. Using these

tactics, the Athenians scored a massive victory, sinking at least two hundred

Persian ships. The victory at Salamis by the Greek navy was considered a major

turning point in the war and caused the Persians to retreat to Asia Minor.

Even though the Greeks had beaten back the Persian forces, Spartan and

Athenian leaders realized that in the end the Greek victory was largely due to luck

rather than superior strength. With this in mind, the Greeks started to develop

ways to protect themselves from ever allowing the Persians to invade so far into

Greek territory again.

479 BCE: Creation of the Delian League

and the Peloponnesian

League

8

The creation of the Delian League by Athens was a way of protecting the

majority of the eastern Greek city-states more directly threatened by the

Persians. Working as a centralized pseudo-empire with member states paying

tribute to Athens, the league was formed after the failed Spartan expedition to

Byzantium. Athens, believing that the Spartans had lost their right to dominate

all military matters in the region, formed alliances with many smaller states to

help protect against the Persians. After the Persians retreated back to Asia Minor,

however, the league formed a general symbiotic relationship with the various

nation-states pledging protection to each other until the Golden Age of Athens.

The Peloponnesian League was created by Sparta as a series of bilateral

military alliances with weaker cities that allowed it to effectively cement its power

and control the Helots. Originally created in the sixth century BCE, the

Peloponnesian League was the result of many small factors. Perhaps the main

one was that Sparta needed to be assured that its Helots, citizens of conquered

kingdoms in Messenia, would receive no outside help and thus would not be able

to rise up and overthrow the Spartans.

Helots were an essential cog in the Spartan economy. Because of the

ability to use Helots in agriculture, Sparta was able to keep a full-time

professional army with warriors that did not have to go back to their farms every

summer. In addition to the need to control the Helots, Spartan aggression and

military power caused many smaller states to either be forced into the league or

join willingly in order to protect themselves. Smaller states in the arrangements

lost most of their political freedoms while larger cities like Corinth retained lots

of autonomy.

The Golden Age of Athens, the Age of Pericles, was an age of growth and

expansion for Athens after the defeat and expulsion of the Persians. With the

Persians gone and the city of Athens burned to the ground, many of the eastern

city-states realized that the only way they could hope to match the might of the

Persians would be through cooperative alliances. As the time went on, Athens

assumed more and more leadership of the league, demanding money from its

allied city-states to build ships that would then be placed under Athenian control.

More and more of the Delian League began to function like an Athenian empire,

and when Pericles moved the treasury of the league to Athens to build the

Acropolis, the smaller city-states under Athenian control knew they had

surrendered the last of their power. A few states tried to break away from the

league but were swiftly crushed by Athens. With coffers overflowing with tribute

money from smaller city-states, Athens began to channel the money inwards to

itself. As a result, the city flourished.

Much of the success of the age can be directly attributed to the efforts of

Pericles. Eventually a great philosopher and statesman, he was socially

introverted and shy as a youth, preferring to focus on academic studies as a

teenager. When he started to wield political and social influence, however, he was

taught how to speak publicly by his consort Aspasia. He was considered one of

457–432 BCE:

Golden Age of Athens (Pericles, 461–429

BCE)

9

the first statesmen to apply logic and philosophy to the practical discipline of

governing.

The Golden Age of Athens was marked by a flourishing of academic

knowledge and architecture. It was during this period that the philosopher

Socrates developed the Socratic method for using logic to examine problems.

When the political climate of Athens changed, however, Socrates was sentenced

to death with hemlock. Even though his death was a tragedy to his followers, his

teachings inspired many Athenian citizens, most notably Plato, and laid the

groundwork for the application of logic in Western philosophy. During its Golden

Age, Athens also saw the rise of famous historians. Two of these men, Herodotus

and Thucydides, were instrumental in recording not only the history of the

Peloponnesian Wars but Greek life in general. Their work allowed historians in

later periods to help preserve Greek culture and knowledge.

Staggering advances in medicine were also made. Hippocrates,

considered one of the most outstanding physicians of all time, was the first to

define medicine as a distinct field. His contributions are still applicable in

modern Western medicine, exemplified by the Hippocratic oath and the

Hippocratic corpus.

A vast amount of money was channeled into theatres during this time,

allowing for tragedies and comedies to be played frequently. As a result of this,

many playwrights such as Aristophanes and Euripides become famous for their

works.

In addition to all the advances in academic thought and culture, the

Golden Age resulted in an architectural boom inside the city. The best example of

this was the construction of the Acropolis. Made possible by all the tributary gold,

it stood as a shining example of Athenian democracy and power in the region.

The Parthenon, a temple to Athena in the Acropolis, was estimated to cost

billions of dollars in today’s money.

The First Peloponnesian War was a conflict between Athens and Sparta

resulting from the construction of the Long Walls surrounding Athens and its

port and the expansion of Athenian power. The war took place through minor

conflicts and proxy wars like the Second Sacred War, one of the first conflicts

between the two powerhouses where fighting was indirectly conducted through

smaller city-states. Generally, the Athenians had the advantage in naval

engagements while Spartans dominated the peninsula. Eventually, a peace treaty

was signed between the two states.

Presently, tensions have begun to rise again. In various smaller events,

Sparta and Athens have started to square off with each other and directly

undermine each other’s spheres of influence. Notably, the Athenians deployed

their navy directly in opposition against the Corinthians, a major ally of Sparta.

The major impact of the First Peloponnesian War was its peace treaty, the Thirty

Years’ Peace. The treaty aimed at preventing more conflict in mainland Greece by

forcing Athens to give up all its possessions in the Peloponnese. The Athenians

were forced to give up ports in Nisaea, Pegae, and Troezen. However, the

460–445 BCE: First

Peloponnesian War between

Sparta and Athens

10

Spartans allowed them to keep Naupactus. The treaty also ruled out an armed

conflict between Athens and Sparta if at least one out of the two states wanted

arbitration over all-out war. Finally, the treaty formally recognized both the

Peloponnesian and Delian Leagues as legitimate leagues, a big victory for Athens’

newly formed empire.

Topic A: The Athenian Threat

The threat that Athens poses to Sparta is clear. As the leader of the Delian

League, it is the only city-state that can hope to match the wealth and power of

Sparta. Before the Golden Age, it was content with eastward expansion. However,

with the rise of Pericles and the construction of the Acropolis in the Athenian city

center, it is clear that it hopes to spread its power and democracy across the

Greek city-states.

As a result, Athens has begun slowly challenging Spartan authority. In

Corcyra, the Athenians have sent part of their navy to help the small city-state

fight off Corinth. As a member of the Peloponnesian League, the Corinth expects

Spartan assistance, and we, the Spartans, are honor-bound to step in and assist

them. Corcyra is not the end of Athenian aggression. Recently, Athens has

blatantly violated the peace treaty drafted after the First Peloponnesian War.

11

With the moving of the treasury to Athens, the Delian League is now the

Athenian empire in all but name, and it must be stopped. Athens has also

recently completed the building of the Long Walls. Stretching between Athens

and a nearby port, these walls allow Athens to indefinitely hold off land-based

siege attackers while continuing to resupply its fleet. Such a construction project

is clearly militarily focused and should be taken as an act of aggression.

The final straw, however, was the execution of two hundred soldiers from

our ally Thebes. Sent to capture a small town, they were caught, imprisoned, and

ruthlessly butchered. With the merciless killing of our allied soldiers, conflict is

all but inevitable. How will Sparta combat this threat? Due to the Long Walls

protecting Athens and its port, there is no viable way of starving the city out in a

siege using our superior hoplite soldiers. To make matters worse, Athenian

dominance on the high seas is still unchallenged. With their fleet unchecked, the

Athenians will be able to wreak havoc on trade routes and prevent us from

attacking many of their colonies.

In order to achieve victory, Sparta must find a way to cripple the Athenian fleet in

the Aegean Sea. But this will not be easy, and without proper intelligence, there is

no way of knowing where or when the fleet will be vulnerable. Building an

opposing fleet to counter the Athenians directly will also be no easy task. If war

between the two city-states breaks out, the Athenians will ensure that no trade

resources can be transported by sea, slowing down resource transportation and

hindering the construction of any additional ships.

Topic B: Military Alliances Abroad

To the east of Sparta lies the Persian Empire. The Persians have a vastly

different form of government than the Greek city-states. At the heart of the

empire in Mesopotamia lies Persepolis. The shining city of gold stands as a

monument to the vast power of the Persians. Ruled by Artaxerxes I, the empire

consists of many satraps who have pledged fealty to him in return for some

degree of autonomy. This could prove useful to the Spartans. Long has Athens

attempted to expand its Ionian colonies in Asia Minor, pushing farther and

farther into the continent to obtain natural resources. This expansion has not

gone unnoticed by the Persians, who resent the Athenian incursion. The bad

blood between the two powers could create the potential of a deal with Sparta.

Any deal with the Persians will be a double-edged sword. Even though

they suffered heavy losses the last time they invaded Greece, the idea of Persian

hegemony over the region is still popular within the empire. Sparta must be

careful in its negotiation of treaties to simultaneously receive enough meaningful

economic and military aid while allowing hegemony over Greece once the dust

has settled.

Syracuse also presents a valuable opportunity for Sparta. Originally

founded in the seventh century BCE, the colony flourished on Sicily. Within two

12

hundred years of its founding, it was already settling its own colonies, even

rivaling the power of Carthage. Originally a democracy, Syracuse has recently

turned into a dictatorship, causing drastic rises in tension with Athens. Syracuse

could be a valuable ally in the conflict against Athens. Syracuse has a well-

equipped and drilled army, and its navy is a formidable force. If Sparta is willing

to open negotiations, Syracuse might be willing to send aid.

Topic C: Helot Rebellions

The Helots are a vital part of the Spartan economy. Initially citizens of the

neighboring kingdom of Messenia in the eighth century BCE, the Messenians

were conquered and subjugated by the Spartans. Forced to work in the fields and

mines of Peloponnesus, they slowly formed into their own lower class within

Spartan society. The Helots’ role is vital in Spartan society because it allows the

Spartans to be full-time professional warriors. The main problem with most

Greek militaries is that the hoplites are farmers first and often do not have time

to drill properly. In addition, during drawn-out conflicts, many of the hoplites

must return home in order to harvest food so that the city-state does not starve.

With bountiful slave labor, however, Sparta does not suffer from this problem.

In addition, the Helots provide a valuable militia-type force for the

Spartans to deploy if they do not wish to risk their own more elite warriors. In

conflicts, the Helots can be used as fodder. Tantalized with the possibility of

earning a place in Spartan society, they will fight to the death. With the rise in

tensions with the Athenians, however, informants implanted within Helot ranks

are returning troubling information. Recently, unknown sources have been

spreading pro-Athenian propaganda, enticing the slaves to overthrow their

Spartan overlords. If the Spartans are to retain control of their homeland, they

must track down the pro-democratic propaganda source and eliminate it. With

the recent rise in Athenian tensions, can the Helots be trusted to stay loyal to

their Spartan masters?

Topic D: Survival of the League

Sparta is a great military power. Despite this, even Sparta needs allies if it

is to attain hegemony over all of Greece. To this end, the Peloponnesian League

must survive. This is easier said than done. If conflict breaks out with the

Athenians, loyalties will be tested. How will the committee manage the league?

Will it assume command of the troops of other city-states for the glory of Sparta

and tax them? Or will it give them their freedom to operate as independent

military units and provide aid to these units? The choices on how the committee

manages these alliances will determine whether the city-states will stay loyal to

13

Sparta. If you do not manage alliances properly, Sparta could end up fighting all

its wars by itself.

City-state Profiles

Sparta is the dominant state in the Peloponnesian League, with the largest

military and treasury. As the de facto leader of the league, Sparta exerts a

disproportionate influence on the league’s decision-making process. Sparta is

located in the southeast of the Peloponnese.

Corinth is a city on the Isthmus of Corinth, about halfway between Athens and

Sparta. Corinth has a trade rivalry with Athens; the two cities have claimed

Corcyra and fought over the colony in a large naval battle. Corinth was a major

supporter of the combined Hellenic forces during the war against Persia.

Tegea is a city in Arcadia, in the central part of the Peloponnese. Tegea has

resisted Spartan hegemony and was forced into collaboration with Sparta in the

sixth century BCE. It is home to a temple to Athena.

Thebes is the largest city in Boeotia, in continental Greece. Due to its central

location and military strength, it holds a commanding position among the

Boeotians. A major rival of Athens, the city fought with the Persians under Xerxes

in 480 BCE. After the Hellenic forces won the Greco-Persian Wars, they punished

Thebes by stripping it of the presidency of the Boeotian League. In 457 BCE,

Sparta reversed its anti-Theban policy and returned Thebes to its power in the

region.

Elis is a state in the northwest of the Peloponnese. The city of Olympia, the site of

the first Olympic festival, is located in Elis, and Elis has authority over the

Olympic games. The region is also known for its cattle and horses. Elis is a

democracy governed by an assembly of all the citizens and a council of five

hundred.

Tiryns is a city in the east of the Peloponnese. Tiryns is known for its massive

protective walls that surround the city. According to legend, the heavy walls were

built by cyclopes; no man or beast could have lifted the stones.

Sparta

Corinth

Tegea

Thebes

Elis

Tiryns

14

Delegate Positions Spartans

Adrastos is one of the old guards in Sparta. During the Greco-Persian Wars, he

was assigned to work with Athenian commanders, allowing him to foster close

relationships with many of the citizens of the city. Because of this, he is one of the

few Spartans who has ready access to information from Athens. Unfortunately,

this influence with the democracy has come at a cost. In the First Peloponnesian

War, fearing his loyalties could lie with the enemy, he was passed over for

command of any armies, an incident he has not forgotten. Despite this, when

news of Corcyra spread, he was assigned a force of 1,500 Spartan hoplites under

his command by the Spartan king Herodotus, despite the protests of his

counterpart Titus.

Ajax is currently one of the youngest Spartan commanders, having outstripped

all his peers while growing up and training. He was immediately assigned a

command of one thousand Spartan hoplites, something unheard of for such a

young commander. Ajax’s promotion would not have been possible without his

close friend Eteonicus’s assistance and influence. Currently, Ajax is one of the few

Spartans stationed outside the city; the site of his most recent deployment is near

Delphi. As one of the youngest commanders in the oligarchy, many of the

generals view him as hotheaded and reckless. This opinion of him is only made

worse by his fiery rhetoric that the only solution to the Delian League is to burn it

down. Ajax’s current position near Delphi is both a blessing and a curse. While in

a position to strike quickly against Athens, if he overextends his power, he might

find himself isolated from the rest of his countrymen.

Telegonus is commander of the ranged detachment of the Spartan military. Ever

since witnessing the destruction of the Persian arches in the Greco-Persian Wars,

he has worked tirelessly to diversify the Spartan military. Investing much of his

personal wealth into developing better military technology to rival the Persians,

he has one of the most well-equipped forces of archers in the region. Fighting

from a distance is not the Spartan way, however, and some call him cowardly for

preferring to use bows. Telegonus is mainly concerned with ensuring that

Persians never again return to Greece, and he is violently opposed to any

alliances or deals with the empire. With command of four thousand archers, he

has significant ranged power. Despite this, he must work with other generals to

ensure his forces have the proper protection.

Pyramus is one of the wealthiest citizens in Sparta. His family has long managed

the vast majority of the Spartan mines in the region, giving him access to a large

pool of resources and gold. This position of power is not without its drawbacks.

Since Helot slaves provide labor for the mines, Pyramus is ultimately responsible

for making sure that the Helot population does not revolt against him. This

Adrastos, Spartan General

Ajax, Spartan

Lieutenant

Telegonus, Spartan General

Pyramus, Spartan Security Minister

15

enormous responsibility gives him much power within the Spartan court, but

those who are at the top have the farthest to fall. Pyramus’s position is highly

desired by many of the generals and politicians, resulting in several recent

attempts on his life. In addition, since he responsible for policing Sparta and the

surrounding area, most of his three thousand hoplites are tied up guarding him

or ensuring Helot suppression.

Eteonicus was at one point the most powerful Spartan commander in the city.

During the First Peloponnesian War, while commanding a force of four thousand

hoplites, he was instrumental in many military victories against the Athenians.

Having grown up in poverty, Eteonicus is a relative outsider in the court. His

humble beginnings are at odds with many of the powerful social and political

dynasties. In an effort to diversify the court, he was critical in Ajax gaining his

command, and the two have been close compatriots ever since. From there his

power and influence only grew more and more in the following years. Eteonicus

believes that the Helots inside Spartan territory should be ruled with an iron fist.

Phrixus is another prominent member of the old elite. Having served with King

Leonidas before his sacrifice at Thermopylae, Phrixus was one of the few

commanders left alive after the Greco-Persian War. As a result, he was given

command of Sparta’s cavalry detachment. While not as powerful as Spartan

hoplites in direct combat, his three thousand cavalrymen are well versed in hit-

and-run and raiding tactics. Having used these tactics against Athens in the First

Peloponnesian War, he is experienced in the Athenian fighting style and has

extensive geographical knowledge of the area around the city. Despite having a

cavalry-focused force, Phrixus is one of Eteonicus’s main competitors in the

upcoming election for First General. If he wins, he will be the first commander to

have a combination of infantry and cavalry.

Ciro is one of the few Spartan naval commanders. In possession of five naval

triremes during the Greco-Persian Wars, he was one of the few who saw the

importance of naval combat when he witnessed the Battle of Salamis. Since then,

he has invested much of his personal wealth and influence to expand his

command. As a direct result of his actions, he now commands twenty naval

triremes. Currently stationed in Pylus, his ships must be careful not to directly

engage the Athenian fleet, or they will most certainly be destroyed.

Cycnus is without a doubt the most influential merchant in Sparta. With a large

fleet of merchant ships capable of trade, he has built up a large amount of

personal wealth. In addition to his wealth, however, he has a prolific information

network across Asia Minor, Italy, Carthage, and Sicily. Upon hearing of

increasing hostilities between Sparta and Athens, Cycnus commissioned the

construction of five naval warships, which have just recently been completed, to

help secure his fleet and to aid in the fight against Athens.

Eteonicus, Spartan General

Phrixus, Spartan Cavalry General

Ciro, Spartan Naval

Commander

Cycnus, Spartan

Minister of Finance

16

Peleus is one of the two most influential priests residing in Sparta and one of the

biggest devotees of Poseidon. As such he has a large following of religious zealots

within the city. Educated in Athens as a young man, Peleus fell out of favor with

the democratic society and moved to Sparta. He quickly gained favor with the

Spartan kings due to his particular talent for interpreting the gods’ wills. Because

of his affinity for the god of the sea, he is an ardent supporter of increasing the

size of the Spartan navy in order to achieve naval dominance throughout the

region. Within Sparta, Peleus, and Calisto, another influential priest, are fierce

rivals. Both compete to curry the favor of the Gerousia and the Spartan kings.

Calisto is the other influential priest within Sparta, considered the favorite of

Zeus. Calisto’s role within Spartan society is to obtain blessings and boons from

the fickle gods of Olympus. Known to be exceptionally skilled at this, he has

become the most reliable person to curry favor. To obtain favor, however, there

must always be a sacrifice. Calisto was initially born into a wealthy family,

however, at the age of eighteen he renounced his wealth and donated it to the

poor in the city. That philanthropy bought him much loyalty from the lower class

of Spartans. He and Peleus are in constant competition with each other to gain

the most power and political influence inside the city.

Herodotus is one of the two kings ruling over Sparta. Equipped with an elite fifty-

man personal guard, Herodotus also has the ability to issue personal edicts that

can only be overruled by two-thirds vote of the rest of the oligarchs or the other

Spartan king. As the king of Sparta, Herodotus supports the aggressive expansion

of the Peloponnesian League and Spartan power in the region and believes that it

is the gods’ mandate for Sparta to rule over Greece. This piety has made him

particularly friendly towards the Spartan priests Calisto and Peleus. In addition,

Herodotus deeply distrusts Athens and its democracy and believes that armed

conflict is the only solution to crushing the Delian League.

Pelagia is one of the most skilled diplomats in the Spartan court. Born to a

wealthy family, Pelagia was extensively educated as a child. When his father and

mother passed away, they left him the family wealth, a small fortune. His natural

talent for the arts caused him to rise quickly through the ranks of Spartan society,

culminating with his appointment as foreign minister. Having spent the majority

of his time travelling outside the city, Pelagia has extensive contacts in Athens

and its city-state allies as well as the rest of the Peloponnesian League. In

addition, he has some informants in the Persian court, clueing him into their

motives. Because of this, however, he is a known to have Persian sympathies.

Avernus is a Spartan ephor tasked with keeping the two Spartan kings’ power in

check. Because of this, the ephors can vote to put a Spartan king on trial if they

have tangible evidence of corruption. Having traveled abroad in the Western half

of the Mediterranean, he has good relations with the Carthaginian and Syracusan

courts. Carthage is a vast untapped empire of trade wealth for Sparta to exploit

with trade routes that range from Africa to Italy to Spain. After completing his

Peleus, Spartan

Priest

Calisto, Spartan

Priest

Herodotus, Spartan

King

Pelagia, Spartan Foreign Minister

Avernus, Spartan

Ephor

17

mandatory training inside Sparta, Avernus spent much of his time traveling

across the Carthaginian lands, seeing firsthand that Carthage has a navy that

could perhaps even rival that of Athens. Avernus is very wary of the power that

the Spartan kings hold and has been known to oppose them on many issues.

Tellus is a Spartan ephor keeping an eye on the two Spartan kings. The goal of the

ephors in Spartan society is to keep the Spartan kings in check. Because of this,

the ephors can vote to put a Spartan king on trial if they have tangible evidence of

corruption. Tellus has spent all his life inside Sparta and as a result knows little

about the world directly outside Greece. Incredibly nationalistic, he has a “Sparta

first” policy and believes that it does not need the help of any other nations.

Titus is the second of the two Spartan kings. Equipped with an elite fifty-man

personal guard, Titus has the ability to issue personal edicts that can only be

overruled by two-thirds vote of the rest of the oligarchs or the other Spartan king.

Titus believes the main threat to Sparta is Persia and has adamantly refused any

help from the empire in the past, believing that it only seeks to sign lopsided

deals against the Spartans. Titus grew up suppressing minor Helot riots in the

past and believes the only way for Sparta to remain prosperous is to increase

security in the area.

Corinthians

Heraklesr is currently the most influential priest in Corinth; devoted to Ares, he

is a known advocate for armed conflict. Within the city, he holds tremendous

sway over the population and is the responsible for determining Corinth’s

position in the Peloponnesian League. Heraklser believes in Helot freedom in the

league and has been a staunch supporter of giving the slaves citizenship status

within Sparta, an opinion that directly pits him against many who only believe in

further oppression.

Thesus is the commander of the Corinthian army and currently controls 1,500

hoplites. He is a close friend of Heraklesr, and the two work closely together to

best represent Corinth’s interests. Thesus is an ardent supporter of the

Peloponnesian League and believes that every action taken should be done

together. Thesus also has a deep distrust of the Persian Empire and in the past

has refused to negotiate with any emissaries.

Lorgas is in charge of the Corinthian navy. With twenty triremes under his

command, he also has a small merchant fleet. Originally a trader, Lorgas built up

a reputation as a respectable merchant, leading to enormous success in his

business. After the First Peloponnesian War, he was appointed admiral, but he

still is heavily invested in his business. His position as a prominent merchant

puts him in direct competition over trade routes with Cycnus.

Tellus, Spartan

Ephor

Titus, Spartan King

Heraklesr, Corinthian

Priest

Thesus, Corinthian

General

Lorgas, Corinthian

Admiral

18

Tegeans

Dimitris is the military head of Tegea. With one thousand hoplites, he is

responsible for the defense of the city. Because of this, he is known to be cautious

about using his hoplites only for defensive measures. As one of the newest

members of the council, he has a considerable amount of gold and managed to

use his wealth and cunning to buy his way into power. Dimitris believes in

authority through absolute rule and is an ardent supporter of cracking down on

the Helots in the area.

Telemachus is the political head of Tegea. Extremely afraid of the gods, he has

recently expelled all priests from the city. In addition, because of his paranoia, he

has a deep distrust of religious figureheads. A fervent purist, he despises

corruption and has often butted heads with the other influential figure in Tegea,

Dimitris. Telemachus is sympathetic to the recent Helot uprisings and believes

the Helots should be freed from Spartan control.

Thebans

Achelous is a Theban general in command of 1,500 hoplites. He is known to

harbor a deep hatred of Athens and is very vocal about his positions around

Thebes. In the First Peloponnesian War, all of Achelous’s family were slaughtered

by Athenian soldiers, an issue left unaddressed in the peace treaty that ended the

war. As a result, Achelous will stop at nothing to see the downfall of the city.

Leander is one of the most prominent priests in the city. His opinion is very well

respected, and many of his proclamations within the city itself are taken as truth.

Leander fiercely believes in city-state rights within the league and is very wary of

Spartan hegemony in the region. Born into a powerful family within Thebes, he

hosts many feasts and parties and has social connections inside the city and the

surrounding area.

Elians

Konstantinos is the governor of the city of Elis. Leading a small force of 250

hoplites and two Greek triremes, he is a competent amphibious warfare

commander. Konstantinos rose from obscurity to power in the First

Peloponnesian War. One of the few commanders to score naval victories against

Athens, he was given command of a large combined fleet. At the climax of the

war, however, Konstantinos made a disastrous attack on Athens’ port and lost

most of his force. Stripped of his command, he was exiled to the city of Elis.

When he arrived, the previous governor had a mysterious case of food poisoning

Dimitris, Tegean General

Telemachus, Tegean

Politician

Achelous, Theban General

Leander, Theban Priest

Konstantinos, Elian

Governor

19

and passed away. Now Konstantinos wields shaky authority within the city but

has control over its allegiances and actions. Though Elis is currently backing

Sparta, there are strong Athenian sympathies in the city, and if Konstantinos is

too careless with his power he could instigate a revolt within the city.

Lycomedes is an old general from the Greco-Persian Wars. One of the few who

served with King Leonidas at the infamous Battle of Thermopylae, he retreated

his forces on the last day. Although he ensured the survival of his thousand

hoplites, many inside the city branded him a coward. One by one those voices

disappeared, and it is rumored that Lycomedes is very well connected within the

city’s secretive inner circles. In addition to his cunning, Lycomedes is a ruthless

tactician. Known for his lack of mercy, he has won countless skirmishes and just

his name strikes fear into the hearts of Athenians. Lycomedes’ power is only

rivalled by Agamedes, one of his long-standing rivals and the official figurehead

of the city.

Agamedes is the political head of Elis. A fierce rival with Lycomedes, he despises

armed conflict and is an advocator for diplomatic solutions. Born into a powerful

family and wielding a vast amount of wealth, he quickly rose within the political

ranks because of his candor and gravitas. Recently, rumors began circulating in

the city that he was an Athenian sympathizer, damaging his political reputation.

The rumors seem to be coming from a mysterious source inside the city.

Unfortunately, Agamedes’ connections and power within the city do not reach to

its shadow side and he thus has not been able to confront his opponents.

Lycomedes, Elian

General

Agamedes, Elian

Politician