伯罗奔尼撒战争(Peloponnesian War)
古希腊两大城邦斯巴达和雅典之间爆发的战争（西元前431～西元前404年），再加上各自的盟国，几乎含括了希腊所有其他的城邦。主要起因是害怕雅典的帝国主义扩张。雅典同盟依恃的是其强大的海军，而斯巴达这边靠的是强势陆军。战争分为两个阶段，中间有一段六年的休兵期。西元前431年爆发战争，伯里克利负责指挥雅典军。头十年由阿希达穆斯率领斯巴达人进攻雅典，但屡遭失败。西元前429年雅典遭到鼠疫的侵袭，伯里克利死於这次瘟疫，大批军队也损失泰半。西元前428年克里昂差点说服雅典人屠杀叛离雅典的莱斯沃斯的米蒂利尼公民，所幸雅典人临时收回成命。西元前421年两国同意缔结「尼西亚斯和约」。双方休养生息了六年，直到雅典人又发动了灾难性的西西里岛远征。到了西元前413年，雅典军队几乎全毁。西元前411年一个寡头政权短暂接管政府。同年底，当海军恢复民主领导人时，他们拒绝了斯巴达人谈和的提议，战争於是继续进行到西元前405年，当时斯巴达在波斯人的帮助下，在伊哥斯波塔米战役摧毁雅典海军。西元前404年，雅典城在遭封锁的情况下受到围攻。雅典帝国自此瓦解，斯巴达安置了三十暴君统治雅典。
English version：
Peloponnesian War
War fought between Athens and Sparta, the leading city-states of ancient Greece, along with their allies, which included nearly every other Greek city-state. Its principal cause was a fear of Athenian imperialism. The Athenian alliance relied on its strong navy, the Spartan alliance on its strong army. The war fell into two periods, separated by a six-year truce. Fighting broke out in 431, with Pericles commanding the Athenians. In the first 10 years, Archidamus led the Spartans to defeats. Plague struck Athens in 429, killing Pericles and much of the army. In 428 Cleon almost convinced Athens to massacre the rebellious citizens of Mytilene on Lesbos, but Athens rescinded the order. In 421 both states agreed to accept the Peace of Nicias. This lasted six years, until Athens launched its disastrous Sicilian expedition. By 413 Athens's forces were demolished. In 411 an oligarchy briefly took power. When democratic leaders were restored by the navy later that year, they refused Spartan peace offers, and the war continued until 405, when the Athenian navy was destroyed at the Battle of Aegospotami with Persian help. Under blockade, Athens surrendered in 404. Its empire was dismantled, and the Spartans installed the Thirty Tyrants.