The Landmark Thucydides - Final Exam
A 25-question final exam on The History of the Peloponnesian War
- 1.What two Greek cities were the primary antogonists in the Peloponnesian War fought between the Delian League and the Peloponnesian League?
- A.
Corinth and Corcyra
- B.
Thebes and Argos
- C.
Athens and Sparta
- D.
Hellas and Sicily
- 2.Where were Athens and Sparta located, respectively?
- A.
Hellas and Crete
- B.
Attica and the Peloponnesus
- C.
Boethia and Thessaly
- D.
Macedonia and the Hellespont
- 3.How did Thucydides refer to the 50 years leading up to the war?
- A.
The Pentaliad
- B.
The Pentanomicon
- C.
The Pentateuch
- D.
The Pentacontaetia
- 4.How were the initial alliances between the two warring sides arranged?
- A.
Corcyra and Athens vs Corinth and Sparta
- B.
Corcyra and Sparta vs Corinth and Athens
- C.
Athens and Sparta vs Corcyra and Corinth
- D.
Athens and Thebes vs Persia and Sparta
- 5.Who were the two leading Athenian statesmen at the time the war began?
- A.
Orestes and Alcibiades
- B.
Pericles and Themistocles
- C.
Nicias and Demosthenes
- D.
Myronides and Aristophenes
- 6.What was the single demand in the Spartan ultimatum preceded the war?
- A.
To end the siege of Potidaea.
- B.
To tear down the Long Walls.
- C.
To restore Hellenic independence.
- D.
To rescind the Megarian Decree.
- 7.According to Pericles, what was the principle military advantage of Athens over the Peloponnesian League?
- A.
The advantage of sea power over land power.
- B.
The agricultural basis of the Peloponnesians' economies.
- C.
The inexperience of the Spartan navy.
- D.
The Peloponnesians' lack of money.
- 8.What was the Athenians' greatest strategic weakness?
- A.
Democratic government
- B.
Overreliance on naval power
- C.
Disloyal allies
- D.
Geographical location
- 9.What was the average annual "tribute" paid to Athens by its allies?
- A.
525 pounds of gold.
- B.
15,600 kilograms of silver.
- C.
50 triremes and 500 hoplites.
- D.
4 tons of feta cheese.
- 10.Why did the Spartans ravage the country around Athens instead of attacking the city in their invasions of Attica?
- A.
They were afraid to battle the Athenian infantry.
- B.
They were waiting for the Theban cavalry to arrive.
- C.
Their siegecraft was insufficient to defeat the Athenian walls.
- D.
The oracle at Delphi told them not to.
- 11.What Greek city surrendered to Athens and saw all of its male inhabitants subsequently massacred?
- A.
Melos
- B.
Mytilene
- C.
Plataea
- D.
Potidaea
- 12.What was the name of the bloodthirsty Athenian politician who beat the Spartans at Pylos but was later defeated at Amphipolis?
- A.
Pericles
- B.
Cleon
- C.
Nicias
- D.
Diodotus
- 13.Who was the brilliant Athenian general whose efforts to reinforce the Sicilian Expedition were in vain?
- A.
Demosthenes
- B.
Alcibiades
- C.
Diodotus
- D.
Themistocles
- 14.Who was the bold Spartan general whose aggressive strategy and tactics turned the war in the Spartans favor before his death at Amphipolis?
- A.
Brasidas
- B.
Pausanias
- C.
Leonidas
- D.
Nicias
- 15.Who was the treacherous Athenian politician who at various points throughout the war served Athens, Sparta, and Persia.
- A.
Eurymedon
- B.
Alcibiades
- C.
Hemocrates
- D.
Sophocles
- 16.What was the most effective Spartan strategy throughout the war, exemplified by the success of Brasidas in forcing Athens to ask for an armistice?
- A.
Invading Attica.
- B.
Building ships.
- C.
Encouraging rebellion by Athenian allies.
- D.
Waging campaigns of attrition.
- 17.What was the fatal blunder by Athens that decisively turned the course of the war?
- A.
The massacre at Melos.
- B.
The sparing of Mytilene.
- C.
The abandonment of Plataea.
- D.
The expedition to Sicily.
- 18.Who was the most outspoken opponent of the Sicilian Expedition?
- A.
Alcibiades
- B.
Nicias
- C.
Cleon
- D.
Demosthenes
- 19.Why were Hemocrates and Athenagoras confident that Syracuse would defeat an Athenian invasion?
- A.
Numbers
- B.
Technology
- C.
Logistics
- D.
Strategy
- 20.What strategy did the Athenians adopt to defeat Syracuse in the second year of the Sicilian invasion?
- A.
Penetration and pocket capture.
- B.
Buying off Syracuse's allies.
- C.
Blockade by land and sea.
- D.
Feigned withdrawal.
- 21.Why were the mixed results at the battle of Plemmyrium a major victory for the Syracusan-Peloponnesian alliance despite losing the naval battle to Athens?
- A.
The Athenians were forced to withdraw from the Great Harbor of Syracuse.
- B.
The allies could replace their lost ships more easily than the Athenians could replace their lost troops, stores, and equipment.
- C.
It was the first time the Athenians had been defeated in battle since they arrived in Sicily.
- D.
The Athenians boarded their ships and returned to Athens.
- 22.Why was the destruction of the Athenian expeditionary force such a crushing blow to Athens?
- A.
They lost more ships than they could afford to replace.
- B.
They lost more hoplites than they could afford to replace.
- C.
They lost more veteran sailors than it was possible to replace.
- D.
The Peloponnesian League had been on the verge of surrender.
- 23.What was the peculiar Athenian civic custom that contributed greatly to the failure of the Sicilian Expedition?
- A.
Taking the auguries before making strategic decisions.
- B.
No Athenian would fight during the month of September.
- C.
Placing a strict time limit on military campaigns.
- D.
Putting unsuccessful generals on trial.
- 24.The involvement of what foreign power sealed the fall of Athens.
- A.
Persia
- B.
Egypt
- C.
Crete
- D.
Rome
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