Chapter 4: The Rise of Ancient Greece "The First Peloponnesian War" Introduction      In this chapter you have learned about the rivalry between Sparta and Athens, the two major city-states of ancient Greece. At times the two would unite, as they did to hold off the Persians. Finally, however, the two found themselves on opposite sides of a lengthy war that eventually led to a decline for the Greek city-states. Destination Title: The Peloponnesian War Web site Note: Clicking on the link above will launch a new browser window. Need help using your browser for this activity? Click here for tips. Directions Start at The Peloponnesian War Web site. Scroll down the Web page, reading and analyzing the information about the first Peloponnesian War. Answer the following questions. 1. What specific incident led to the first Peloponnesian War? 2. What was the thinking behind the Athenian naval blockade of the Peloponnesus? 3. What was Syracuse, and why did Athens besiege it? 4. What do you think were the reasons for the rivalry between Athens and Sparta?