War destroyed ancient Greek civilization. For 27 years, Athens fought with Sparta, a city-state in the south of Greece. Sparta was known for its love of warfare. This conflict was called the Peloponnesian War (431–404 B.C.).
Sparta won, but not for long. Within about 50 years, the Macedonians from northeastern Greece took over Athens and Sparta. They also took over many other Greek states.
Other takeovers followed. New rulers, customs, buildings, and ideas replaced old ones. How do we know so much about life from more than 20 centuries ago? Read on to find out.
