
Ancient Greek Wars
Ancient Greece was not one country. It was a collection of city-states. The Greeks were very proud of their city-state. If you asked a Greek where he was from, he would not say he was from Greece. Instead, he would say he was a man of Athens or of Sparta or of one of the other Greek city-states. But, the Greeks did think of themselves as one people. They had a common language. They had a common history. They had a common religion. They believed in the same gods. They knew from the stories they told and loved that the only way to beat a common enemy was to work together. Individual city-states in ancient Greece fought each other all the time. But city-states also teamed up to fight invaders like the ancient Persians.
Greek Warriors - All citizens in ancient Greece were warriors. But the Spartans were the best warriors in all of Greece. There was no argument about that. The city-state of Sparta was basically a well-trained army. In other city-states, children entered military school at age 18. In Sparta, they entered at age 6. Spartan girls were taught how to fight as well. Their school was separate from the boys' school. It was not as brutal, perhaps. But still, the girls learned how to fight and steal and lie and kill - skills that could save their lives in times of war.
The Trojan War, with games and activities - There is an old saying - Beware of Greeks bearing gifts. This saying comes from the legend of the Trojan Horse.
Persian Wars - The Persians sent warriors to the Greek peninsula to squash the Greeks. They attempted three times to conquer the Greeks at the famous battles of Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis. Each time, the Greeks drove them away.
The Delian League - The Persian Wars had drained the Greeks. The Greeks won, but they wanted to be ready if the Persians ever came back. About 200 city-states banded together to form the Delian League. The Delian League was formed to create a treasury. The idea was that all the city-states in the league would pay money into the treasury to create a savings account. That account was to be used, if necessary, to fund a war. War was expense. It took money to make weapons, build ships, and train men.
The Peloponnesian War - The Peloponnesian War was a war fought between Sparta and Athens. It lasted 27 years. Sparta and Athens were always in disagreement. They did not get along. But 27 years! It was a terrible war. Sparta won. They were generous in victory, which was unusual for the Spartans. They usually fought to the death. Ten years after the war ended, Athens had regained much of her former glory, but Athens never completely recovered.
Persian and Peloponnesian Wars Quiz (Quia)
QUIZ: TEST YOURSELF Ancient Greek Wars (Interactive with answers)
From the files of the Hercules Detective Agency: Hercules Challenged

Explore Ancient Greece
For Kids: Overview
Early Greece: Minoans, Mycenaeans, Dorians
Rise of Greek City-States
- On Land: Greek Warriors
- At Sea: Greek Ships
- Trojan War
- Persian Wars
- The Delian League
- Peloponnesian War
- Alexander the Great
- The League of Corinth
Investigate Real Life Artifacts
For Kids: Art, Culture, Government
For Kids: Greek Mythology
Ancient Greek Myths for Kids, retold by Lin Donn
- Zeus, Hera, and Little Io
- The Competition, Athena and Poseidon
- Theseus, the Minotaur, and the Maze
- Dionysus and Ariadne
- Icarus and Daedalus, Wings
- The 12 Labors of Hercules
- Demeter and Persephone, Reason for the Seasons
- Apollo's Oracle at Delphi
- Perseus, Andromeda, and the sea god, Poseidon
- King Midas and the Donkey Ears
- And Many More
Ancient Greek Gods & Goddesses
For Kids: Ancient Greek Daily Life
NEW: From the Case Files of the Hercules Detective Agency: Join Herc and his friends as they solve daily life problems of the ancient Greeks
- The Misunderstood Minotaur - How Hercules made a best friend
- The Scaredly Fish
- The Tricked Bully
- The Stone Zoo
- The Bad Barber
- The Constant Chatterbox
- The Monster Under the Bridge
- The Festival Arrow
- The Amazing Matchmaker
- And many more, original short stories by Lin and Don Donn - learn about the ancient Greeks the easy way, through the case files of the Hercules Detective Agency!
For Kids: People
For Kids: Interactive Quizzes
Alexander the Great &
Gifts from the Greeks
For Teachers
For Kids and Teachers: Other Ancient Civilizations
See Also: Early Humans for Kids and Teachers