After the Persian War, Athens and Sparta changed dramatically. With Athens' victory, it gave them confidence and they became a new and improved civilization. On the other hand, the Spartans experienced difficulties after the war. They experienced major economic difficulties and lost most of their property in wars. The Spartans heard of Athens' achievements and became furious. In their furs, they decided to invade Athena and try to regain power. This battle lasted 27 years, then Athens was finally defeated by the Spartans. This terrible war was known as the Peloponnesian War. Athens and Sparta were the only Greek cities of importance in antiquity. Athens could not compare with Sparta in terms of power, prestige and not even art. Yet the only thing that succeeded in Athens was its navy, which Sparta did not possess. The two cities also had two different lifestyles. The goal of the Spartans was war and fighting. But the focus of the Athenians was to work in any kind of work (there was no need to fight). Nevertheless, in 480 CE, the Athenians and Spartans united for the first time to defeat the Persian army. The Spartans stood at Thermopylae and sacrificed their lives and waged war against the Persians. Spartan heroism at the Battle of Thermopylae during the Persian Wars inspired all of Greece to fight back with all its might against the invading Persians. Therefore, they ultimately enabled victory at the Battle of Salamis, the last of the Persian Wars. Athens was full of joy and did many things to contribute to its victory. The Athenian people praised the gods, mainly Zeus and Athena, for winning the war. Their victory made the Athenians very confident in themselves ... middle of paper ... other city-states joined them and invaded Athens. Therefore, Sparta led the Peloponnesian League in response to the Delian League and Athens. Eventually, Sparta invaded Athens and defeated the Athenian Empire. Despite their victory, the Spartans were very generous to the Athenians. Ten years after the war, the Athenians gained their independence. Since the defeat, Athens has regained much of its former strength. But Athens was never again the golden city it once was. The Greeks defeated the Persians, but the Athenians took credit and celebrated their victory. In their minds, they were the leaders of the Greek world. The Spartans took offense and became furious. They also deserve credit for the important role they played in the victory over the Persians at the Battle of Thermopylae...