>Invading Sicily when you're in the middle of a war

>>2576004
>What the fuck was Athens' problem?
Alcibiades

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>>2576004
*blocks your democracy*

>>2576004
They invaded Sicily the middle of the thirty years peace. It was stupid as fuck because invading Scily, even to help "muh Ionians" immediately broke the peace and forced them to fight the Spartans on two fronts while trying to control their own empire.

High risk high reward. The Spartans were masters of the land, and the Athenians of the sea. Athens would have been able to last indefinitely if she secured a sea route for supplies.

>>2576004

>What the fuck was Athens' problem?

Not enough male children.

>>2576025
>Athens would have been able to last indefinitely if she secured a sea route for supplies.

Athens already had this by 430BC, they only sued for peace because their colonies were in revolt and Sparta had completely routed them in Thrace. Within 10 years they had crushed dissent within the empire against them and had access to the same resources as when they began the war, give or take a few Thracian cities that had maintained their independence.
The Sicilian Expedition was launched for loot and personal gain alone.

>>2576034
They had enough man power, just see how they keep coming back even after Amphipolis, Syracuse and Lysander's campaigns. Its just they lacked long-sighted leadership after Pericles.

>>2576046
>enough manpower
no

>>2576051
Even though Scily is hyped up as the "Deathblow" to their Empire, Athens was already making a comeback by 410BC, indicated by the return of Thetic Democracy. Look at the Battle of Arginusae in 406BC. The Athenians decisively defeated the Spartans, only to throw away their advantages by executing the generals that made the victory possible. Athens lost the war through incompetence, not through want of men and ships.

>>2576063
i dont always choose democracy and then my subsequent demise via the execution of would be tyrants (c rome) over democracy, ...