busy pounding their fists against the thick walls of Athens, it is not inconceivable that Athens could set up camp on the Spartan coast and launch a successful offensive campaign from there - particularly if Spartan slaves could be turned against their masters.ConclusionPericles' projections and strategies were sound in principle, but as Kagan explained, they were too difficult in practice because they flew against human nature. Further, Pericles did not seem to share King Archidamus awareness of the war's inevitable duration. The negative impact on Athenian morale must have been profound as their homes and farms were destroyed, their friends and family fell to the plague, and the war dragged on for yet another generation.King Archidamus, on the other hand, realized the protracted nature of the engagement. He worked hard to avoid it and harder to prepare for it. By realizing Sparta's own weaknesses early and aggressively seeking ways to ameliorate them, he showed sound leadership and tactical prowess. Sun Tzu would have approved....
