How did Athens’s navy support Pericles’ strategy during the Peloponnesian War?

Pericles’ strategy during the Peloponnesian War relied heavily on the Athenian navy to sustain a defensive posture while avoiding direct confrontation with the superior Spartan land forces.12

His plan centered on the following key roles for the fleet:

• Securing Supplies: By evacuating the population of Attica behind the Long Walls—which connected the city to its port, Piraeus—Pericles used the navy to ensure the safe arrival of essential food supplies, allowing the city to withstand repeated Spartan land invasions.342
• Maintaining the Empire: The fleet served as the primary instrument to hold the Athenian empire firmly under control, protecting the maritime resources and tribute necessary to fund the war effort.32
• Strategic Leverage: While Pericles’ overall approach was largely reactive and defensive, the navy provided the mobility to protect Athenian interests and maintain the financial reserves required for a long-term conflict.32

Ultimately, this strategy aimed to preserve Athenian power rather than expand it, banking on the fleet’s superiority to outlast Spartan efforts to dismantle the empire.12