During the early years of the Peloponnesian Wars, Pericles devised a strategy that would protect his people, but for a minimal time. He forethought that the war would not last for the 27 years that it did. His plan was to bring all the citizens of Athens within her walls and abandon the fields and homes that lied outside them. Many citizens found this strategy "a cowardly action". They hated the fact that their homes could be ravaged and that no battle would be fought to defend them. It was Pericles' strategy to keep the citizens safe within the walls and use her powerful navy to harrass the Peloponnesus. He avoided an all out confrontation between hoplite armies cause he knew that the Spartans were too many, too great. His strategy though caused a BIG depletion in the treasury and after a few years was dwindled to small number. His strategy survived shortly after his death, but then a new General rose to command, and he was Cleon. Not a passive man, but an aggressive attacker, saw Pericles' strategy a failure and launched his own strategies in offensive ways. It was years later when he captured Sphacteria that he ended all attacks on Attica by threatening the Spartan Alliance that if they attacked Attica, all prisoners would be executed. But under the Peace of 421, Athens returned the prisoners and lost the defense against attacks on Attica.