Why Was the Peloponnesian War Deadlocked for an Extended Period

Multiple Choice

Why was the Peloponnesian War deadlocked for an extended period of time?

A) The Athenian Plague was used as a form of early "germ warfare" against Sparta.
B) Athens could not defeat Persia on land, and Persia could not defeat Athens at sea.
C) Athens could not defeat Sparta on land, and Sparta could not defeat Athens at sea.
D) The philosophy of the Pythagoreans and the Sophists contradicted each other.
E) The leadership of Pericles throughout the war allowed Athens to hold out against the superior Spartan army.