No one read, its my empires paper, i have to do this because I can't send it to my school email
Katie Kalin
October 12, 2007
Empires
The Athenians had a democracy because they believed that their government was in the interest of everyone. That is why everyone had to be apart of the government. Five hundred people were selected at random to run the government. It did not matter your wealth or stature in the city, you still had to participate. Government was important to them. As Perikles said, “we are unique in considering the man who takes no part in these not to be apolitical but useless,” (p. 93). The Athenians also had many allies, who were known as the Delian League. The Delian League was a group of city-states from parts of Greece who pledged their allegiance to Athens on the island of Delos. They were grateful to the Athenians for helping them to retreat from the Persians. The league was lead by the Athenians, but each city-state had one vote and it was basically a democratic allegiance. After the war with Persia was over, the city-states were still paying the Athenians taxes and they became extremely wealthy. The taxes had been to fun the Athenian military and navy, but now that the war was over it was only funding Athens. The Delian League is what turned Athens into an empire.
The Athenians hubris and arrogant talking was a cause of them not winning the Peloponnesian war. In general, the Athenians were arrogant because they always chose to take the brave and manly advice that was given to them instead of more logical and safe advice. When they were told to not expand the empire and endanger the city by Perikles, the citizens chose to do the exact opposite by causing damage to the city and only benefiting individuals. This is also seen when they are fighting in the civil war. Thucydides says, “Irrational recklessness was now considered courageous commitment, hesitation while looking to the future was high-styled cowardice,” (p.169). This was the way that they ran their empire, even when they weren’t fighting themselves. The Athenians also showed a great deal of hubris in the Melian debate. The Athenians didn’t see that the Melians made any good points. They mocked the Melians and thought that they were naive to depend of the Spartans. They told the Melians that they should become allies with them so that they wouldn’t have to start fighting and defeat them. The Athenians said, “we know that you and anyone else who attained power like ours would act accordingly,” (p. 298) in comment to why they were so sure that they would prosper in a battle. The Athenians were wrong; the Spartans helped Melos in the battle that followed. They helped Melos as best they could and the Athenians lost some men. They also had a very conceited ruler, Alcibiades. He believed that he was a wonderful man and he also believed that as long as he was ruling, then Athens couldn’t lose. In a speech to his men he says, “I more than others am entitled to command,” (p. 314). His hubris causes problems for Athens. He leads them into battle with Sicily, where they end up losing very badly and they must retreat and leave all their sick men behind. The Athenians chose to take the bold and manly choice, instead of listening to Nikias. Nikias was telling the Athenians to take it easy; they had just recovered from a plague. Sicily also had many more men than Athens did. However, because they chose to listen to a vain ruler, they ended up with more men dead and a terrible defeat. Because of the Athenians arrogance and their desire to show off how strong they were, they lost many battles and many men. With fewer men, it made it more difficult to defeat the Peloponnesians.
The Athenians were defeated by the Peloponnesians because of their unstable democracy. While everyone played a role in the Athenian government, it was still not a very stable machine. When Peithias was accused of enslaving Corcyra, in retaliation, Peithias accused five of the richest men of unholy acts. This petty argument between Corcyra and the leader of the common people of Athens lead to a civil war between the two cities. This shows how one person’s decisions can cause many problems for the city. Athens didn’t vote or agree to make trouble with Corcyra, one man chose to make trouble and that caused a bloody brawl to ensue. The civil war was also bad for the democracy and showed how fragile it was. The government fell apart during the war. Men only thought of killing and of violence. There was no politics only fighting. Thucydides said that revolutionary thinking was pushed to the extreme, “in extraordinary ingenious attempts to seize power and in outlandish retaliations,” (p.169). This complete lack of government during a civil war shows how their where definite cracks in the democracy system that Athens upheld. No one could lead the democracy because they were all out fighting each other.
October 12, 2007
Empires
The Athenians had a democracy because they believed that their government was in the interest of everyone. That is why everyone had to be apart of the government. Five hundred people were selected at random to run the government. It did not matter your wealth or stature in the city, you still had to participate. Government was important to them. As Perikles said, “we are unique in considering the man who takes no part in these not to be apolitical but useless,” (p. 93). The Athenians also had many allies, who were known as the Delian League. The Delian League was a group of city-states from parts of Greece who pledged their allegiance to Athens on the island of Delos. They were grateful to the Athenians for helping them to retreat from the Persians. The league was lead by the Athenians, but each city-state had one vote and it was basically a democratic allegiance. After the war with Persia was over, the city-states were still paying the Athenians taxes and they became extremely wealthy. The taxes had been to fun the Athenian military and navy, but now that the war was over it was only funding Athens. The Delian League is what turned Athens into an empire.
The Athenians hubris and arrogant talking was a cause of them not winning the Peloponnesian war. In general, the Athenians were arrogant because they always chose to take the brave and manly advice that was given to them instead of more logical and safe advice. When they were told to not expand the empire and endanger the city by Perikles, the citizens chose to do the exact opposite by causing damage to the city and only benefiting individuals. This is also seen when they are fighting in the civil war. Thucydides says, “Irrational recklessness was now considered courageous commitment, hesitation while looking to the future was high-styled cowardice,” (p.169). This was the way that they ran their empire, even when they weren’t fighting themselves. The Athenians also showed a great deal of hubris in the Melian debate. The Athenians didn’t see that the Melians made any good points. They mocked the Melians and thought that they were naive to depend of the Spartans. They told the Melians that they should become allies with them so that they wouldn’t have to start fighting and defeat them. The Athenians said, “we know that you and anyone else who attained power like ours would act accordingly,” (p. 298) in comment to why they were so sure that they would prosper in a battle. The Athenians were wrong; the Spartans helped Melos in the battle that followed. They helped Melos as best they could and the Athenians lost some men. They also had a very conceited ruler, Alcibiades. He believed that he was a wonderful man and he also believed that as long as he was ruling, then Athens couldn’t lose. In a speech to his men he says, “I more than others am entitled to command,” (p. 314). His hubris causes problems for Athens. He leads them into battle with Sicily, where they end up losing very badly and they must retreat and leave all their sick men behind. The Athenians chose to take the bold and manly choice, instead of listening to Nikias. Nikias was telling the Athenians to take it easy; they had just recovered from a plague. Sicily also had many more men than Athens did. However, because they chose to listen to a vain ruler, they ended up with more men dead and a terrible defeat. Because of the Athenians arrogance and their desire to show off how strong they were, they lost many battles and many men. With fewer men, it made it more difficult to defeat the Peloponnesians.
The Athenians were defeated by the Peloponnesians because of their unstable democracy. While everyone played a role in the Athenian government, it was still not a very stable machine. When Peithias was accused of enslaving Corcyra, in retaliation, Peithias accused five of the richest men of unholy acts. This petty argument between Corcyra and the leader of the common people of Athens lead to a civil war between the two cities. This shows how one person’s decisions can cause many problems for the city. Athens didn’t vote or agree to make trouble with Corcyra, one man chose to make trouble and that caused a bloody brawl to ensue. The civil war was also bad for the democracy and showed how fragile it was. The government fell apart during the war. Men only thought of killing and of violence. There was no politics only fighting. Thucydides said that revolutionary thinking was pushed to the extreme, “in extraordinary ingenious attempts to seize power and in outlandish retaliations,” (p.169). This complete lack of government during a civil war shows how their where definite cracks in the democracy system that Athens upheld. No one could lead the democracy because they were all out fighting each other.