ESSAY ON PERICLES AND THE PELOPONNESIAN WARS Option One
Following their victory over the Persians, the Greeks were at the peak of their classical age of civilization. Democratic Athens, under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Pericles, was the cultural, commercial, intellectual, and in some respects, military center of the Aegean World. In terms of maritime trade, drama, art, architecture, and philosophy, Athens had no rivals. In the process of leading Athens to the pinnacle of economic and cultural prominence, Pericles launched Athens into what was arguably one of the most stupid and self-destructive wars in the history of the world?
Read the handouts, the class notes, and the relevant sections of Spodek carefully. Try to form your own impression of Pericles as a man and as a political leader. In particular, note the excerpt in Spodek from Pericles' oration at the funeral for the Athenian soldiers who died in the first year of the war. Does it remind you of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address? Does it give you any insights into Pericles' character? Just as Lincoln knew that the only way the Union could survive was to destroy the rebel army, Pericles was convinced that Sparta was a mortal threat to Athenian survival. Pericles rose to political power by persuading the Athenian Assembly to depose and exile the current leader, Cimon, because he was 'soft' on Sparta. Why did Pericles feel this way? Was his assessment of the Spartan threat valid? What was Pericles' plan for prosecuting the war? Was his plan, all things considered, a sensible and rational one? Why did his plan fail, or did it?
The major difficulty in evaluating Pericles' leadership is that he died just a couple of years into the war. Pericles' defenders argue that his plan was working, and if the Athenians had pursued it patiently, Athenian naval power eventually would have neutralized Spartan infantry power. However, impatient with the stalemate that had developed in the war, new Athenian leaders launched an all or nothing attack on Sparta's distant ally, Syracuse. This attack was a catastrophic failure, and it led to Athens' ultimate defeat. Pericles' enemies argue that the war was unnecessary in the first place and that the stalemate that resulted from Pericles' strategy would never have been broken. What do you think? Was Pericles a wise and courageous leader doing his best to protect and strengthen his beloved city of Athens? Or was he a reckless, greedy imperialist who
drove his city into a foolish and suicidal war?
Option Two
Imagine a debate between Pericles and Socrates and write your essay in the form of a Socratic dialogue, just as Plato recorded Socrates’ discussions with his students. The debate takes place right after Pericles's famous funeral oration honoring the soldiers who have died recently in the Peloponnesian War. Socrates, as you know, was a veteran of that war. However, he strongly disagreed with the war and with the democratic political system under which Athens was governed. The debate should cover both the war in particular and Athenian culture and politics in general.
In discussing the war, talk about the reasons that Pericles felt the war must be fought, and his strategy for fighting it. Unlike option one, you don't know the outcome of Pericles's strategy or the fate of Athens and the rest of the Greeks as a result of the war. You do know, however, that a couple of years into the war Pericles's strategy still has not born fruit. You should also discuss Pericles's other programs such as his building program and his political reforms. Are they in any way related to the coming of the war?
From Socrates' point of view we should understand his feelings of loyalty to the Athenian Polis, while disagreeing with both its form of government and most of the decisions it made. Have Socrates explain why he willingly served in a war with which he disagreed, but refused to take part in politics when he retired from military service. Just as you don't know Pericles's fate, neither do you know Socrates'. However, Socrates might have reason to sense serious trouble ahead, both for Athens and himself. You should draw on the same sources for this option as for the first. Further outside research is not required, but if you would like to read more about Socrates and Pericles, I can make some suggestions.
Dialogue so far:Pericles and Socrates walk into a room together.
Socrates: Why?
Pericles: Why?
Socrates: This “Peloponnesian” war.
Pericles: What?
Socrates: It is so sad.
Pericles: What is?
Socrates: The war!
Pericles: No! The war must have been fought! There was no way around it. Spartan aggression is too much! We must keep our fledgling democracy under our control!
Socrates: Do you not understand that you are sending out men and boys to die?
Pericles: These men volunteered.
Socrates: Because they were told to.
Pericles: The war was for the sake of our home, the great city Athens.
Socrates: At the expense of other “great cities”.
Pericles: Do you understand?
Socrates: No.
Pericles: All that matters is Athens! Let the others fall!
Socrates: No, that is not right. The only reason I served in the war was because we were threatened!
Pericles: And we are threatened even now!
Socrates: Because the aggression of the Athenian military has gotten out of hand.
Pericles: No, it has not! I was raised in this city, and I believe in it. You of all people should know. I demand that you desist trying to undermine our government.
Socrates: I refuse to be cowed by threats. You may do whatever you want to me, I will not fail.
Pericles: You may not fail, but you will fall.
Socrates: Fall? It will not happen.
Pericles: You do not understand. The government needs to be democratic so that it may… cajole the public!
Socrates: I refuse to be like you, to pursue the more conventional types of politics. I cannot look into other’s matters, and I cannot tell them how to live their lives, when we free men cannot even understand how to live our own lives.
Pericles: You?
Socrates: I am a philosopher.
Pericles: Yes, and?
Socrates: I am engaged in the pursuit of Truth. Yet, I do not know it fully.
Pericles: Wise words, for a dead man.
Socrates: A dead man? You want to turn the entire world that we know of into the Athenian Empire.
Pericles: So what if I do? I have made changes in the Delian League, and our coffers are overflowing because of it! The Delian League may soon be the beginning of our Empire! We effectively have control over most of Greece. We have already begun work on my Periclean Acropolis, which will include many marvelous buildings, and also a magnificent golden statue of our patron goddess Athena.
Socrates: Yes, these are all paid in blood by our soldiers, fighting against the Spartans, and the other rebellious members of the Delian League. Listen to me. Your so called “plan” has been in action for more than a year. Yet, nothing has happened. The Spartans are not begging for surrender, yet our citizens are dying on the streets because we have an improper sewage system.
Pericles:
Following their victory over the Persians, the Greeks were at the peak of their classical age of civilization. Democratic Athens, under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Pericles, was the cultural, commercial, intellectual, and in some respects, military center of the Aegean World. In terms of maritime trade, drama, art, architecture, and philosophy, Athens had no rivals. In the process of leading Athens to the pinnacle of economic and cultural prominence, Pericles launched Athens into what was arguably one of the most stupid and self-destructive wars in the history of the world?
Read the handouts, the class notes, and the relevant sections of Spodek carefully. Try to form your own impression of Pericles as a man and as a political leader. In particular, note the excerpt in Spodek from Pericles' oration at the funeral for the Athenian soldiers who died in the first year of the war. Does it remind you of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address? Does it give you any insights into Pericles' character? Just as Lincoln knew that the only way the Union could survive was to destroy the rebel army, Pericles was convinced that Sparta was a mortal threat to Athenian survival. Pericles rose to political power by persuading the Athenian Assembly to depose and exile the current leader, Cimon, because he was 'soft' on Sparta. Why did Pericles feel this way? Was his assessment of the Spartan threat valid? What was Pericles' plan for prosecuting the war? Was his plan, all things considered, a sensible and rational one? Why did his plan fail, or did it?
The major difficulty in evaluating Pericles' leadership is that he died just a couple of years into the war. Pericles' defenders argue that his plan was working, and if the Athenians had pursued it patiently, Athenian naval power eventually would have neutralized Spartan infantry power. However, impatient with the stalemate that had developed in the war, new Athenian leaders launched an all or nothing attack on Sparta's distant ally, Syracuse. This attack was a catastrophic failure, and it led to Athens' ultimate defeat. Pericles' enemies argue that the war was unnecessary in the first place and that the stalemate that resulted from Pericles' strategy would never have been broken. What do you think? Was Pericles a wise and courageous leader doing his best to protect and strengthen his beloved city of Athens? Or was he a reckless, greedy imperialist who
drove his city into a foolish and suicidal war?
Option Two
Imagine a debate between Pericles and Socrates and write your essay in the form of a Socratic dialogue, just as Plato recorded Socrates’ discussions with his students. The debate takes place right after Pericles's famous funeral oration honoring the soldiers who have died recently in the Peloponnesian War. Socrates, as you know, was a veteran of that war. However, he strongly disagreed with the war and with the democratic political system under which Athens was governed. The debate should cover both the war in particular and Athenian culture and politics in general.
In discussing the war, talk about the reasons that Pericles felt the war must be fought, and his strategy for fighting it. Unlike option one, you don't know the outcome of Pericles's strategy or the fate of Athens and the rest of the Greeks as a result of the war. You do know, however, that a couple of years into the war Pericles's strategy still has not born fruit. You should also discuss Pericles's other programs such as his building program and his political reforms. Are they in any way related to the coming of the war?
From Socrates' point of view we should understand his feelings of loyalty to the Athenian Polis, while disagreeing with both its form of government and most of the decisions it made. Have Socrates explain why he willingly served in a war with which he disagreed, but refused to take part in politics when he retired from military service. Just as you don't know Pericles's fate, neither do you know Socrates'. However, Socrates might have reason to sense serious trouble ahead, both for Athens and himself. You should draw on the same sources for this option as for the first. Further outside research is not required, but if you would like to read more about Socrates and Pericles, I can make some suggestions.
Dialogue so far:Pericles and Socrates walk into a room together.
Socrates: Why?
Pericles: Why?
Socrates: This “Peloponnesian” war.
Pericles: What?
Socrates: It is so sad.
Pericles: What is?
Socrates: The war!
Pericles: No! The war must have been fought! There was no way around it. Spartan aggression is too much! We must keep our fledgling democracy under our control!
Socrates: Do you not understand that you are sending out men and boys to die?
Pericles: These men volunteered.
Socrates: Because they were told to.
Pericles: The war was for the sake of our home, the great city Athens.
Socrates: At the expense of other “great cities”.
Pericles: Do you understand?
Socrates: No.
Pericles: All that matters is Athens! Let the others fall!
Socrates: No, that is not right. The only reason I served in the war was because we were threatened!
Pericles: And we are threatened even now!
Socrates: Because the aggression of the Athenian military has gotten out of hand.
Pericles: No, it has not! I was raised in this city, and I believe in it. You of all people should know. I demand that you desist trying to undermine our government.
Socrates: I refuse to be cowed by threats. You may do whatever you want to me, I will not fail.
Pericles: You may not fail, but you will fall.
Socrates: Fall? It will not happen.
Pericles: You do not understand. The government needs to be democratic so that it may… cajole the public!
Socrates: I refuse to be like you, to pursue the more conventional types of politics. I cannot look into other’s matters, and I cannot tell them how to live their lives, when we free men cannot even understand how to live our own lives.
Pericles: You?
Socrates: I am a philosopher.
Pericles: Yes, and?
Socrates: I am engaged in the pursuit of Truth. Yet, I do not know it fully.
Pericles: Wise words, for a dead man.
Socrates: A dead man? You want to turn the entire world that we know of into the Athenian Empire.
Pericles: So what if I do? I have made changes in the Delian League, and our coffers are overflowing because of it! The Delian League may soon be the beginning of our Empire! We effectively have control over most of Greece. We have already begun work on my Periclean Acropolis, which will include many marvelous buildings, and also a magnificent golden statue of our patron goddess Athena.
Socrates: Yes, these are all paid in blood by our soldiers, fighting against the Spartans, and the other rebellious members of the Delian League. Listen to me. Your so called “plan” has been in action for more than a year. Yet, nothing has happened. The Spartans are not begging for surrender, yet our citizens are dying on the streets because we have an improper sewage system.
Pericles:
![[Image: 1249325580.jpg]](http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk303/adyalam/1249325580.jpg)
