As his influence grew, he started to assert himself in the Assembly
\nand alter its policies. He argued against expanding Athens\u2019s
\ndemocratic empire. He feared the Athenians would overreach and lose
\ncontrol. He worked to consolidate the empire and strengthen existing
\nalliances. When it came to war and to serving as a general, he strove to
\nlimit campaigns and to win through maneuvers, with minimal loss of
\nlives. To many this seemed unheroic, but as these policies took effect,
\nthe city entered a period of unprecedented prosperity. There were no
\nmore needless wars to drain the coffers, and the empire was
\nfunctioning more smoothly than ever.
\nWhat Pericles did with the growing surplus of money startled and
\namazed the citizenry: instead of using it to buy political favors, he
\ninitiated a massive public building project in Athens. He
\ncommissioned temples, theaters, and concert halls, putting all of the
\nAthenian craftsmen to work. Everywhere one looked, the city was
\nbecoming more sublimely beautiful. He favored a form of architecture
\nthat reflected his personal aesthetics\u2014ordered, highly geometric,
\nmonumental yet soothing to the eye. His greatest commission was that
\nof the Parthenon, with its enormous forty-foot statue of Athena.
\nAthena was the guiding spirit of Athens, the goddess of wisdom and
\npractical intelligence. She represented all of the values Pericles wanted
\nto promote. Singlehandedly Pericles had transformed the look and
\nspirit of Athens, and it entered a golden age in all of the arts and
\nsciences.
\nWhat was perhaps the strangest quality of Pericles was his speaking
\nstyle\u2014restrained and dignified. He did not go in for the usual flights of
\nrhetoric. Instead, he worked to convince an audience through airtight
\narguments. This would make people listen closely, as they followed the
\ninteresting course of his logic. The style was compelling and calming.
\nUnlike any of the other leaders, Pericles remained in power year
\nafter year, decade after decade, putting his total stamp on the city in
\nhis quiet, unobtrusive way. He had his enemies. This was inevitable.
\nHe had stayed in power so long that many accused him of being a
\nsecret dictator. He was suspected of being an atheist, a man who
\nscoffed at all traditions. That would explain why he was so peculiar.
\nBut nobody could argue against the results of his leadership.
\nAnd so now, as he began to address the Assembly that afternoon,
\nhis opinion on war with Sparta would carry the most weight, and a
\nhush came over the crowd as they anxiously waited to hear his
\nargument.
\n\u201cAthenians,\u201d he began, \u201cmy views are the same as ever: I am against
\nmaking any concessions to the Peloponnesians, even though I am
\naware that the enthusiastic state of mind in which people are
\npersuaded to enter upon a war is not retained when it comes to action,
\nand that people\u2019s minds are altered by the course of events.\u201d
\nDifferences between Athens and Sparta were supposed to be settled
\nthrough neutral arbitrators, he reminded them. It would set a
\ndangerous precedent if they gave in to the Spartans\u2019 unilateral
\ndemands. Where would it end? Yes, a direct land battle with Sparta
\nwould be suicide. What he proposed instead was a completely novel
\nform of warfare\u2014limited and defensive.
\nHe would bring within the walls of Athens all those living in the
\narea. Let the Spartans come and try to lure us into fighting, he said; let
\nthem lay waste to our lands. We will not take the bait; we will not fight
\nthem on land. With our access to the sea we will keep the city supplied.
\nWe will use our navy to raid their coastal towns. As time goes on, they
\nwill grow frustrated by the lack of battle. Having to feed and supply
\ntheir standing army, they will run out of money. Their allies will bicker
\namong themselves. The war party within Sparta will be discredited and
\na real lasting peace will be agreed upon, all with minimal expenditure
\nof lives and money on our part.
\n\u201cI could give you many other reasons,\u201d he concluded, \u201cwhy you
\nshould feel confident in ultimate victory, if only you will make up your
\nminds not to add to the empire while the war is in progress, and not to
\ngo out of your way to involve yourselves in new perils. What I fear is
\nnot the enemy\u2019s strategy but our own mistakes.\u201d The novelty of what he
\nwas proposing aroused great debate. Neither hawks nor doves were
\nsatisfied with his plan, but in the end, his reputation for wisdom
\ncarried the day and his strategy was approved. Several months later
\nthe fateful war began.
\nIn the beginning, all did not proceed as Pericles had envisioned. The
\nSpartans and their allies did not grow frustrated as the war dragged on,
\nbut only bolder. The Athenians were the ones to become discouraged,
\nseeing their lands destroyed without retaliation. But Pericles believed
\nhis plan could not fail as long as the Athenians remained patient. Then,
\nin the second year of the war, an unexpected disaster upended
\neverything: a powerful plague entered the city; with so many people
\npacked within the walls it spread quickly, killing over one third of the
\ncitizenry and decimating the ranks of the army. Pericles himself caught
\nthe disease, and as he lay dying he witnessed the ultimate nightmare:
\nall that he had done for Athens over so many decades seemed to
\nunravel at once, the people descending into group delirium until it was
\nevery man for himself. If he had survived, he almost certainly would
\nhave found a way to calm the Athenians down and broker an
\nacceptable peace with Sparta, or adjust his defensive strategy, but now
\nit was too late.
\nStrangely enough, the Athenians did not mourn for their leader.
\nThey blamed him for the plague and railed at the ineffectiveness of his
\nstrategy. They were not in a mood anymore for patience or restraint.
\nHe had outlived his time, and his ideas were now seen as the tired
\nreactions of an old man. Their love of Pericles had turned to hate. With
\nhim no longer there, the factions returned with a vengeance. The war
\nparty became popular. The party fed off the people\u2019s growing bitterness
\ntoward the Spartans, who had used the plague to advance their
\npositions. The hawks promised they would regain the initiative and
\ncrush the Spartans with an offensive strategy. For many Athenians,
\nsuch words came as a great relief, a release of pent-up emotions.
\nAs the city slowly recovered from the plague, the Athenians
\nmanaged to gain the upper hand, and the Spartans sued for peace.
\nWanting to completely defeat their enemy, the Athenians pressed their
\nadvantage, only to find the Spartans recover and turn the tables. Back
\nand forth it went, year after year. The violence and bitterness on both
\nsides increased. At one point Athens attacked the island of Melos, a
\nSpartan ally, and when the Melians surrendered, the Athenians voted
\nto kill all of their men and sell the women and children into slavery.
\nNothing remotely like this had ever happened under Pericles.
\nThen, after so many years of a war without end, in 415 BC several
\nAthenian leaders had an interesting idea about how to deliver the fatal
\nblow. The city-state of Syracuse was the rising power on the island of
\nSicily. Syracuse was a critical ally of the Spartans, supplying them with
\nmuch-needed resources. If the Athenians, with their great navy, could
\nlaunch an expedition and take control of Syracuse, they would gain two
\nadvantages: it would add to their empire, and it would deprive Sparta
\nof the resources it needed to continue the war. The Assembly voted to
\nsend sixty ships with an appropriate-sized army on board to
\naccomplish this goal.
\nOne of the commanders assigned to this expedition, Nicias, had
\ngreat doubts as to the wisdom of this plan. He feared the Athenians
\nwere underestimating the strength of Syracuse. He laid out all of the
\npossible negative scenarios; only a much larger expedition could
\nensure victory. He wanted to squelch the plan, but his argument had
\nthe opposite effect. If a larger expedition was necessary, then that was
\nwhat they would send\u2014one hundred ships and double the number of
\nsoldiers. The Athenians smelled victory in this strategy and nothing
\nwould deter them.
\nIn the ensuing days, Athenians of all ages could be seen in the
\nstreets drawing maps of Sicily, dreaming of the riches that would pour
\ninto Athens and the final humiliation of the Spartans. The day of the
\nlaunching of the ships turned into a great holiday and the most aweinspiring spectacle they had ever seen\u2014an enormous armada filling the
\nharbor as far as the eye could see, the ships beautifully decorated, the
\nsoldiers, glistening in their armor, crowding the decks. It was a
\ndazzling display of the wealth and power of Athens.
\nAs the months went by, the Athenians desperately sought news of
\nthe expedition. At one point, through the sheer size of the force, it
\nseemed that Athens had gained the advantage and had laid siege to
\nSyracuse. But at the last moment, reinforcements arrived from Sparta,
\nand now the Athenians were on the defensive. Nicias sent off a letter to
\nthe Assembly describing this negative turn of events. He recommended
\neither giving up and returning to Athens, or the sending of
\nreinforcements right away. Unwilling to believe in the possibility of
\ndefeat, the Athenians voted to send reinforcements\u2014a second armada
\nof ships almost as large as the first. In the months after this, the
\nAthenians\u2019 anxiety reached new heights\u2014for now the stakes had been
\ndoubled and Athens could not afford to lose.
\nOne day a barber in Athens\u2019s port town of Piraeus heard a rumor
\nfrom a customer that the Athenian expedition, every ship and almost
\nevery man, had been wiped out in battle. The rumor quickly spread to
\nAthens. It was hard to believe, but slowly panic set in. A week later the
\nrumor was confirmed and Athens seemed doomed, drained of money,
\nships, and men.
\nMiraculously, the Athenians managed to hold on. But over the next
\nfew years, severely imbalanced by the losses in Sicily, they staggered
\nfrom one reeling blow to another, until finally in 405 BC Athens
\nsuffered its final loss and was forced to agree to the harsh terms of
\npeace imposed by Sparta. Their years of glory, their great democratic
\nempire, the Periclean golden age were now and forever over. The man
\nwho had curbed their most dangerous emotions\u2014aggression, greed,
\nhubris, selfishness\u2014had been gone from the scene for too long, his
\nwisdom long forgotten.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Part A’: https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/the-athenians-smelled-victory-in-this-strategy-and-nothing-would-deter-them-robert-greene-part-a-2573a\/?lang=en<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The laws of human nature<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n ROBERT GREENE<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As his influence grew, he started to assert himself in the Assembly and alter its policies. He argued against expanding Athens\u2019s democratic empire. He feared the Athenians would overreach and lose control. He worked to consolidate the empire and strengthen existing alliances. When it came…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40587,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1","rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg",900,609,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg",900,609,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?fit=300%2C203&ssl=1",300,203,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,true],"portfolio-square":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?resize=570%2C570&ssl=1",570,570,true],"portfolio-portrait":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?resize=600%2C609&ssl=1",600,609,true],"portfolio-landscape":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1",800,600,true],"menu-featured-post":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?resize=345%2C198&ssl=1",345,198,true],"qode-carousel_slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?resize=400%2C260&ssl=1",400,260,true],"portfolio_slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?resize=500%2C380&ssl=1",500,380,true],"portfolio_masonry_regular":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?resize=500%2C500&ssl=1",500,500,true],"portfolio_masonry_wide":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?resize=900%2C500&ssl=1",900,500,true],"portfolio_masonry_tall":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?resize=500%2C609&ssl=1",500,609,true],"portfolio_masonry_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?resize=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,true],"portfolio_masonry_with_space":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?fit=700%2C474&ssl=1",700,474,true],"latest_post_boxes":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?resize=539%2C303&ssl=1",539,303,true],"woocommerce_thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"woocommerce_single":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?fit=600%2C406&ssl=1",600,406,true],"woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/post-2573b.jpg?resize=100%2C100&ssl=1",100,100,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/author\/admin\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"Philosophy<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"As his influence grew, he started to assert himself in the Assembly and alter its policies. He argued against expanding Athens\u2019s democratic empire. He feared the Athenians would overreach and lose control. He worked to consolidate the empire and strengthen existing alliances. 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