...from the Greek perspective of things, contemporary writers like Larry Diamond have tried to explain Democracy from a purely 21st century point of view, trying as much as possible to bestow certain key elements on modern day Democracy (Diamond, 2004). Inherent in Democracy is the personality of a statesman. A statesman from a layman’s point of view is usually a politician, diplomat or other notable public figure that has had a long and respected career at the national and international level. Statesman as the term denotes (diplomat or other notable public figure), is prevalent in the 5th and 4th century history of Greece. Pericles and Alcibiades are considered by the Greeks (Athenians especially), as their most notable and praised statesmen who fostered the course of democracy. This write-up will therefore look at the roles of Pericles and Alcibiades (in the realm of democracy) in Greek (Athenian) history and also focusing on each party’s true statesmanship based on their achievements. I will like to state emphatically that sources on these two personalities are from Plutarch and Thucydides, as they are considered to have given accounts on them. In a more pressing and elaborative sense, other sources may come in handy. Pericles was born in Athens in about 495 BC to a family of wealth and position. His father, Xanthippus, was also a statesman, and his mother, Agariste, was a member of the politically powerful Alcmaeonid family. Pericles himself first gained fame in the spring of...
Words: 2201 - Pages: 9
...In the lives of Plutarch’s Lives in volume I is about Plutarch personally writing his opinion of the lives of historical people. Two people that he writes about in volume I is Alcibiades and Coriolanus. Historically these two heroes were not considered to be the best leaders during their days. That’s is why that Plutarch is comparing those two because they during their times they were not the best heroes that we see today. Dr. Lizo stated during discussion that Dr. Marko’s rasied a good point about these two very interesting men. He stated, which one is worst a sin that is external or internal? Between those two the one that was worse than the other was Alcibiades due to his level of knowledge which can lead to a sin externally. “Alcibiades,...
Words: 573 - Pages: 3
...of love by giving their opinion of how a person should commend it. Near the ending of the speech by Socrates, a beautiful, wealthy and drunk Alcibiades enters the event. This triggers the beginning of Alcibiades speech of travesty, which is disguised in praise, reciting the “secret nature” of Socrates to the guests at hand. The purpose of adding Alcibiades’ speech at the end is to display the nuisance with social expectations for love and the inability to meet them. The character of Alcibiades is used to portray the tragic nature of good merit and the tragedy. He is unable to gain virtue through sexual relations, and there for is forced to remain mortal. The purpose of the speech at whole is to celebrate the fertility of heterosexual relationships and how they are justified in giving birth to children. Alcibiades wants to engage in a relationship with Socrates which in terms is a homosexual relationship. To justify homosexual relationships, they would have had to prove them as productive as a heterosexual relationship. Meaning if what a heterosexual relationship can justify through Diotima’s speech is a child and a relationship which can be carried on in the future has to be the same of what a homosexual relationship can do. This forces Alcibiades to consider his own behavior in the framework of these expectations. Moreover, Alcibiades believed because of his looks, brains, charm and wealth he could embark on a homosexual quest since he had it all. His thought process with these...
Words: 1314 - Pages: 6
...Two major leaders that caused immeasurable harm to Athens had been students of his, so people thought that he’d been the reason for their rise to power and their ruinous rule. Critias had been a violent tyrant and thief, while Alcibiades had betrayed Athens countless times and had ruled irresponsibly, resulting in major losses. In defense of Socrates, Xenophon argued that although Socrates was the instructor of Critias and Alcibiades, it wasn’t his teachings that had a negative effect on their upbringing. Socrates had taught them not to desire power, but instead to continuously seek knowledge and betterment. Both leaders of Athens got their poor judgement and temperament from elsewhere. Critias lived with people practicing lawlessness in Thessaly, and Alcibiades grew too egotistic because of men who kissed up to him because they wanted favors and influence. Socrates might’ve given them the means to rise to power, but their arrogance and poor ruling was of their own accord. They went against what he’d taught them, and let their want for power overtake their want of wisdom and truth. Both became too haughty and prideful because of their noble birth, wealth, power, and knowledge. By the time they came into power, they’d been away from...
Words: 1291 - Pages: 6
...Thucydides, in his History of the Peloponnesian War, attempts to create a lasting piece of literature to be used by future generations. He uses the Athenian empire as an example of how politics work, especially during times of war, and how they can change through speeches from major debates. Through these dialogues, Thucydides is able to characterize the Athenian empire as an imperialistic and arrogant force whose external popularity was awful and whose internal popularity gradually degraded as the war lingered on. One of the main questions that must be answered when determining the overall view of Athens is whether they were a tyranny or, what the Athenians believed, a democracy. At the outbreak of the war “so bitter was the general feeling...
Words: 610 - Pages: 3
...Athens and Sparta had cooperated during the Persian War, but relations between these powerful states declined throughout the years. The Athenian pursuit of equality in their city combined with their growing domination abroad allowed Athens to attempt to create a land and maritime empire. This was one of the main causes for the First Peloponnesian War. The Delian League was initially established as a naval alliance among the Greek nautical states. Overtime, the aggressive policies of Athens converted the voluntary allies of the Delian League into the involuntary subjects of an Athenian naval empire. When Athens tried to expand their kingdom to the Greek mainland they encountered a series of battles with Sparta and its allies, which started the First Peloponnesian War. After a succession of defeats for the Athenians, their land empire began to collapse and they agreed to a thirty year peace treaty with the Spartans. Athens began to use the Delian League as its own empire. They eventually increased their control over it by gaining power of its treasury. The Athenian Pericles was responsible for taking Delian League funds for various projects. He constructed the “long walls” with these reserves enclosing Athens as well as the port of Piraeus. The Spartans saw this piece of land as an important part of their defenses and believed this gave the Athenians an unfair military advantage. Athens did not allow members of the League to leave their alliance. Each ally was charged a fee for...
Words: 711 - Pages: 3
...Gradiene S. Tandoc Mariah Janey Vicente PLATO’S WORKS and WRITINGS Plato wrote extensively and most of his writings survived. His works are in the form of dialogues, where several characters argue a topic by asking questions of each other. Why do you think Plato choose this form of writing (dialogue)? These may be the possible reasons: 1. This form allows Plato to raise various points of view and let the reader decide which is valid. 2. The use of character and conversation allowed Plato to awaken the interest of his readers and therefore to reach a wider audience. 3. The dialogue form allows Plato's evident interest in pedagogical questions (how is it possible to learn? what is the best way to learn? from what sort of person can we learn? what sort of person is in a position to learn?) to be pursued not only in the content of his compositions but also in their form. 4. Plato evidently enjoys creating a sense of puzzlement among his readers, and the dialogue form is uniquely suited to this goal. CHRONOLOGY The exact order in which Plato's dialogues were written is not known, nor is the extent to which some might have been later revised and rewritten. However, there is enough information internal to the dialogues to form a rough chronology. The dialogues are normally grouped into three fairly distinct periods, with a few of them considered transitional works. The generally agreed upon modern ordering is as follows: early, middle, and late dialogues...
Words: 880 - Pages: 4
...The Peloponnesian War By definition The Peloponnesian War was a Greek civil war between two Greek allies in the Persian war; Athens and Sparta. The Persian war was a war fought between the Persians and the Greeks; these two Greek city states fought together to successfully defeat Persia. Many believe tensions arouse between Athens and Sparta during the Persian war due to opposing war tactics; quite simply they did not trust one another. This led to Athens and Sparta forming allies after the Persian war, Athens formed the Delian league while Sparta formed the Peloponnesian league. The Delian league funded their own naval army to guard and protect the Aegean from invasions from the Persians; this ultimately created a very powerful Athenian navy and Athenian empire. The first undeclared flames of war was when Sparta’s main ally, Corinth invaded Attica. Athens then taking precautions formed what is known as the long walls, which enclosed and connected Athens capital to its ports, which meant land based armies had little chances of starting war on Athens soil. This action sent fear and suspicions to Greek city states especially Corinth. Corinth was very important in commercial trade because it linked northern and southern Greece. The first outbreak of real conflict was when the Athenian navy dispatched a fleet to assist Egyptian rebels escape the Persian Empire. Rebellions in Athens then broke out, which led to Sparta invading Attica. A treaty known as the Thirty Years Peace was...
Words: 730 - Pages: 3
...know about Socrates comes from the works of Plato, who was his pupil. Socrates lived in the Greek city of Athens. His method of teaching was to have a dialogue with individual students. They would propose some point of view, and Socrates would question them, asking what they meant. He would pretend "I don't know anything; I'm just trying to understand what it is you are saying", or words to that effect. This is now called the Socratic method of teaching. Socrates is sometimes called the "father of Western philosophy". This is because in the discussions he uncovered some of the most basic questions in philosophy, questions which are still discussed today. Also some of the people he taught were important and successful, like Plato and Alcibiades. Socrates never wrote anything. All of what we know about Socrates is from what other people wrote about him. Our main source of what we know about Socrates is from the writings of his student, Plato. Some of Plato's dialogues, such as the Crito and the Phaedo, are loosely based on fact. They are not written records, but artistic re-creation of Socrates in action. Another of Socrates' students,...
Words: 1476 - Pages: 6
...Socrates I believe Socrates is the most influential philosopher of all time is the great Socrates. It is simply astounding that such well thought out ideas were formed thousands of years ago. I enjoy how Socrates spent his life striving to help others teach themselves rather than simply throw information at them. Socrates dedicated his life to better himself as well as others, and that is why I consider him the best philosopher of all time. Before devoting his life to philosophy, Socrates served in the Athenian army, which was required of all citizens. Socrates was widely known for his bravery and courageousness, traits that showed throughout his lifetime. It is well recorded that Socrates even saved the life of famous general Alcibiades at Potidaea. Later, when he faced the legal troubles that led to his death, Socrates compared himself to a soldier who refused to retreat from battle, even when faced with death. Socrates always emphasized the importance of the mind and intelligence over the beauty and strength of the body. This, as with many of his ideas, was in conflict with the major beliefs held at the time. Socrates believed that philosophy’s main goal should be to gain practical results for the greater well-being of society. Socrates sought to establish an ethical system based on human reason rather than religious beliefs. He declared that human decision and action is motivated by our desire for happiness. Wisdom is ultimately achieved through knowing oneself...
Words: 452 - Pages: 2
...Maria Panzo Phil 1301 03-31-12 Socrates was accused of denying the gods and of corrupting the young. The first of these charges rested upon the fact that he supposed himself to be guided by a divine sign. The second, Xenophon tells us, was supported by a series of particular allegations: (a) that he taught his associates to despise the institutions of the state, and especially election by lot; (b) that he had numbered amongst his associates Critias and Alcibiades, the most dangerous of the representatives of the oligarchical and democratically parties respectively; (c) that be taught the young to disobey parents and guardians and to prefer his own authority to theirs. The false images of Socrates arose because people misunderstood his true activity. Socrates explains this activity by relating a story about the Delphic Oracle. The Saying of the Delphic Oracle- A friend of Socrates' went to the Oracle and asked the priestess "Who is the wisest of mortals?" and the priestess replied: "Socrates is the most wise." The Testing of the Delphic Oracle - After some hesitation, he sought to show the saying wrong by finding someone wiser than he. He began to question various people, including politicians, poets, and craftsmen.. The Truth of the Delphic Oracle - After "testing" the saying of the god, Socrates became aware of the truth of the saying that "Socrates is most wise" -- it can be expressed as follows: Socrates was most wise because he was Aware of his ignorance. In the course...
Words: 560 - Pages: 3
...Born in Athens, 470 BCE to a stone man and a midwife, Socrates received the most basic Greek education. Because of this, Socrates was expected to follow his father’s profession, making stone sculptors, but Socrates turned away from his life as a sculptor and fought in the Potidaean War, saving the life of a distinguished General Alcibiades. After he returned from war, his friend asked The Oracle of Delphi: “Is there any man smarter than Socrates?” The Oracle replied with “none”. This was the trigger for Socrates to start his path of Philosophy, as he went through Athens questioning people about their intelligence to prove the oracle wrong. He mused that the poorer people of Athens showed more wisdom than the more educated. This teaching was popular among the youth of Athens, and Socrates found himself being followed by a dozen or more young men, hoping to learn off of Socrates. He accepted no payments for this philosophical teachings,...
Words: 602 - Pages: 3
...An Athenian general by the name of Thucydides was exiled out of Athens for losing a battle in about 500 BCE. After he left the city, he wrote about the dialogue between Melos and Athens called the Melian Dialogue. In Athens, 5th century BCE they were becoming an empire of ancient Greece. Alcibiades, who was also an Athenian general, was planning a trip over seas to take over Sicily. Athens needed money so they sailed all the way to an island called Melos to persuade them to pay the tribute. The Melian Dialogue is a conversation where Athens uses Rhetoric (the art of persuasive speaking) and argues the point of Physis (survival of the fittest) to persuade Melos into paying the tribute. In the end Melos doesn’t agree to pay the tribute and to be an ally with Athens so Athens takes over Melos, kills all the men, and sells all the women and children into slavery. Athens warned Melos and created a strong argument which makes Athens justified in what they did to the island of Melos. In the Melian Dialogue, Athens makes a strong argument around the idea of physis. “This is not an idea that we made ourselves, nor are we the first to act upon it when it was made. We found it already in existence, and we shall leave it to exist for ever among those who come after us” (Thucydides 105). In other words what Athens is saying is, we are not the first to act upon “Natural Law”, that the strong will do what they must do to stay in power for as long as possible. Therefore...
Words: 884 - Pages: 4
...An Athenian general by the name of Thucydides was exiled out of Athens for losing a battle in about 500 BCE. After he left the city, he wrote about the dialogue between Melos and Athens called the Melian Dialogue. In Athens, 5th century BCE they were becoming an empire of ancient Greece. Alcibiades, who was also an Athenian general, was planning a trip over seas to take over Sicily. Athens needed money so they sailed all the way to an island called Melos to persuade them to pay the tribute. The Melian Dialogue is a conversation where Athens uses Rhetoric (the art of persuasive speaking) and argues the point of Physis (survival of the fittest) to persuade Melos into paying the tribute. In the end Melos doesn’t agree to pay the tribute and to be an ally with Athens so Athens takes over Melos, kills all the men, and sells all the women and children into slavery. Athens warned Melos and created a strong argument which makes Athens justified in what they did to the island of Melos. In the Melian Dialogue, Athens makes a strong argument around the idea of physis. “This is not an idea that we made ourselves, nor are we the first to act upon it when it was made. We found it already in existence, and we shall leave it to exist for ever among those who come after us” (Thucydides 105). In other words what Athens is saying is, we are not the first to act upon “Natural Law”, that the strong will do what they must do to stay in power for as long as possible. Therefore...
Words: 884 - Pages: 4
...Socrates: Socrates was born in 469 BCE in classical Athens, where he lived his youth in a family without a lot of financial support. His father, Sophroniscus, worked as a stone mason. A stonemason was a person who would work with stone. His mother, Phaenarete, worked as a nurse. Being born during Pericles’ reign of Athens, he was educated by Pericles’ wife, Aspasia. As the ancient Greek law proclaimed, Aristotle was forced to serve in Pericles’ army. During his military service, he fought in three military campaigns in the Peloponnesian War. Serving in the military as a hoplite, Socrates only fought with a spear, shield and face mask. He was served the military and became famous for being courageous as he would always refuse to flee from battle....
Words: 582 - Pages: 3
