The final days of democracy in Greece are in fact the story of how Athens lived its last century as an independent state. The moment of fall has to do with its time when it shined the most over Greece: at the height of power as leader of Athenian league and leader of Greek culture.
The city-state pattern of Greece created a reality of competition, individuality and community centered exclusively around each political community. That is why Greece never reached a national consciousness, even that there were moments of unity when all Greeks acted as a single body (see Persian wars). Each of the cities of ancient Greece (those of a certain prominence) wanted to play a bigger role in the arena of Greek politics. The most famous were Athens, Sparta, and Thebe.
But it was for Athens to carry the flag of excellence in art, politics, spirituality and even war. Most of the representative figures of antique classical culture (before Roman classicism) were Athenian. In the Vth century, after the Persian wars, there were in Greece two major factions: Athenian Empire and Peloponnesian League, with Sparta in front. Athens and Sparta had some frictions, but largely no total war engagement …show more content…
The loss of the fleet marked the end of the political game in this long conflict for Athens. After their victory over Athenians in 405 BC, Sparta imposed a new government based on their view on state power structures. It was known as the time of the Thirty Tyrants. Even with a brief existence, this oligarchy was in complete opposition with the democratic institutions in Athens. Eventually, the tyranny was abolished and democracy came back. But the seeds of degradation of the Greek world were visible already. Sparta continued to exert domination for a few more years before it was defeated by forces of Epaminondas from Thebe, a newly risen
The city-state pattern of Greece created a reality of competition, individuality and community centered exclusively around each political community. That is why Greece never reached a national consciousness, even that there were moments of unity when all Greeks acted as a single body (see Persian wars). Each of the cities of ancient Greece (those of a certain prominence) wanted to play a bigger role in the arena of Greek politics. The most famous were Athens, Sparta, and Thebe.
But it was for Athens to carry the flag of excellence in art, politics, spirituality and even war. Most of the representative figures of antique classical culture (before Roman classicism) were Athenian. In the Vth century, after the Persian wars, there were in Greece two major factions: Athenian Empire and Peloponnesian League, with Sparta in front. Athens and Sparta had some frictions, but largely no total war engagement …show more content…
The loss of the fleet marked the end of the political game in this long conflict for Athens. After their victory over Athenians in 405 BC, Sparta imposed a new government based on their view on state power structures. It was known as the time of the Thirty Tyrants. Even with a brief existence, this oligarchy was in complete opposition with the democratic institutions in Athens. Eventually, the tyranny was abolished and democracy came back. But the seeds of degradation of the Greek world were visible already. Sparta continued to exert domination for a few more years before it was defeated by forces of Epaminondas from Thebe, a newly risen