Pericles' Funeral Oration

Not only did it have value itself but it produced grain, at the time there was no coin so grain was used for trade. (Trumbach) There were four basic classes of people at the time. The aristocrats who owned a lot of fertile land. Second is the “rich peasants” who owned smaller amounts of land but the land was also of poor yield, the mostly lived on the hill. Though they are richer than the other peasants they were still poor. Third are the peasants who worked the land owned by the aristocrats and…

George Steiner’s book, The Death of Tragedy, written in 1961, defines tragedy as something that is uniquely Greek in the sense that no other culture really embodies it. Steiner says that, “Tragedy is irreparable,” and that “Tragic drama tells us that the spheres of reason, order, and justice are terribly limited and that no progress in our science or technical resources will enlarge their relevance (8).” These statements clarify what makes Greek tragedy so unlike any other type of tragedy…

I will argue that Cyrus has perfected the techne of being a leader, as supported by Socrates 's views on power, temperance and virtue. By practicing these qualities, Cyrus practices the true arts and improves the character of those around him. Cyrus’s ability to practice the techne of leadership is significant because it serves as an example to other leaders, specifically those of the Greeks. In Gorgias, Socrates teaches that temperance is the ability to control or discipline one’s appetites…

Since the start of civilization, humans have used violence to gain and ensure power. Power often blinds people causing them to believe their violent actions are just. They are in a position where they won’t be opposed so they can act self-interestedly. Thrasymachus, in Thucydides’ accounts on the Peloponnesian war explains this point of view best by stating, “Justice is nothing other the advantage of the stronger.” (Plato pg. 14). Although violence places fear in your enemies or subordinates, it…

Athens and Sparta, the two largest Greek cities that were constantly debating of their two different styles of government and leadership. The leader who developed Athens advanced democracy and more modern government was named Solon. His good leadership stemmed from the appreciation the Athenian people had for him for turning Athens into a more city with more equality and justice, “In 594 Solon was called upon to resolve problems of deep seated social unrest involving the aristocratic monopoly of…

An Athenian, Thucydides, writes and tells about the war between the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, known as the Peloponnesian War, from the beginning of the war. In the first part of chapter 1, he tells about how the war would be a great war, more memorable than any wars before this time. He writes about the causes of the war and he looks at previous wars such as the Trojan War and correlates their abilities and impact with the war between Athens and Sparta. Thucydides believed that the…

Deception and misinformation play an important role during Thucydides’ account of the Sicilian Expedition. In reality, the whole expedition which leads to deception and destruction, could have been avoided if the Athenian Assembly had listened to Nicias’s plea. Sicily was indeed too far away to be subdued permanently, and the current state of Athens was more important. Many other Greek city states were looking for their opportunity to attack Athens, and this event would only weaken the empire…

Dicaeopolis’ Withdrawal from Athenian Society Camia Lopez The Peloponnesian War was an intensifying war that was fought between the Athenians and Spartans. As matters continued to result in more problems due to the war, an Athenian citizen named, Dicaeopolis, decided to intervene and construct peace between the two opposing nations. Early on, Dicaeopolis decided to establish a private peace treaty with Godson, an immortal child of Demeter and Triptolemus, who was able to grant the deed.…

The Delian league was formed in Delos, between the Aegean city states of the Greeks, and their surrounding Greek city states of the Ionian region in order to strengthen their forces against the Persians (Brand, 2016). The league was successful at the beginning as a result of the contribution and taxes collected by the members of the league, the treasury was rich, and members of the Delian league became the economic super power of the Greeks. Afterwards, there were security concerns with the…

Aristophanes was a Greek playwright living in Athens during the Peloponnesian War whose comedies typically satirized the democracy and society. He wrote the comedy “The Acharnians” to establish the problems with the democracy leading Athens. He believes a successful democracy in Athens could only be possible if the troubles damaging the democracy were fixed. For Aristophanes, democracy in Athens is possible if greed is eliminated, equality achieved, and empathy developed because these three…