Why did Athens finally lose the Peloponnesian War?
Why did Athens finally lose the Peloponnesian War?
In 430 BC an outbreak of a plague hit Athens. The plague ravaged the densely packed city, and in the long run, was a significant cause of its final defeat. The plague wiped out over 30,000 citizens, sailors and soldiers, including Pericles and his sons. Roughly one-third to two-thirds of the Athenian population died.
How did Athens eventually fall?
The conflict was a drawn out one that saw Sparta control the land while Athens was dominant at sea, however the disastrous Sicilian Expedition severely weakened Athens and the war eventually ended in an Athenian defeat following the Battle of Aegospotami which ended Athenian naval supremacy.
Why did city states resent Athens powers?
Athens became so powerful from its alliance with city states on the island Dellos. Other Greek city states resented Athens power because Athens was a democratic government.
Why did the Athenians reject the melians offer to remain neutral?
By subjugating the Melians, the Athenians hoped not only to extend their empire, but also to improve their image and thus their security. To allow the weaker Melians to remain free, according to the Athenians, would reflect negatively on Athenian power.
Was Melos a Spartan colony?
Melos was an island in the Aegean Sea, between Greece and the Persian Empire. Although it had originally been a Spartan colony, it had recently been independent and neutral. Melos had not taken sides with either Athens or Sparta in the war.
What arguments did the Athenians use to try to convince the melians to surrender?
The Athenians demanded that the Melians surrender their city and pay them tribute or face the destruction of their city. The Melians claimed their right to remain neutral, appealing to the Athenians’ sense of decency and mercy toward a small, peaceful, and defenseless city.
Are the melians or the Athenians more responsible for the fate of the melians?
The Melians are more responsible for their fate. The Athenians told them , “ NO, not if you’re sensible. They had a good argument and the Athenians tried all they could do to prevent from harming them.
Who are the melians?
The Melians are a colony of Lacedaemon that would not submit to the Athenians like the other islanders, and at first remained neutral and took no part in the struggle, but afterwards upon the Athenians using violence and plundering their territory, assumed an attitude of open hostility.
What are the main points of Melian dialogue?
We can identify, at minimum, six major themes that come out of this short dialogue: 1) realism (the contest between internationalism and isolationism which was already in play in Book I); 2) questions concerning the law of nature; 3) geopolitics; 4) the question of whether an empire can be just; 5) rationality and …
What does the Melian dialogue teach us?
Moral of the Melian Dialogue This provides incentives for the dominant force to abuse its favourable position. It is pointless to criticise the Athenians for their extreme immorality. While condemnable, what they did is by no means an exception in the long history of civilisation.
Is the Melian dialogue realism?
2 The “Melian Dialogue”—The First Realist-Idealist Debate. We can thus find strong support for a realist perspective in the statements of the Athenians.
What is the Athenian argument in the Melian dialogue?
In the Melian dialogue, the Athenians argue that it is necessary for empires to conquer whatever they are able, and therefore the Melians must be compelled to pick a side (5.105).
Why according to the melians should Athens allow Melos its independence?
What actions did the Athenians proceed to take towards the people of Melos once they refused to surrender to the demands of Athenians? The Melians argue that they are a neutral city and not an enemy, so Athens has no need to crush them. they spared Melos because they were not strong enough to conquer it.
What do the Athenians say about power?
The Athenians retort that both gods and men respect only one thing – power. “Of the gods we believe, and of men we know, that by a necessary law of their nature they rule wherever they can.
Why is the Melian dialogue important?
The Melian Dialogue presents the negotiations between the Athenians and the Melians as the Athenians prepare to invade the Melian’s island of Melos. The importance of the Melian Dialogue in modern times comes from its interpretation as a classic clash of realist and liberal ideals. …