February 15, 2010: Today’s magistrates

February 15, 2010:Today’s magistrates • Eponymous archon: Poseidonios son of Diogeiton [Erica] • Herald: Apollodoros son of Herodotos[Tom] • Secretary: Hermon son of Dionysios [Elyssa] • Generals: • Theophilosson of Dionysios [Lizzy] • Theocharesson of Theokleides[Andy] • Chairimenesson of Diodotos: ostracized [Gwen] Lecture, “Mind-Reading in Homer’s Odyssey, 5.30pm, Emersonpoints earned for entire faction

Factionalism in Athens Faction tallies as of February 15, 2009

Decree of the demos Gods. Resolved by the boulê and the dêmos, Gorgias was Secretary, Lysimachos presided, Olympichos made the motion: we should neither prosecute the men responsible for the execution of the Melian Rebels and enslavement of their women and children nor praise them for their actions. We should show support to those who act on behalf of Athens, but at the same time we should not celebrate or reward them for their actions. This decree shall be inscribed by the Secretary of the Boulê on a stele of marble and he shall set it up on the Acropolis. +3 Oligarchs +1 Socratics -1 Mod. Dems. -3 Rad. Dems. Rationale: • Dionysodoros (Tory, OL) delivered the speech favoring harsh action, so very favorable • Olympichos (Nick, SO) made the motion, but not to punish condones the action, so slightly favorable • Klearisthenes (Julia, MD) did not approve of the executions of the Melians, so slightly unfavorable • Radical Democrats tried to punish the generals but failed, so very unfavorable Tally: +3 OL, +1 SO, -1 MD, -3 RD

Jury trial in a dikasteria A member of the Moderate Democrats unsuccessfully prosecuted a member of the Socratics on a charge of attempting to bribe members of the Indeterminates. +3 Socratics +1 Indeterms. -1 Mod. Dems. Rationale: • Diogenes (John, SO) persuaded the jury not to vote for conviction, so very favorable • The Indeterminates escaped being characterized as corrupt, so slightly favorable • Theochares (Andy, MD) failed to attain a conviction but received at least 20% of the jury’s vote, so slightly unfavorable • Neither the Oligarchs nor the Radical Democrats were affected Tally: +3 OL, +4 SO, +1 IN, -2 MD, -3 RD

Decree of the demos Gods. Resolved by the boulêand the dêmos,Kydimachos was Secretary, Dionysodoros presided, Diomedes made the motion: we shall not prosecute the survivors of the Sicilian expedition. This decree shall be inscribed by the Secretary of the Boulê on a stele of marble and he shall set it up on the Acropolis. -- no points awarded-- Rationale: • members of the most extreme political factions of the polis argued not to punish the survivors, so the decision was neither favorable nor unfavorable to all concerned Tally: +3 OL, +4 SO, +1 IN, -2 MD, -3 RD

Decree of the demos Gods. Resolved by the boulêand the dêmos,Kydimachos was Secretary, Dionysodoros presided, Diomedes made the motion: we shall provide education for all citizens, regardless of social class or political faction, at public expense. This decree shall be inscribed by the Secretary of the Boulê on a stele of marble and he shall set it up on the Acropolis. +3 Socratics +1 Mod. Dems. -1 Rad. Dems. -3 Oligarchs Rationale: • Diomedes (Danni, SO) made the motion entirely in keeping with the Socratic philosophy, so very favorable • Moderate Democrats will benefit to a limited extent to expand the educated citizenry, so slightly favorable • Radical Democrats [e.g., Chairimenes (Gwen)] resisted the motion during debate due to the lack of specificity in the motion, so slightly unfavorable • Oligarchs will be taxed the most to pay for this education, so very unfavorable Tally: 0 OL, +7 SO, +1 IN, -1 MD, -4 RD

Decree of the demos Gods. Resolved by the boulêand the dêmos,Kydimachos was Secretary, Dionysodoros presided, Diomedes made the motion: to hold an ostracism during this meeting of the ekklêsia. This decree shall be inscribed by the Secretary of the Boulê on a stele of marble and he shall set it up on the Acropolis. +3 Rad. Dems. +1 Mod. Dems. -1 Oligarchs -3 Socratics Rationale: • Radical Democrats favored the use of ostracism as a check on unlimited power, so very favorable • Moderate Democrats wanted to restrict some of the more radical elements of demokratia, so slightly favorable • Oligarchs tended towards absolute power in the hands of a few (oligos = “few”) which an ostracism could prevent, so slightly unfavorable • Socratics were disinclined towards all elements of democratic governance, so very unfavorable Tally: -1 OL, +4 SO, +1 IN, 0 MD, -1 RD

Decree of the demos Gods. Resolved by the boulêand the dêmos,Kydimachos was Secretary, Dionysodoros presided, Diomedes made the motion: the dêmosvoted to ostracize Chairimenes son of Diodotos, the Ikarian. This decree shall be inscribed by the Secretary of the Boulê on a stele of marble and he shall set it up on the Acropolis. +3 Mod. Dems., Indeterms., Oligarchs, Socratics -3 Rad. Dems. Rationale: • All factions that did not see one of their own ostracized benefitted, so very favorable • Radical Democrats had one of their own ostracized [Chairimenes (Gwen)], so very unfavorable Tally to-date: +2 OL, +7 SO, +4 IN, +3 MD, -4 RD or, in descending order +7 SO +4 IN +3 MD +2 OL -4 RD If you were to predict the future of Athenian democracy on the basis of these scores, what lies in store for Athens & her experiment?

Aristophanes’ Clouds • Background: the “popular” (mis)conception of Socrates & Socratic elenchic dialectic • Background: the use of the weaker argument to defeat the stronger argument • Preparation for the trial of Socrates on Friday • need 2 volunteers (RD, MD): prosecute Socrates • need 2 volunteers (OL, SO): defend Socrates

End of the Peloponnesian War:Key moments, 411-404/3 BCE • 411 • oligarchic coup – Boule of 400, Ekklesia of 5000, appointed not elected • revolts of some allies • Sparta aligns itself with Persia • Athenian demos (thetes) based on Samos led by Alcibiades • Sparta fails to capitalize • coup overthrown; some leading oligarchs killed • mixed constitution of the 5000 with democratic elections, organized by Theramenes(kothornos): “the Athenians seemed to have ordered their constitution well: it consisted now of a moderate blending, in the interests of the few and the many” which “made the city raise her head again” (Thuc. 8.97) • Thucydides’ history breaks off; Xenophon’s Hellenica (ca. 360)

End of the Peloponnesian War:Key moments, 411-404/3 BCE • 410 • Alcibiades destroys Spartan-Persian fleet at Cyzicus (Hellespont) • Spartan dispatch intercepted: “Ships lost. Commander dead. Men starving. Do not know what to do.” • Fleet demands restoration of full radical democracy and termination of Theramenes’ compromise government • Sparta sues for peace, requesting status quo • Kleophon, demagogos, dissuades demos from accepting Sparta’s proposal • Kleophon persuades demos to institute 2 obols/day for the poor • 410-407 • Athens recovers most of rebellious allies • Sparta fields new great strategosLysander: diplomatic, scrupulous, unbribable, and loyal to his Spartan hoplites • Albiades recalled in triumph, pardoned, hailed as hero, voted strategos

End of the Peloponnesian War:Key moments, 411-404/3 BCE • 406 • Athens wields new fleet • manned by freed slaves and metics • paid for with Acropolis dedications • defeat of Alcibiades at Notion; exile • victory of Conon at Arginusae • jubilant ekklesiaawards citizenship to slaves and metics • storm destroys disabled ships • crews of 25 ships (~ 5000 men) left to drown; 2 generals flee • Athens prosecutes six remaining strategoi (including the younger Pericles), condemns them to death en massecontra-constitutionally; Socrates (in Boule)opposed • Sparta sues for peace: return of Decelea + status quo Arginusae Notion

February 15, 2010:Topic for debate Do we sue for peace with Sparta?

End of the war • 406 • Kleophon, drunk and wearing his breastplate, dissuades demos from accepting Sparta’s proposal “unless the Spartans abandoned their claims on all the cities allied with them” (Arist. Ath.Const. 34) • 405 • Battle of Aegospotamoi (“Goats’-Rivers”) on the Hellespont (entrance to Propontis / Black Sea) • Lysander captures 160 Athenian triremes, executes ~4000 Athenian soldiers/sailors; 10 ships escape, including the sacred messenger ship the Paralus, which brings the news to Athens

Athens reminded of her past “It was at night that the Paralus arrived at Athens with tidings of the disaster, and a sound of wailing ran from Piraeus through the long walls to the city, one man passing on the news to another; and during that night no one slept, all mourning, not for the lost [in the Battle of Aegospotamoi] alone, but far more for their own selves, thinking that they would suffer such treatment as they had visited upon the Melians,colonists of the Lacedaemonians, after reducing them by siege … and many other Greek peoples” (Xenophon Hellenica 2.2.3)

The death rattle • 404 • Lysander seizes most Athenian allied territory; Athenian colonists flee to Athens • Lysander besieges Athens at the ports, demands her unconditional surrender • Kleophon dissuades demos from accepting Sparta’s proposal • with no fleet to provide grain from the Black Sea, famine and panic set in • Theramenes (kothornos) negotiates surrender in the spring; Kleophon tried, sentenced to death by oligarchic faction for neglect of military duty • Thebes & Corinth demand destruction of Athens, enslavement of entire population

Athens saved by her past “The Lacedaemonians, however, said that they would not enslave a Greek city which had done great service amid the greatest perils that had befallen Greece [against the Persians] and they offered to make peace on these conditions: that the Athenians should destroy the long walls and the walls of Piraeus, surrender all their ships except twelve, allow their exiles to return, count the same people friends and enemies as the Spartans did, and follow the Spartans both by land and by sea wherever they should lead the way” (Hell. 2.2.20) “The Peloponnesians with great enthusiasm began to tear down the walls to the music of flute-girls, thinking that that day was the beginning of freedom for Greece” (Hell. 2.2.23)

The assassination of Alcibiades: ordered by Lysander “The party sent to kill him did not dare to enter his house [in Phrygia in central Asia Minor], but surrounded it and set it on fire. When Alcibiades was aware of this, he gathered together most of the garments and bedding in the house and cast them on the fire. Then, wrapping his cloak about his left arm, and drawing his sword with his right, he dashed out, unscathed by the fire, before the garments were in flames, and scattered the barbarians, who ran at the mere sight of him. Not a man stood ground against him, or came to close quarters with him, but all held aloof and shot him with javelins and arrows. Thus he fell, and when the barbarians were gone, his mistress Timandra took up his dead body, covered and wrapped it in her own garments, and gave it such brilliant and honorable burial as she could provide” (Plutarch Life of Alcibiades 39).

Wednesday, February 17, 2010:The rule of the 30 tyrants Read Lysias’ speech Against Eratosthenes Read Aristotle’s Athenian Constitutionchs. 34-40 • Both are on the syllabus at /schedule.html Read Plato Euthyphro pp. 1-25 + link to Xenophon Topic for debate: • do we punish the surviving members of the 30, and their allies, or do we let them off the hook? Friday: • need 2 volunteers (RD, MD): prosecute Socrates • need 2 volunteers (OL, SO): defend Socrates

February 15, 2010: Today’s magistrates