Significance of Pericles' Death The death of Pericles was a significant event in the course of the Peloponnesian War; however, even without Pericles' leadership the Athenian Assembly had countless opportunities to prevent their loss and chose not to take them. The fickleness and inefficiency of democracy ('the mob') allowed the Athenians to be easily influenced and therefore electing populists such as Cleon, Lysicles and Hyperbolus into dominant leadership roles. Election, via democratic means, of such populists, meant that the Athenians would take a much more aggressive approach to the war and therefore abandon the policies that Pericles had previously established. So in turn, democracy the institution for which the Athenians fought tirelessly to protect, rather than the death of Pericles, ironically became the dominant factor influencing the final outcome of this Ancient Greek civil war. As can be expected from pioneer governmental institutions, Athenian democracy was not perfect. In fact it was far from it. It resulted in the establishment of poor policies by aggressive populists who sought "...private ambition and private profit...which were bad both for the Athenians themselves and their allies." (Thucydides). These self interested populist leaders with personal gain in mind established extensive internal political instability "...by quarrelling among themselves [and] began to bring confusion into the policy of the state." (Thucydides). Repeated opportunities to accept terms of peace after the battles of Pylos (425), Arginusae (406) and Aegospotami (405) were ignored by the inefficient Athenian demos eventually resulting in the devastation of the once dominant city-state. Internal political strife can also be attribu... ... middle of paper ... ...ericles had lived, he may have actually hindered Athenian attempts to find some way out of the stalemated war." (http://www.warhorsesim.com/epw_hist.html). Pericles' death was significant. The Athenians had lost one of their greatest leaders. But even if the policies of Pericles had not been abandoned by the feeble Athenian democracy, the cost of the war would have proved too great and thus Athenian defeat was inevitable. It was a series of consequential events, spurred on by democratic failure, not one key turning point, that resulted in the decisive defeat of the Athenians by the Peloponnesians, with the aid of Persia. Because of democratic fickleness, with or without Pericles the Athenians were doomed for defeat, and therefore the death of Pericles was not the key turning point, rather it was only a factor which determined the length of the Peloponnesian War.
On paper, Davis is a superior politician to Lincoln who only has a single House term of political experience. While Davis is a career politician with a prestigious military career in the Mexican-American War, Lincoln still outperforms him. In the political sphere Lincoln is able to form a superior cabinet by choosing rival and critics who are the best at their job. While Lincoln makes friends, Davis had a tendency to make enemies with what his cabinet called an “acid tongue”. Also, Davis is a former military officer and graduate of West Point, but continually makes blunders in his military strategy. Whereas Lincoln who has next to no military experience shows that he has a profound understanding of military tactics. Abraham Lincolns surprising political and military prowess helped the union overcome the Confederacy during the Civil
It is surprising indeed that Even today, tyrannies and dictatorships exist in the world when more than two and a half thousand years ago the ancient Athenians had developed a functional and direct form of democracy. What contributed to this remarkable achievement and how it changed the socio-political. scene in Athens is what will be considered in this paper. The paper will have three sections, each detailing the various stages. of political development from the kings of Attica to the time of Pericles when, in its golden age, Athens was at the height of its. imperial power.
It is widely known that the Athenians highly valued their warrior class, and they saw the warriors as a ring of the higher circle of the society. The Athenians were very proud of Athena and its traditions, as well. Athenian’s thought that Athena was the best, none could be better. The funeral oration was aimed to respect the fallen as well as to keep up the national pride and its passion to protect their nation. The speech was a eulogy which focused on the eminence of Athens and its predecessors. Usually a son was chosen to give the eulogy. The law required the speech to have several essential components. The speech had to concerning the lives of the deceased. At his eulogy’s end, Pericles spoke in regard to the soldiers. The speech talked about the life that the departed lived and the achievements which they gained. Pericles wanted the citizens to recall the soldiers but to forget about the tragedy that had occurred. He wanted the departed’s lives to be remembered, but not their demise. The speech helped the Athenians appreciate what their ancestors had died for and how they shou...
In the book Jefferson Davis and His Generals: The Failure of Confederate Command in the West author Steven E. Woodworth describes many personality traits of the Confederate President Jefferson Davis which led to several repeat mishandlings of the western theater that was fatal to the Confederate war effort. Although Davis had a strong dedication to the Southern cause, and a political and military education he was insecure and indecisive. This resulted in him making and repeating three major errors as commander in chief. First Davis habitually relied on many of his pre-war friends. In fact, Davis commonly chose personal friends to military roles which were often quickly proven to be a bad choice. This examination leads to Davis’ next weakness,
Jefferson Davis and the Confederate States of America: Jefferson Davis was an American who was the confederate president from 1861-1865. He had many flaws which prohibited his as well as the south’s success including his inability to handle situations, his disagreements with generals
On the other hand, there are others, such as Platias and Koliopoulos that say Pericles’s strategy could have worked. Both state that "the Athenians lost the war only when they dramatically reversed the Periclean grand strategy that explicitly disdained further conquests". The Athens could have Although his countrymen engaged in several aggressive actions soon after his death, the Athenians remained true to the larger Periclean strategy of seeking to preserve, not expand, the empire, and did not depart from it until the Sicilian Expedition. 33%
The causes of the Peloponnesian War proved to be too great between the tension-filled stubborn Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta. As Thucydides says in Karl Walling’s article, “Never had so many human beings been exiled, or so much human blood been shed” (4). The three phases of the war, which again, are the Archidamian war, the Sicilian Expedition and the Decelean war, show the events that followed the causes of the war, while also showing the forthcoming detrimental effects that eventually consumed both Athens and eventually Sparta effectively reshaping Greece.
Jefferson Davis played a great role as the President of the Confederate States of the U.S.A., soldier, and a politician. He was a dedicated president and a soldier. Jefferson Davis was born in Kentucky in June 3, 1808, but raised in Mississippi. He married the colonel’s daughter, Sarah. Unfortunately, she died of malaria. After his wife’s death, he focused on developing the Southerner’s interest in politics and love for the land. Then, he married Varina Howell, his second wife. They had six children, but only two lived. Until that time, he lived a lonely life in his cotton plantation in Mississippi. He was a slaveholder and had a strong belief in the importance of slavery. In 1845, Davis was sent to the U.S. House of Representatives by Mississippi. However, he soon resigned to fight in the American Mexican War. This was one of the events that made Davis a hero in the South. He was offered a position of brigadier general, but when he got elected to the U.S., he refused. As time passed, he was recognized as the most suitable person to hold the office. However, when Mississippi seceded from the Union, he withdrew. Soon, he was selected as the president of the Confederacy by Alabama. Although he was appointed as the president, he didn’t want the job because he wanted a military command. When South was losing, Davis tried to negotiate with the Union army. However, Davis was captured
Pericles was chosen to give the funeral oration over the men who had died in battle at Samos which was greatly admired. The funeral oration was delivered during a war that was clearly going to continue for awhile. It’s main purpose was to explain why they had the rights to risk their lives and why the living should be willing to do this. In it he said the men who died, died for Athens. He talked to do mothers and wives of the fallen men telling them that the men died for a good reason. They died for their love of Athens.
Thucydides believes that democracy is a naturally flawed form of government. By looking through the lens of human nature, the flaws are not seen to be attributed to democracy in itself. By the use of speeches that were given, by his “account” in the era of the Peloponnesian war, the thriving and failing ways of democracy can be seen. Support for this position is provided in the work that Thucydides presents to us is the form of speeches. These speeches were often given in the form of debate, and included the Mytilenean debate, the debate before the Sicilian Expedition, but also the Pericles’ Funereal Oration. Within the perspective that Thucydides gave, it is revealed that human nature is a cause for democratic government to be undermined.
Before democracy, Athens was a city-state no different than any other. A few powerful, aristocratic families controlled all governing power. Most of the population held little or no role in the political life of the city. Athenians changed this, and created a system where participation was encouraged and opinions were valued. While some other Greek cities were also setting up democracies, none were as stable or well documented as that of Athens. The reason for why the Athenians moved toward a democratic society instead of an oligarchy or monarchy is still debated by historians. However, one common belief is that it rose due to a rapid population growth in their lower class, which may have caused them to have more power in the government compared to other Greek poleis during the Lyric Age. This time period took place between 800 and 500 B.C.; it represents a very vibrant, evolutionary stage in Greek history. The rise of the lower class in Athens probably did help spark ideas of democracy, yet the significant contributions of the political leadership of Solon, Cleisthenes, and Pericles can undisputedly be credited for the primary development of Athenian democracy. In 594 B.C., the first major political and economic reformer Solon came into power. The next reformer was Cleisthenes; he lived from 570 to 508 B.C. The final, and most revolutionary of the three was Pericles. Pericles is responsible for the last and most glorious stage of Athens. By expanding its power and building patriotic pride, he forever changed the system of democracy.
Thucydides’ version of Pericles’ “Funeral Oration” can be read as more of an ironic rendering of Pericles’ original speech since The History of the Peloponnesian War is not just considered to be a historical account but also a “highly imaginative piece of work” in which Thucydides made characters involved in the war say what he believed they actually meant instead of what they might have originally said (Thucydides Introduction pg. x). In the “Funeral Oration”, Pericles praises certain
No one would deny that Pericles was the most prominent Greek statesman and spokesperson during the Golden Age. His contribution was largely felt during the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars having obtained power from his family link to the Alcmaeonid family. He commanded a lot of respect to from the Athenian citizens with Thucydides describing him as "the first citizen of Athens” . He was born at around 495 BC north of Athens in the ...
According to Dewey (1938) experiences can only be termed as educative if they lead to further intellectual and moral growth. In order for experience to be termed as educative, both the community and the individual have to benefit from the said experience. The experience has to contribute to growth in curiosity, sense of purpose, and initiative in the learner. He was of the view that traditional education was hierarchical and therefore undemocratic in nature. According to him, in order to produce well informed, thoughtful and democratic students, learners need to participate in all aspects of the school program and gain the experience. Eventually, a learner has to reflect on the experience ...
He believed that Athens’ strength lay in its navy and that many of their enemies were too difficult to defeat on land. During the Peloponnesian War, he led Athens’ forces for the first two years until his death in 429 B.C. Pericles’ strategy was to tire the enemy and not over-extend his forces. This strategy, perceived as inglorious by the people, was unpopular. But Pericles convinced them to follow it. This fact is a good example of how great a statesman and military leader he was.