Thucydides’ Coined Term In the book, “History of the Peloponnesian War”, Thucydides cleverly applies the newly coined Greek word, δεμαγωγός. In this essay, I will attempt to give a literal account of how the word was constructed, what this newly coined term means, and how the Athenians could have reacted to such a term. During the time of the Greeks, the word δεμαγωγός was fairly new, so reasonably most greeks, like the Athenians, were not accustomed to such a word. Though, like most newly coined words, the word δεμαγωγός is composed of two words; δῆμος and the verb ἄγω. According to the Liddell and Scott Greek-English Lexicon, the words δῆμος refers to one belonging to the people or state. Ἄγω is the greek verb which means to lead or to bring. The complete word, δεμαγωγός, indicates a popular leader, a mob leader, and/or …show more content…
The way that I imagine them acting is in a way of confusion. The reason why I think that they would be confused is because δεμαγωγός is a newly coined word, and because it is a newly coined word, most Greeks would not understand the meaning of the term. Thus, the Athenians would at first be confused. Once the word δεμαγωγός processes within their minds, I think they will still be somewhat confused, but take it as a complement. The reason why I think this is because as stated before, δεμαγωγός can refer to a popular leader. Hence, the Athenian leader would act pridefully, thinking that he is popular. However, for those Athenians who chew on the word for longer, I think that they will be angry. It seems that they would feel angry is because δεμαγωγός also means a demagogue, and a demagogue is basically a leader who is an orator in the Platonic sense. This being the case then, we know from reading Gorgias that an Orator is one who appeals to popular desires rather than rational argumentation. Hence, the Athenians would finally take the word as an
Throughout Aristophanes’ “Clouds” there is a constant battle between old and new. It makes itself apparent in the Just and Unjust speech as well as between father and son. Ultimately, Pheidippides, whom would be considered ‘new’, triumphs over the old Strepsiades, his father. This is analogous to the Just and Unjust speech. In this debate, Just speech represents the old traditions and mores of Greece while the contrasting Unjust speech is considered to be newfangled and cynical towards the old. While the defeat of Just speech by Unjust speech does not render Pheidippides the ability to overcome Strepsiades, it is a parallel that may be compared with many other instances in Mythology and real life.
The stunning Greek defeat of the Persians, the specter of which lurks behind the events of the Peloponnesian Wars, was for Herodotus proof of the superiority of Hellenic form of government and way of life, and Herodotus ends his history at this pinnacle of Greek history. Thucydides then accepts the task of chronicling Greece’s unraveling from a position as the dominant power of the Mediterranean, and a center of cultural, technological, and political development to the final result of the Peloponnesian Wars—a fractured, demoralized, and dependent Greece that lies wide open to foreign conquest. This result is, for Thucydides, apparent from the beginning of the conflict. Greece can only dominate when the balance of power between Athens and Sparta is maintained, and the destruction of either is tantamount to the destruction of the whole. An accurate understanding of the national characters of Athens and Sparta makes it clear which of the two will ultimately be the victor of a long, arduous military struggle, but the same understanding of national character makes it equally apparent that the one which can dominate militarily cannot lead Greece. The speeches made at the First Lacedaemonian Congress emphasize not only the character of the two nations in conflict, but more broadly, the inevitability of Hellenic demise as a result of this conflict.
At the end of the Persian wars, Athens materialized along with Sparta as the two leading powers in the Greek world. As Athens grew in confidence, their promotion of ‘Athenianism’, was a bid to place Athens as leader of its empire. This growing confidence is demonstrated in the building programme during the 440’s and 430’s B.C.E, such as the Parthenon. As Robson states, ‘[t]he Parthenon and its sculptures can certainly be viewed as celebrating Athens’ spiritual life, military prowess, and cultural pre-eminence’ (Robson, ECW, p. 99). This can be seen as architectural evidence of mounting self-belief, for example, the south freeze of the Parthenon; to modern day interpretation undoubtedly depicts the battle at Marathon. Seen as a promotion of Athenian military ascendancy and coupled with the attitude of superiority over other Greek states, this combined campaign instigated tension with Sparta, inspiring the first Peloponnesian war.
We have now examined Thucydides' strongest arguments for Athenian rule. It is clear that Athens had a stronger claim to rule than the Melians had to remain sovereign. We also know that Athens' claims hold up when we examine them for validity. Thucydides beliefs in Athens' claims were therefore well founded.
Using his talent as a public speaker, Themistocles was able to unite the Greek city-states, creating one fighting force that would stay at Salamis to fight the mighty Persian army. While having a valiant leader was an important part of Greek leadership, the Athenians provide leadership in the form of naval strength, providing the Greek navy with a vas...
The religious view of Athenians before the Peloponnesian War can be best demonstrated by the portrayal of interaction between men and Gods in Aeschylus’ work, The Eumenides. From the first scene, when “The doors of the temple open and show Orestes surrounded by the sleeping Furies, Apollo and Hermes beside him” (Aeschylus, 137), one can see that in Aeschylus’ eyes, Gods and Goddesses are not something distant and unreachable, but instead, they are “real” figures who will at times stand by our s...
Thucydides (translated by Rex Warner). History of the Peloponnesian War. Penguin Books: New York, NY. 1972.
... of the state as a whole they judged him to be the ablest” (Kagan, from Thucydides, 2.65.4) Having realized that Pericles was altogether the best man to lead them, Athens re-embraced the man who brought them to their peak. Unfortunately, they soon fell from it, but as that didn’t happen until after the Age of Pericles, this age, gilded like Athens’ goddess, remains relatively intact.
In conclusion, it becomes evident throughout The Iliad and The Odyssey that the epithets are used as more than just simple description or praise. Each epithet listed here was not only used to describe or praise, but also to emphasize and amplify the outstanding characteristics, which were essential to the Greek’s victory at Troy and the completion of Odysseus’ voyage home. Without these traits, the outcome of both epics could have been quite different. Homer made sure we, the readers and listeners, know this by his use of epithets.
Thucydides, Dent, J. M., & Dutton, E. P. (1910). The Peloponnesian War. London & New
102), by no means merely to warn off pirates but definitely as an intimidation tactic to make the Melians give in to their demands. The Melians attempt to work with the Athenians, putting forward much talk of neutrality, friendship, and peace, but the Athenian diplomats don’t want to hear it, instead giving the Melian councilors a dichotomous choice, either submit or die. This Athens is a far cry from the popular conception of the classical Athenian state. Athens has always been seen as a mediator, a democratic state where enlightened thinking and thoughtful action take precedent over baser instinct, but what we see from Thucydides’ Athens is more akin to Sparta in the popular imagination. In my imagination this is not an instance of glorifying Athens, misattributing ideals and virtues that they did not have, but instead showing the opposite side of the same
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.
Pomeroy, Sarah B. Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History. New York: Oxford UP, 1999. Print.
Respect, it is a very simple gesture; however the individual who chooses to be respectful can gain a lot more in return. This was proven through the success of an Athenian political leader, Pericles, who was known for getting his argument across without offending the listener. The gift of communication was something Pericles learned to use to his own advantage. His well worded speeches can be found on the pages of the History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides, where it is clear that his sharp tongue and outspoken personality have played a key role in his political career. Through up rises and down fall Pericles continued to lead Athens and never spoke negatively about his city. His nationalism proved the love he had towards his home and demonstrated to the Athenians his untainted means for governing. Many scholars and authors agree on how phenomenal Pericles’s leadership was, while textbooks even award him the title of “the guiding spirit of Athenian imperialism” (Pomeroy 164). Although his methods are approved today, by refereeing to Plutarch’s work Life of Pericles one might notice that there were many authority figures in Athens who did not appreciate Pericles’s style of governing. Yet this did not discourage him, instead led him to become sturdier and closer to his people. Pericles had democratic views unlike the rest of Ancient Greece; however his unique ways of governing helped him maintain order in the Golden Age of Athens. While the success of a political leader is commonly recognized through the greatness of his achievements, Pericles has also acknowledged the importance of understanding and respecting his people.
Peters, F.E. (1967) Greek Philosophical Terms: An Historical Lexicon. New York: New York University Press.