Thucydides Mytilenean Debate Summary

In 428 bce the polis of mitylenia located on the island of lesbos broke away from the delian league and joined the war on sparta s side over the next year the fortunes of war turned and athens overran the island of lesbos.

Thucydides mytilenean debate summary. Thucydides reports it in book three of his history of the peloponnesian war and uses the events and the speeches as a major opportunity to reflect and to offer his views on the political and ideological impact of the war on the parties involved. The mytilenian debate also spelled mytilenean debate according to thucydides occurred in athens during the time of the peloponnesian war in 427 b c the mytilenian debate is in book three of thucydides history of the peloponnesian war and reflects the increasing political and ethical confusion in athens. The mytilenian debate in 428 the mytilenians revolted against athens even though they had enjoyed privileged status in the athenian empire. Much of lesbos joined the rebellion.

The mytilenians appealed to athens enemy sparta for help but the spartans lacked control of the sea and so were unable to help. Going by sea to pyrrha and from thence overland he passed along the bed of a torrent where the line of circumvallation was passable and thus entering unperceived into mitylene told the magistrates that attica would certainly be invaded and the forty ships destined to relieve them arrive and that he had been sent on to. Athens thus had to choose how to punish mitylenia for switching. The famous mitylenian debate took place shortly after the peleponnesian war began.

Once the mytilenians arrived in athens salaethus was immediately executed and the assembly gathered to assess the situation and voted on the punitive actions that would be taken. Cleon knew that he would have to come across as very sound and moral and skillfully used his violent reputation to his advantage if he wanted to sway his audience to his side. Chapter summary 20 january from nike culture. The athenian assembly scared of further revolt hastily sentenced all of the male citizens of mytilene to death while the women and children.

Thucydides who is credited for documenting this debate described cleon as the most violent man in athens and at that time by far the most powerful with the commons thucydides 431 bc. Towards the close of the same winter salaethus a lacedaemonian was sent out in a galley from lacedaemon to mitylene. The mytilenean debate is an important episode in the war for thucydides. The mytilenean debate 427 b c 25.

The mytilenian debate in the athenian assembly concerned reprisals against the city state of mytilene which had attempted unsuccessfully to shake off athenian hegemony during the peloponnesian war. Papson the chapter begins with the observations that postmodern society is based on information including advertising and that no one entity has taken advertising s central role in the creation of modern culture as far and as effectively as the nike corporation goldman and papson 75. The sign of the swoosh. The debate occurred in 427 b c.

It marks a rare moment when political irrationality can in the right circumstances be overtaken by second thoughts and a disastrous decision reversed by taking a cooler and more considered view.