2. Second speech/paper, for Session 6: "Why We Must Restore the Athenian Empire. The greater the unanimity and enthusiasm for war on the part of Athens, the better its chances of suc- cess. But there is a very real risk—to you. Regardless of how much money you earn, you cannot win if you are dead when the game ends. You may find a better way of earning money than going off on a dangerous tribute-collecting mission, in which case you may wish to write about something else, such as “Why we should impose even higher taxes on metics!” One thing you should do is work to understand more fully the historical context of your life. You may wish to read through the many papyrus scrolls of your fellow Athenian Thucydides, who is writing a history of the Peloponnesian War (look up the full text of his History of the Peloponnesian War online). You can also learn more about the war from other sources, such as Victor Davis Hanson's A War Like No Other, a very readable account. Read his chapter on trireme warfare to better understand what it was like to be a rower. There are some issues on which your mind is made up, such as the need to make money. On other issues, you can decide on your own what is best for Athens. PLUTARCH Life of Cimon, ca. 70-100 CE Cimon, born into Athenian nobility, was one of the heroes of the Persian War. Plutarch contrasts him with Themistocles, another Persian war hero, throughout this passage. Themistocles was particularly admired by the poorer Athenian citi- zens, those who most benefitted from the growth of the Athenian navy. The navy, built at Themistocles’ urging, decisively defeated the Persians at the battle of Sala- mis, and then enforced the laws of the Athenian empire throughout the fifth century. As you read, consider the following questions: How does Plutarch's contrast of Cimon and Themistocles suggest praise for an aristocratic way of life and criticism of a democratic way of life? How might the Solonian aristocrats see Cimon's life as an argument for main- taining inequality in the political and social life of Athens? Would Socratics find anything to admire in Cimon? SOURCE: From Plutarch, The Parallel Lives, trans. John Dryden (London: J. M. Dent, 1910), edited for this edition. C imon was the son of Miltiades and Hegesipyle, who was by birth a Thracia, and daughter of King Olorus. * * * Cimon was left an orphan very young, with his sister Elpinice, who was also young and unmarried. And at first he had but an indifferent reputation, being looked upon as disorderly in his habits, fond of drinking, and resembling his grand- father, also called Cimon, in character. Stesimbrotus of Thasos, who lived near about the same time with Cimon, reports of him that he had little acquaintance either with music, or any of the other liberal studies and accom- plishments, then common among the Greeks; that he had nothing Is this comment on his speech a criticism or a compliment? whatever of the quickness and the ready speech of his countrymen in Attica that he had great nobleness and candor in his disposition, and in his char- acter in general resembled rather a native of Sparta than of Athens; as Euripides describes Hercules: -Rude And unrefined, for great things well endued... Plutarch, Life of Cimon, ca. 70-100 CE 209 puffed up with authority and success, was treating the allies haughtily, and com- mitting many wanton injustices, Cimon, taking this advantage, by acts of kindness suffering wrong, and by his general humane bearing, robbed him of the command of the Greeks, before he was aware, not by arms, but by his to those who were mere language and character. * They accused him, in his younger years, of cohabiting with his own sister Elpinice.... All the other points of Cimon's character were noble and good. He was as daring as Miltiades, and not inferior to Themistocles in judgment, and was incomparably more just and honest than either of them. Fully their equal in all military virtues, in the ordinary duties of a citizen at home he was immeasurably their superior. And this, too, when he was very young, his years not yet strength- ened by any experience. For when Themistocles, upon the Persian invasion, advised the Athenians to forsake their city and their country, and to carry all their arms on shipboard and fight the enemy by sea, in the straits of Salamis;" when all the people stood amazed at the confidence and rashness of this advice, Cimon was seen, the first of all men, passing with a cheerful countenance through the Ceramicus, on his way with his companions to the citadel, carrying a bridle in his hand to offer to the goddess, intimating that there was no more need of horsemen now, but of mariners. There, after he had paid his devotions to the goddess, and offered up the bridle, he took down one of the shields that hung upon the walls of the temple, and went down to the port; by this example giving confidence to many of the citizens. He was also of a fairly handsome person, according to the poet Ion, tall and large, and let his thick and curly hair grow long. After he had acquitted himself gal- lantly in this battle of Salamis, he obtained great repute among the Athenians, and was regarded with affection, as well as admiration. He had many who followed after him, and bade him aspire to actions not less famous than his father's battle of Marathon. And when he came forward in political life, the people welcomed him gladly, being now weary of Themistocles; in opposition to whom, and because of the frankness and easiness of his temper, which was agreeable to every one, they advanced Cimon to the highest employments in the government. The man that contributed most to his promotion was Aristides, who early discerned in his char- acter his natural capacity, and purposely raised him, that he might be a counter- poise to the craft and boldness of Themistocles. After the Persians had been driven out of Greece, Cimon was sent out as an admiral, when the Athenians had not yet attained their dominion by sea, but still followed Pausanias and the Spartans; and his fellow-citizens under his command were highly distinguished, both for the excellence of their discipline, and for their extraordinary zeal and readiness.” And further, perceiving that Pausanias was carrying on secret communications with the barbarians, and writing letters to the King of Persia to betray Greece, and Ion relates that when he was a young man, and recently come from Chios to Athens, he chanced to sup with Cimon at Laomedon's house. After supper, when they had, according to custom, poured out wine to the honor of the gods, Cimon was desired by the company to give them a song, which he did with sufficient success, and received the commendations of the company, who remarked on his superiority to Themistocles, who, on a like occasion, had declared he had never learnt to sing, nor to play, and only knew how to make a city rich and powerful. After talking of things incident to such entertainments, they entered upon the par- ticulars of the several actions for which Cimon had been famous. And when they were mentioning the most signal, he told them they had omitted one, upon which he valued himself most. He gave this account of it. When the allies had taken a great number of the barbarians prisoners in Sestos and Byzantium, they gave him the preference to divide the booty; he accordingly put the prisoners in one lot, and the spoils of their rich attire and jewels in the other. This the allies complained of as an unequal division; but he gave them their choice to take which lot they would, for that the Athenians should be content with that which they refused. Herophytus of Samos advised them to take the ornaments for their share, and leave the slaves to the Athenians; and Cimon went away, and was much laughed at for his ridiculous divi- sion. For the allies carried away the golden bracelets, and armlets, and collars, and purple robes, and the Athenians had only the naked bodies of the captives, which they could make no advantage of, being unused to labor. But a little while after, the friends and kinsmen of the prisoners coming from Lydia and Phrygia, redeemed everyone his relations at a high ransom; so that by this means Cimon got so much treasure that he maintained his whole fleet with the money for four months; and yet there was some left to lay up in the treasury at Athens. Cimon now grew rich, and what he gained from the barbarians with honor, he spent yet more honorably upon the citizens. For he pulled down all the enclosures of his gardens and grounds, that strangers, and the needy of his fellow-citizens, might gather of his fruits freely. At home he kept a table, plain, but sufficient for a considerable number; to which any poor townsman had free access, and so might support himself without labor, with his whole time left free for public duties. but only to his own fellow-townsmen, the Laciadae.) Besides this, he always went (Aristotle states, however, that this reception did not extend to all the Athenians, attended by two or three young companions, very well clad; and if he met with an 1. This refers to the decision by the Athenians to transfer the women, children, and flocks to Troezen when Xerxes attacked the city in 480 BCE (see the Historical Background section, pp. 30-31). 2. For more information on this period, see “Between the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars” in the Historical Background section, pp. 31–35. 211 PART 5: CORE TEXTS Plutarch, Life of Cimon, ca. 70-100 CE elderly citizen in a poor habit, one of these would change clothes with the decayed citizen, which was looked upon as very nobly done. He enjoined them, likewise, to carry a considerable quantity of coin about them, which they were to convey silently into the hands of the better class of poor men, as they stood by them in the market-place. the power Gorgias the Leontine gives him this character, that he got riches that he might use them, and used them that he might get honor by them. And Critias, one of the thirty tyrants, makes it, in his elegies, his wish to have democracy, The Scopads' wealth, and Cimon's nobleness, And King Agesilaus's success. In his public life after this he continued, whilst at home, to control and restrain and sovereignty to themselves. But when he afterwards was sent out to war, the multitude broke loose, as it were, and overthrew all the ancient laws and withdrew the jurisdiction of almost all causes from the Areopagus, so that all juris- customs they had hitherto observed, and, chiefly at the instigation of Ephialtes, diction now being transferred to them, the government was reduced to a perfect and this by the help of Pericles, who was already powerful, and had pronounced in favor of the common people. Cimon, when he returned, seeing the authority of this great council so upset, was exceedingly troubled, and endeavored to remedy these disorders by bringing the courts of law to their former state, and restoring the old aristocracy of the time of Cleisthenes. This the others declaimed against with all the vehemence possible, and began to revive those stories concern- ing him and his sister, and cried out against him as the partisan of the Spartans. To these calumnies the famous verses of Eupolis upon Cimon refer: good as others that one sees, But he was fond of drinking and of ease; And would at nights to Sparta often roam, Leaving his sister desolate at home. But if, though slothful and a drunkard, he could capture so many towns and gain so many victories, certainly if he had been sober and minded his business, there had been no Grecian commander, either before or after him, that could have surpassed him for exploits of war. He was, indeed, a favorer of the Spartans, even from his youth, and he gave the names of Lacedaemonius and Eleus to two sons. * * * He was as Cimon's generosity outdid all the old Athenian hospitality and good-nature. For though it is the city's just boast that their forefathers taught the rest of Greece to sow grain, and how to use springs of water, and to kindle fire, yet Cimon, by keep- ing open house for his fellow-citizens, and giving travelers liberty to eat the fruits which the several seasons produced in his land, seemed to restore to the world that community of goods, which mythology says existed in the reign of Saturn. Those who object to him, that he did this to be popular and gain the applause of the vulgar, are confuted by the constant tenor of the rest of his actions, which all tended to uphold the interests of the nobility and the Spartan policy, of which he gave instances, when together with Aristides he opposed Themistocles, who was advancing the authority of the people beyond its just limits, and resisted Ephialtes, who, to please the multitude, was for abolishing the jurisdiction of the court of Areopagus." And when all of this time, except Aristides and Ephialtes, enriched themselves out of the public money, he still kept his hands clean and untainted, and to his last day never acted or spoke for his own private gain or emolument. They tell us that Rhoesaces, a Persian, who had traitorously revolted from the king his master, fled to Athens, and there, being harassed by sycophants, who were still accusing him to the people, he applied himself to Cimon for redress, and, to gain his favor, laid down in his doorway two cups, the one full of gold and the other of silver coin. Cimon smiled and asked him whether he wished to have Cimon's hired service or his friendship. He replied, his friendship. “If so," said he, “take away these pieces, for, being your friend, when I shall have occasion for them, I will send and ask for them." * * * IS XENOPHON The Economist, ca. 400-350 BCE * * Xenophon (ca. 430 BCE-354 BCE) was, like Plato, a follower of Socrates and a pro- lific author. More a man of action than Plato, he wrote a memorable account the Anabasis) of his service as a mercenary in Cyrus the Younger's failed attempt to gain the Persian throne. He also wrote Socratic dialogues, all of a more practical nature than Plato's philosophical accounts of Socrates. In this work, Ischomachus, a type of Solonian aristocrat, tells Socrates how he manages his household and estate. 3. The "age of Saturn" was another name for the "Golden Age," a kind of paradise. 4. For more information, see "Pericles” in the Historical Background section, pp. 33–35. 213 PART 5: CORE TEXTS 12 Xenophon, The Economist, ca. 400-350 BCE THE THRESHOLD OF DEMOCRACY: ATHENS IN 403 BCE INDETERMINATE Thearion (thay-AR-e-on) Baker-oarsman; 32 years old; Deme/District: Athens F your father or as long as you can recall, yours has been a family of bakers. Your father was a baker, as was his father, and so on back into the previous century. You were 4 when the Great War against Sparta first began; your first recollection- of anything-was the sight of your father, a great barrel of a man, carrying his oar, marching toward the western gate that led to the port of Piraeus. He never returned. You try to remem- ber what he looked like but cannot recall a detail, except that he was big. You imagine that he was confident and strong. You don't know for sure. With gone, your grandfather took charge of the bakery. Soon you were old enough to help. He taught you the difference between the coarse grain from Egypt, which must be milled twice, and the fine grain from the Black Sea. You also learned how much yeast was needed to make the squat loaves and how much for the long, thin ones. Then you experimented with the shape of the dough. You learned that you could bake bread in the shape of different animals. Soon famous people were stopping by your shop, smiling at the pigs and cows and birds. Four years ago, in his comedy Geryta- des, Aristophanes made a joke about your animal-shaped breads. Business boomed. You doubled your prices and yet still you had to turn people away. You didn't have enough ovens or workers! (You may gain extra kudos—and perhaps votes or money if the GM agrees!—if you bring samples to a session of the Assembly.) Then you made the fateful decision that still haunts you. You approached a wealthy metic (a foreign-born man who lived in Athens) and asked for a loan. You said you wanted to build two more ovens, rent a larger stall in the Agora, and buy two slaves. He asked how much you would need. "Four hundred drachmas," you replied. He pulled out his purse, gave you the sum, and thrust a contract at you, requiring your signature. You promised to pay back the first two hundred drachmas within two years. You built the ovens, bought the slaves, and soon were making more money than you imagined possible. You bought a house in the fashionable district to the north of Athens, near the Wall of Themis- tocles. But you have not yet repaid the loan. You also resolved to do your duty as a citizen. You had enough money to buy armor and a sword and serve as a hoplite soldier, but you had heard gruesome stories of hand-to-hand combat against the Spartan monsters. You could not imagine standing toe to toe with a Spartan behemoth, poking at him with your spear while he whaled away at you with an immense sword. So three years ago, when the Athenian Assembly decided to recruit and train a thousand new oarsmen, you decided to join the Athe- nian navy. (You also knew you would earn six obols—one drachma-for each day served; but you were not in it for the money.) Your slaves could run the shop during your temporary absence. You reported to Piraeus, oar in hand, where you were assigned to the trireme Theseus. You went on several training runs and learned to push your oar forward, keeping all of your body motions steady, in time with the drum. After several weeks you and your shipmates were adjudged ready for combat, though you all had doubts. Frequently oars would bump against each other and even become hopelessly entangled. The man next to you, after catching his oar, was knocked out cold when it went flying into his jaw. Yet the Theseus was among the Athenian ships in the battle line that formed at Arginusae, near the island of Lesbos. You tell your children that you fought the Spartans: in truth, though, you simply pushed and pulled your oars like everyone else, incapable of seeing anything apart from the men around those few minutes of battle, as the herald conveyed orders, shouting above the din, you concentrated you. In 1 OF 9 ROLE SHEET: Thearion, Indeterminate TAA (PV = -40,17 PLUTARCH Life of Cimon, ca. 70-100 CE Cimon, born into Athenian nobility, was one of the heroes of the Persian War. Plutarch contrasts him with Themistocles, another Persian war hero, throughout this passage. Themistocles was particularly admired by the poorer Athenian citi- zens, those who most benefitted from the growth of the Athenian navy. The navy, built at Themistocles’ urging, decisively defeated the Persians at the battle of Sala- mis, and then enforced the laws of the Athenian empire throughout the fifth century. As you read, consider the following questions: How does Plutarch's contrast of Cimon and Themistocles suggest praise for an aristocratic way of life and criticism of a democratic way of life? How might the Solonian aristocrats see Cimon's life as an argument for main- taining inequality in the political and social life of Athens? Would Socratics find anything to admire in Cimon? SOURCE: From Plutarch, The Parallel Lives, trans. John Dryden (London: J. M. Dent, 1910), edited for this edition. C imon was the son of Miltiades and Hegesipyle, who was by birth a Thracia, and daughter of King Olorus. * * * Cimon was left an orphan very young, with his sister Elpinice, who was also young and unmarried. And at first he had but an indifferent reputation, being looked upon as disorderly in his habits, fond of drinking, and resembling his grand- father, also called Cimon, in character. Stesimbrotus of Thasos, who lived near about the same time with Cimon, reports of him that he had little acquaintance either with music, or any of the other liberal studies and accom- plishments, then common among the Greeks; that he had nothing Is this comment on his speech a criticism or a compliment? whatever of the quickness and the ready speech of his countrymen in Attica that he had great nobleness and candor in his disposition, and in his char- acter in general resembled rather a native of Sparta than of Athens; as Euripides describes Hercules: -Rude And unrefined, for great things well endued... Plutarch, Life of Cimon, ca. 70-100 CE 209 puffed up with authority and success, was treating the allies haughtily, and com- mitting many wanton injustices, Cimon, taking this advantage, by acts of kindness suffering wrong, and by his general humane bearing, robbed him of the command of the Greeks, before he was aware, not by arms, but by his to those who were mere language and character. * They accused him, in his younger years, of cohabiting with his own sister Elpinice.... All the other points of Cimon's character were noble and good. He was as daring as Miltiades, and not inferior to Themistocles in judgment, and was incomparably more just and honest than either of them. Fully their equal in all military virtues, in the ordinary duties of a citizen at home he was immeasurably their superior. And this, too, when he was very young, his years not yet strength- ened by any experience. For when Themistocles, upon the Persian invasion, advised the Athenians to forsake their city and their country, and to carry all their arms on shipboard and fight the enemy by sea, in the straits of Salamis;" when all the people stood amazed at the confidence and rashness of this advice, Cimon was seen, the first of all men, passing with a cheerful countenance through the Ceramicus, on his way with his companions to the citadel, carrying a bridle in his hand to offer to the goddess, intimating that there was no more need of horsemen now, but of mariners. There, after he had paid his devotions to the goddess, and offered up the bridle, he took down one of the shields that hung upon the walls of the temple, and went down to the port; by this example giving confidence to many of the citizens. He was also of a fairly handsome person, according to the poet Ion, tall and large, and let his thick and curly hair grow long. After he had acquitted himself gal- lantly in this battle of Salamis, he obtained great repute among the Athenians, and was regarded with affection, as well as admiration. He had many who followed after him, and bade him aspire to actions not less famous than his father's battle of Marathon. And when he came forward in political life, the people welcomed him gladly, being now weary of Themistocles; in opposition to whom, and because of the frankness and easiness of his temper, which was agreeable to every one, they advanced Cimon to the highest employments in the government. The man that contributed most to his promotion was Aristides, who early discerned in his char- acter his natural capacity, and purposely raised him, that he might be a counter- poise to the craft and boldness of Themistocles. After the Persians had been driven out of Greece, Cimon was sent out as an admiral, when the Athenians had not yet attained their dominion by sea, but still followed Pausanias and the Spartans; and his fellow-citizens under his command were highly distinguished, both for the excellence of their discipline, and for their extraordinary zeal and readiness.” And further, perceiving that Pausanias was carrying on secret communications with the barbarians, and writing letters to the King of Persia to betray Greece, and Ion relates that when he was a young man, and recently come from Chios to Athens, he chanced to sup with Cimon at Laomedon's house. After supper, when they had, according to custom, poured out wine to the honor of the gods, Cimon was desired by the company to give them a song, which he did with sufficient success, and received the commendations of the company, who remarked on his superiority to Themistocles, who, on a like occasion, had declared he had never learnt to sing, nor to play, and only knew how to make a city rich and powerful. After talking of things incident to such entertainments, they entered upon the par- ticulars of the several actions for which Cimon had been famous. And when they were mentioning the most signal, he told them they had omitted one, upon which he valued himself most. He gave this account of it. When the allies had taken a great number of the barbarians prisoners in Sestos and Byzantium, they gave him the preference to divide the booty; he accordingly put the prisoners in one lot, and the spoils of their rich attire and jewels in the other. This the allies complained of as an unequal division; but he gave them their choice to take which lot they would, for that the Athenians should be content with that which they refused. Herophytus of Samos advised them to take the ornaments for their share, and leave the slaves to the Athenians; and Cimon went away, and was much laughed at for his ridiculous divi- sion. For the allies carried away the golden bracelets, and armlets, and collars, and purple robes, and the Athenians had only the naked bodies of the captives, which they could make no advantage of, being unused to labor. But a little while after, the friends and kinsmen of the prisoners coming from Lydia and Phrygia, redeemed everyone his relations at a high ransom; so that by this means Cimon got so much treasure that he maintained his whole fleet with the money for four months; and yet there was some left to lay up in the treasury at Athens. Cimon now grew rich, and what he gained from the barbarians with honor, he spent yet more honorably upon the citizens. For he pulled down all the enclosures of his gardens and grounds, that strangers, and the needy of his fellow-citizens, might gather of his fruits freely. At home he kept a table, plain, but sufficient for a considerable number; to which any poor townsman had free access, and so might support himself without labor, with his whole time left free for public duties. but only to his own fellow-townsmen, the Laciadae.) Besides this, he always went (Aristotle states, however, that this reception did not extend to all the Athenians, attended by two or three young companions, very well clad; and if he met with an 1. This refers to the decision by the Athenians to transfer the women, children, and flocks to Troezen when Xerxes attacked the city in 480 BCE (see the Historical Background section, pp. 30-31). 2. For more information on this period, see “Between the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars” in the Historical Background section, pp. 31–35. 211 PART 5: CORE TEXTS Plutarch, Life of Cimon, ca. 70-100 CE elderly citizen in a poor habit, one of these would change clothes with the decayed citizen, which was looked upon as very nobly done. He enjoined them, likewise, to carry a considerable quantity of coin about them, which they were to convey silently into the hands of the better class of poor men, as they stood by them in the market-place. the power Gorgias the Leontine gives him this character, that he got riches that he might use them, and used them that he might get honor by them. And Critias, one of the thirty tyrants, makes it, in his elegies, his wish to have democracy, The Scopads' wealth, and Cimon's nobleness, And King Agesilaus's success. In his public life after this he continued, whilst at home, to control and restrain and sovereignty to themselves. But when he afterwards was sent out to war, the multitude broke loose, as it were, and overthrew all the ancient laws and withdrew the jurisdiction of almost all causes from the Areopagus, so that all juris- customs they had hitherto observed, and, chiefly at the instigation of Ephialtes, diction now being transferred to them, the government was reduced to a perfect and this by the help of Pericles, who was already powerful, and had pronounced in favor of the common people. Cimon, when he returned, seeing the authority of this great council so upset, was exceedingly troubled, and endeavored to remedy these disorders by bringing the courts of law to their former state, and restoring the old aristocracy of the time of Cleisthenes. This the others declaimed against with all the vehemence possible, and began to revive those stories concern- ing him and his sister, and cried out against him as the partisan of the Spartans. To these calumnies the famous verses of Eupolis upon Cimon refer: good as others that one sees, But he was fond of drinking and of ease; And would at nights to Sparta often roam, Leaving his sister desolate at home. But if, though slothful and a drunkard, he could capture so many towns and gain so many victories, certainly if he had been sober and minded his business, there had been no Grecian commander, either before or after him, that could have surpassed him for exploits of war. He was, indeed, a favorer of the Spartans, even from his youth, and he gave the names of Lacedaemonius and Eleus to two sons. * * * He was as Cimon's generosity outdid all the old Athenian hospitality and good-nature. For though it is the city's just boast that their forefathers taught the rest of Greece to sow grain, and how to use springs of water, and to kindle fire, yet Cimon, by keep- ing open house for his fellow-citizens, and giving travelers liberty to eat the fruits which the several seasons produced in his land, seemed to restore to the world that community of goods, which mythology says existed in the reign of Saturn. Those who object to him, that he did this to be popular and gain the applause of the vulgar, are confuted by the constant tenor of the rest of his actions, which all tended to uphold the interests of the nobility and the Spartan policy, of which he gave instances, when together with Aristides he opposed Themistocles, who was advancing the authority of the people beyond its just limits, and resisted Ephialtes, who, to please the multitude, was for abolishing the jurisdiction of the court of Areopagus." And when all of this time, except Aristides and Ephialtes, enriched themselves out of the public money, he still kept his hands clean and untainted, and to his last day never acted or spoke for his own private gain or emolument. They tell us that Rhoesaces, a Persian, who had traitorously revolted from the king his master, fled to Athens, and there, being harassed by sycophants, who were still accusing him to the people, he applied himself to Cimon for redress, and, to gain his favor, laid down in his doorway two cups, the one full of gold and the other of silver coin. Cimon smiled and asked him whether he wished to have Cimon's hired service or his friendship. He replied, his friendship. “If so," said he, “take away these pieces, for, being your friend, when I shall have occasion for them, I will send and ask for them." * * * IS XENOPHON The Economist, ca. 400-350 BCE * * Xenophon (ca. 430 BCE-354 BCE) was, like Plato, a follower of Socrates and a pro- lific author. More a man of action than Plato, he wrote a memorable account the Anabasis) of his service as a mercenary in Cyrus the Younger's failed attempt to gain the Persian throne. He also wrote Socratic dialogues, all of a more practical nature than Plato's philosophical accounts of Socrates. In this work, Ischomachus, a type of Solonian aristocrat, tells Socrates how he manages his household and estate. 3. The "age of Saturn" was another name for the "Golden Age," a kind of paradise. 4. For more information, see "Pericles” in the Historical Background section, pp. 33–35. 213 PART 5: CORE TEXTS 12 Xenophon, The Economist, ca. 400-350 BCE 2. Second speech/paper, for Session 6: "Why We Must Restore the Athenian Empire. The greater the unanimity and enthusiasm for war on the part of Athens, the better its chances of suc- cess. But there is a very real risk—to you. Regardless of how much money you earn, you cannot win if you are dead when the game ends. You may find a better way of earning money than going off on a dangerous tribute-collecting mission, in which case you may wish to write about something else, such as “Why we should impose even higher taxes on metics!” One thing you should do is work to understand more fully the historical context of your life. You may wish to read through the many papyrus scrolls of your fellow Athenian Thucydides, who is writing a history of the Peloponnesian War (look up the full text of his History of the Peloponnesian War online). You can also learn more about the war from other sources, such as Victor Davis Hanson's A War Like No Other, a very readable account. Read his chapter on trireme warfare to better understand what it was like to be a rower. There are some issues on which your mind is made up, such as the need to make money. On other issues, you can decide on your own what is best for Athens. PLUTARCH Life of Cimon, ca. 70-100 CE Cimon, born into Athenian nobility, was one of the heroes of the Persian War. Plutarch contrasts him with Themistocles, another Persian war hero, throughout this passage. Themistocles was particularly admired by the poorer Athenian citi- zens, those who most benefitted from the growth of the Athenian navy. The navy, built at Themistocles’ urging, decisively defeated the Persians at the battle of Sala- mis, and then enforced the laws of the Athenian empire throughout the fifth century. As you read, consider the following questions: How does Plutarch's contrast of Cimon and Themistocles suggest praise for an aristocratic way of life and criticism of a democratic way of life? How might the Solonian aristocrats see Cimon's life as an argument for main- taining inequality in the political and social life of Athens? Would Socratics find anything to admire in Cimon? SOURCE: From Plutarch, The Parallel Lives, trans. John Dryden (London: J. M. Dent, 1910), edited for this edition. C imon was the son of Miltiades and Hegesipyle, who was by birth a Thracia, and daughter of King Olorus. * * * Cimon was left an orphan very young, with his sister Elpinice, who was also young and unmarried. And at first he had but an indifferent reputation, being looked upon as disorderly in his habits, fond of drinking, and resembling his grand- father, also called Cimon, in character. Stesimbrotus of Thasos, who lived near about the same time with Cimon, reports of him that he had little acquaintance either with music, or any of the other liberal studies and accom- plishments, then common among the Greeks; that he had nothing Is this comment on his speech a criticism or a compliment? whatever of the quickness and the ready speech of his countrymen in Attica that he had great nobleness and candor in his disposition, and in his char- acter in general resembled rather a native of Sparta than of Athens; as Euripides describes Hercules: -Rude And unrefined, for great things well endued... Plutarch, Life of Cimon, ca. 70-100 CE 209 puffed up with authority and success, was treating the allies haughtily, and com- mitting many wanton injustices, Cimon, taking this advantage, by acts of kindness suffering wrong, and by his general humane bearing, robbed him of the command of the Greeks, before he was aware, not by arms, but by his to those who were mere language and character. * They accused him, in his younger years, of cohabiting with his own sister Elpinice.... All the other points of Cimon's character were noble and good. He was as daring as Miltiades, and not inferior to Themistocles in judgment, and was incomparably more just and honest than either of them. Fully their equal in all military virtues, in the ordinary duties of a citizen at home he was immeasurably their superior. And this, too, when he was very young, his years not yet strength- ened by any experience. For when Themistocles, upon the Persian invasion, advised the Athenians to forsake their city and their country, and to carry all their arms on shipboard and fight the enemy by sea, in the straits of Salamis;" when all the people stood amazed at the confidence and rashness of this advice, Cimon was seen, the first of all men, passing with a cheerful countenance through the Ceramicus, on his way with his companions to the citadel, carrying a bridle in his hand to offer to the goddess, intimating that there was no more need of horsemen now, but of mariners. There, after he had paid his devotions to the goddess, and offered up the bridle, he took down one of the shields that hung upon the walls of the temple, and went down to the port; by this example giving confidence to many of the citizens. He was also of a fairly handsome person, according to the poet Ion, tall and large, and let his thick and curly hair grow long. After he had acquitted himself gal- lantly in this battle of Salamis, he obtained great repute among the Athenians, and was regarded with affection, as well as admiration. He had many who followed after him, and bade him aspire to actions not less famous than his father's battle of Marathon. And when he came forward in political life, the people welcomed him gladly, being now weary of Themistocles; in opposition to whom, and because of the frankness and easiness of his temper, which was agreeable to every one, they advanced Cimon to the highest employments in the government. The man that contributed most to his promotion was Aristides, who early discerned in his char- acter his natural capacity, and purposely raised him, that he might be a counter- poise to the craft and boldness of Themistocles. After the Persians had been driven out of Greece, Cimon was sent out as an admiral, when the Athenians had not yet attained their dominion by sea, but still followed Pausanias and the Spartans; and his fellow-citizens under his command were highly distinguished, both for the excellence of their discipline, and for their extraordinary zeal and readiness.” And further, perceiving that Pausanias was carrying on secret communications with the barbarians, and writing letters to the King of Persia to betray Greece, and Ion relates that when he was a young man, and recently come from Chios to Athens, he chanced to sup with Cimon at Laomedon's house. After supper, when they had, according to custom, poured out wine to the honor of the gods, Cimon was desired by the company to give them a song, which he did with sufficient success, and received the commendations of the company, who remarked on his superiority to Themistocles, who, on a like occasion, had declared he had never learnt to sing, nor to play, and only knew how to make a city rich and powerful. After talking of things incident to such entertainments, they entered upon the par- ticulars of the several actions for which Cimon had been famous. And when they were mentioning the most signal, he told them they had omitted one, upon which he valued himself most. He gave this account of it. When the allies had taken a great number of the barbarians prisoners in Sestos and Byzantium, they gave him the preference to divide the booty; he accordingly put the prisoners in one lot, and the spoils of their rich attire and jewels in the other. This the allies complained of as an unequal division; but he gave them their choice to take which lot they would, for that the Athenians should be content with that which they refused. Herophytus of Samos advised them to take the ornaments for their share, and leave the slaves to the Athenians; and Cimon went away, and was much laughed at for his ridiculous divi- sion. For the allies carried away the golden bracelets, and armlets, and collars, and purple robes, and the Athenians had only the naked bodies of the captives, which they could make no advantage of, being unused to labor. But a little while after, the friends and kinsmen of the prisoners coming from Lydia and Phrygia, redeemed everyone his relations at a high ransom; so that by this means Cimon got so much treasure that he maintained his whole fleet with the money for four months; and yet there was some left to lay up in the treasury at Athens. Cimon now grew rich, and what he gained from the barbarians with honor, he spent yet more honorably upon the citizens. For he pulled down all the enclosures of his gardens and grounds, that strangers, and the needy of his fellow-citizens, might gather of his fruits freely. At home he kept a table, plain, but sufficient for a considerable number; to which any poor townsman had free access, and so might support himself without labor, with his whole time left free for public duties. but only to his own fellow-townsmen, the Laciadae.) Besides this, he always went (Aristotle states, however, that this reception did not extend to all the Athenians, attended by two or three young companions, very well clad; and if he met with an 1. This refers to the decision by the Athenians to transfer the women, children, and flocks to Troezen when Xerxes attacked the city in 480 BCE (see the Historical Background section, pp. 30-31). 2. For more information on this period, see “Between the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars” in the Historical Background section, pp. 31–35. 211 PART 5: CORE TEXTS Plutarch, Life of Cimon, ca. 70-100 CE elderly citizen in a poor habit, one of these would change clothes with the decayed citizen, which was looked upon as very nobly done. He enjoined them, likewise, to carry a considerable quantity of coin about them, which they were to convey silently into the hands of the better class of poor men, as they stood by them in the market-place. the power Gorgias the Leontine gives him this character, that he got riches that he might use them, and used them that he might get honor by them. And Critias, one of the thirty tyrants, makes it, in his elegies, his wish to have democracy, The Scopads' wealth, and Cimon's nobleness, And King Agesilaus's success. In his public life after this he continued, whilst at home, to control and restrain and sovereignty to themselves. But when he afterwards was sent out to war, the multitude broke loose, as it were, and overthrew all the ancient laws and withdrew the jurisdiction of almost all causes from the Areopagus, so that all juris- customs they had hitherto observed, and, chiefly at the instigation of Ephialtes, diction now being transferred to them, the government was reduced to a perfect and this by the help of Pericles, who was already powerful, and had pronounced in favor of the common people. Cimon, when he returned, seeing the authority of this great council so upset, was exceedingly troubled, and endeavored to remedy these disorders by bringing the courts of law to their former state, and restoring the old aristocracy of the time of Cleisthenes. This the others declaimed against with all the vehemence possible, and began to revive those stories concern- ing him and his sister, and cried out against him as the partisan of the Spartans. To these calumnies the famous verses of Eupolis upon Cimon refer: good as others that one sees, But he was fond of drinking and of ease; And would at nights to Sparta often roam, Leaving his sister desolate at home. But if, though slothful and a drunkard, he could capture so many towns and gain so many victories, certainly if he had been sober and minded his business, there had been no Grecian commander, either before or after him, that could have surpassed him for exploits of war. He was, indeed, a favorer of the Spartans, even from his youth, and he gave the names of Lacedaemonius and Eleus to two sons. * * * He was as Cimon's generosity outdid all the old Athenian hospitality and good-nature. For though it is the city's just boast that their forefathers taught the rest of Greece to sow grain, and how to use springs of water, and to kindle fire, yet Cimon, by keep- ing open house for his fellow-citizens, and giving travelers liberty to eat the fruits which the several seasons produced in his land, seemed to restore to the world that community of goods, which mythology says existed in the reign of Saturn. Those who object to him, that he did this to be popular and gain the applause of the vulgar, are confuted by the constant tenor of the rest of his actions, which all tended to uphold the interests of the nobility and the Spartan policy, of which he gave instances, when together with Aristides he opposed Themistocles, who was advancing the authority of the people beyond its just limits, and resisted Ephialtes, who, to please the multitude, was for abolishing the jurisdiction of the court of Areopagus." And when all of this time, except Aristides and Ephialtes, enriched themselves out of the public money, he still kept his hands clean and untainted, and to his last day never acted or spoke for his own private gain or emolument. They tell us that Rhoesaces, a Persian, who had traitorously revolted from the king his master, fled to Athens, and there, being harassed by sycophants, who were still accusing him to the people, he applied himself to Cimon for redress, and, to gain his favor, laid down in his doorway two cups, the one full of gold and the other of silver coin. Cimon smiled and asked him whether he wished to have Cimon's hired service or his friendship. He replied, his friendship. “If so," said he, “take away these pieces, for, being your friend, when I shall have occasion for them, I will send and ask for them." * * * IS XENOPHON The Economist, ca. 400-350 BCE * * Xenophon (ca. 430 BCE-354 BCE) was, like Plato, a follower of Socrates and a pro- lific author. More a man of action than Plato, he wrote a memorable account the Anabasis) of his service as a mercenary in Cyrus the Younger's failed attempt to gain the Persian throne. He also wrote Socratic dialogues, all of a more practical nature than Plato's philosophical accounts of Socrates. In this work, Ischomachus, a type of Solonian aristocrat, tells Socrates how he manages his household and estate. 3. The "age of Saturn" was another name for the "Golden Age," a kind of paradise. 4. For more information, see "Pericles” in the Historical Background section, pp. 33–35. 213 PART 5: CORE TEXTS 12 Xenophon, The Economist, ca. 400-350 BCE THE THRESHOLD OF DEMOCRACY: ATHENS IN 403 BCE INDETERMINATE Thearion (thay-AR-e-on) Baker-oarsman; 32 years old; Deme/District: Athens F your father or as long as you can recall, yours has been a family of bakers. Your father was a baker, as was his father, and so on back into the previous century. You were 4 when the Great War against Sparta first began; your first recollection- of anything-was the sight of your father, a great barrel of a man, carrying his oar, marching toward the western gate that led to the port of Piraeus. He never returned. You try to remem- ber what he looked like but cannot recall a detail, except that he was big. You imagine that he was confident and strong. You don't know for sure. With gone, your grandfather took charge of the bakery. Soon you were old enough to help. He taught you the difference between the coarse grain from Egypt, which must be milled twice, and the fine grain from the Black Sea. You also learned how much yeast was needed to make the squat loaves and how much for the long, thin ones. Then you experimented with the shape of the dough. You learned that you could bake bread in the shape of different animals. Soon famous people were stopping by your shop, smiling at the pigs and cows and birds. Four years ago, in his comedy Geryta- des, Aristophanes made a joke about your animal-shaped breads. Business boomed. You doubled your prices and yet still you had to turn people away. You didn't have enough ovens or workers! (You may gain extra kudos—and perhaps votes or money if the GM agrees!—if you bring samples to a session of the Assembly.) Then you made the fateful decision that still haunts you. You approached a wealthy metic (a foreign-born man who lived in Athens) and asked for a loan. You said you wanted to build two more ovens, rent a larger stall in the Agora, and buy two slaves. He asked how much you would need. "Four hundred drachmas," you replied. He pulled out his purse, gave you the sum, and thrust a contract at you, requiring your signature. You promised to pay back the first two hundred drachmas within two years. You built the ovens, bought the slaves, and soon were making more money than you imagined possible. You bought a house in the fashionable district to the north of Athens, near the Wall of Themis- tocles. But you have not yet repaid the loan. You also resolved to do your duty as a citizen. You had enough money to buy armor and a sword and serve as a hoplite soldier, but you had heard gruesome stories of hand-to-hand combat against the Spartan monsters. You could not imagine standing toe to toe with a Spartan behemoth, poking at him with your spear while he whaled away at you with an immense sword. So three years ago, when the Athenian Assembly decided to recruit and train a thousand new oarsmen, you decided to join the Athe- nian navy. (You also knew you would earn six obols—one drachma-for each day served; but you were not in it for the money.) Your slaves could run the shop during your temporary absence. You reported to Piraeus, oar in hand, where you were assigned to the trireme Theseus. You went on several training runs and learned to push your oar forward, keeping all of your body motions steady, in time with the drum. After several weeks you and your shipmates were adjudged ready for combat, though you all had doubts. Frequently oars would bump against each other and even become hopelessly entangled. The man next to you, after catching his oar, was knocked out cold when it went flying into his jaw. Yet the Theseus was among the Athenian ships in the battle line that formed at Arginusae, near the island of Lesbos. You tell your children that you fought the Spartans: in truth, though, you simply pushed and pulled your oars like everyone else, incapable of seeing anything apart from the men around those few minutes of battle, as the herald conveyed orders, shouting above the din, you concentrated you. In 1 OF 9 ROLE SHEET: Thearion, Indeterminate TAA (PV = -40,17 THE THRESHOLD OF DEMOCRACY: ATHENS IN 403 BCE on keeping the proper beat. The drumming accelerated and your heart raced and you braced for the collision that never came. Your ship failed in its attempt to ram any of the Spartan ships; but they failed to strike yours as well. The next year, when the Theseus was in dry dock at Piraeus for refitting, you learned of the disas- ter at Aegospotami, when the Spartans destroyed most of the Athenian fleet and slaughtered most of the sailors. Soon the Spartan navy took up position outside the harbor at Piraeus. By now, the Theseus was ready for action, but the handful of remaining Athenian triremes in Piraeus were no match for the entire Spartan fleet patrolling the harbor. Whenever grain ships approached Piraeus, the Spartans turned them back or confiscated their cargoes. Grain of any quality became scarce. Back at your bakery in Athens, you stretched your supply of flour by adding chalk and sawdust; but now your loaves ceased to rise: your “pigs” looked like mere lumps of dough. Business declined precipitously. Throughout Ath- ens, famine ensued. You sold your slaves, but because everyone else was doing so, too, the price was a small fraction of what you had paid for them. Last year, Athens gave in and surrendered to Sparta. The Spartans then installed the Thirty, whose bloody reign led to civil war. Many people abandoned Athens. Few showed up at your bakery. You both- ered to fire up only one of your ovens. You've tried to sell the others but there are no takers. Last week, however, Thrasybulus and his band of democratic insurgents marched into Athens. The Thirty fled and Thrasybulus restored the democracy. Metics, who had been arrested in large numbers by the Tyrants, also returned to Athens, including the metic who loaned you four hundred drachmas. Yesterday he demanded that you pay back two hundred of them, as required by your contract. You still have twenty-five drachmas from the sale of your slaves. But the metic has threated to ruin you if he does not receive two hundred. You know that debt slavery went out with Solon's reforms many years ago, but you also know that a wealthy metic can put the screws on you thy metic can put the screws on you if you don't pay up. Your wife and family know that times are bad, but you have not told them or your friends how desperate your situation is. MAJOR OBJECTIVES
Purchase answer to see full attachment