Crisis, Socrates, Aristotle, Plato Week 9

Economic consequences after Peloponnesian war

1. Disruption of farming and commerce 

2. High death toll 

3. Whole cities destroyed 

4. Enmity and mistrust

The March of the 10,000 (aka. Anabasis)

• Autobiography by Xenophon

What is the March of the 10 000 (summary)?

• The retreat of 10 000 greek mercenaries after a failed revolt due to death of Cyrus 

What happened in the March of the 10 000 (detailed)?

• Persian Prince, Cyrus, hired thousands of Greek mercenaries to help him overthrow his brother, King Artaxerxes II.

• The revolt failed and Cyrus died in battle which caused his Greek army to be stranded in the Persian Empire

• Xenophon led the army back home to the black sea through a treacherous route (hence the march back) 

What did this March of 10 000 symbolize?

• Showed that if Greeks set aside their differences, they could be very strong and fight against Persia

What is a mercenary? 

• Soldier who fights for payment rather than loyalty to a country 

Spartan policy throughout Greece 

What are Dearchies?

• Dearchies: ten (30 in Athens) pro-Spartan, but Athenian, officials designed to ensure oligarchy government and loyalty to sparta  

• Created camps of Garrison

What is a Garrison?

• Group of soldiers who enforce laws and authority 

The 30 Tyrants in Athens 

• Abused their power 

What happened between Theramenes and Critias (two of the 30 tyrants)?

• Theramenes criticized Critias policies 

• Critias called for trial but then executed Theramenes by forcing him to drink hemlock 

What happened to the 30 tyrants after this event?

• An attempt to retake Athens was made

• In the process, Critias (“leader” of the thirty) was killed 

How were the tyrants driven out of power?

• The rulers were so brutal that throughout Greece, people harbored sympathy for the Athenian exiles and they were driven out of power 

What is amnesty and its relation to the thirty tyrants?

• A political decision where a state agrees to forgive past political crimes

• Many Athenians were suing other Athenians who helped the tyrants in any form if they had suffered from loss

The Trial of Socrates

Why were the true/deeper reasons as to why 3 Athenians wanted to put Socrates on trial?

1. Some of his former students were linked to the harming Athens

2. He identified drawbacks in democracy 

What did the three Athenians claim against Socrates to put him on trial?

1. He did not believe in the gods of the state 

2. He taught new gods 

3. He corrupted the young 

How did Socrates' trial end?

• The accusers proposed death penalty and Socrates proposed he receive the highest honours as reward for his benefactions, or a small fine 

• Many voted for execution and he died by drinking hemlock 

The Corinthian War 

Who fought in the Corinthian war?

• Thebes, Corinths, Athens (and Persia) vs Sparta 

Why did the Corinthian war start?

• Greek states became unhappy with Sparta's harsh control of Greece and wanted to resist sparta

What is the Kings Peace?

• Persian King, Artaxerxes, imposed terms to end the war

• Greeks cities in Asia minor were recognized as belonging to persia 

• Each greek city state was now autonomous (self governing)

What is the Second Athenian League?

• Athens allied w/ Thebans for mutual protection against sparta 

• Established a new naval confederacy known as the second athenian league 

What was a mercenary's role in this period?

• Military manuals were developed \

• mercenaries, often trained military commanders, would be hired to train soldiers 

What innovation did hiring mercenaries in this time period create?

• Phalanx tactics were evolving 

What is the Peltast?

• Someone who used missiles for fighting 

• Would use a bow and arrow/ javelin/ and would be lightly armed 

Who does Persia support in the battle between Sparta vs Athens and Thebes?

• Sparta

What battle ended Spartan dominance over greece?

• The battle of Leuktra 

What helped Thebes win the Battle of Leuktra?

• Developed new phalanx tactic 

• Incredibly successful during battle of leuktra 

What happened to the helots after the Spartans lost the battle of leuktra?

• Helots successfully gained freedom 

• Sparta went into massive decline 

Why do federations collapse and the 2nd Athenian League dissolves?

Greeks no longer trust one another

Document 9.1 - A Democratic Decree at Eretria 

• An example of a democratic assembly decreeing itself into economic difficulties in Eretria

• Example of how direct democracy could create financial strain because citizens made decisions collectively, even when those decisions were unrealistic. 

• Decree: official decision made by the government

How did discasteries function?

• Male citizens over the age of 30 

• Jurors chosen by lot from those who volunteered 

• Odd number of dicasts to prevent a tie (201, 501, etc.)

• Secret ballot 

What is this?

Kleroterion 

• An allotment device used to randomly assign jurors to law courts 

How was time observed in trial cases? 

• Minutes were measured out by a klepsydra aka water clock 

Document 9.2 - Disability at Athens 

• Athens offered a pension to disabled soldiers 

• The speaker in this particular context was denied the continuance of his benefits because he had his own shop and could ride a horse (compared to a mule which poor people rode)

Stasis definition 

• Term used to describe civil war

• Means that society is “frozen” (nothing is getting done because they are fighting)

How were marginalized workers put in the economy?

• Commerce and banking was put in the hand of slaves, ex slaves and metics due to lack of manpower 

Who is Nicarete?

• A formerly enslaved person who purchased young girls from slaveholders and trained them for the life of a prostitute 

• She owned Neaera 

What is the story of Neaera?

• She was purchased from Nicarete to be an enslaved labourer 

• Was offered opportunity to buy her freedom

• She then moved to athens and got married

• Pretended to be an Athenian citizen 

• Apollodorus, an enemy of her husband, brought her to trial for pretending to be a citizen 

• Outcome of trial is unknown

Who popularized the term philosophizing?

• Socrates 

Who is the student of Socrates?

• Plato, an aristocrat 

Why did Plato leave Athens? 

• Because Socrates died 

What is the Academy?

• A school founded by Plato 

• Named after the greek hero Academus 

• Refers to “Higher Learning” 

What is the theory of forms?

• Plato's idea that perfect, eternal realities (Forms) exist beyond the physical world, while the objects we see around us are imperfect copies of those Forms. 

Example: a circle

You can draw a circle, but:

• It will never be perfectly round.

• There will always be tiny imperfections.

Yet you understand what a perfect circle is.

Plato argued that this perfect circle exists as a Form, while every drawn circle is just an imperfect copy.

What is the Allegory of the Cave?

• describes prisoners chained inside a cave who can only see shadows on a wall. They believe the shadows are reality because they have never seen anything else. One prisoner escapes and discovers the outside world, realizing that the shadows were only illusions. When he returns to tell the others, they reject and mock him. 

• Supposed to describe the job of a philosopher and why philosophy matters

What is the Socratic Method?

• A form of questioning used by Socrates to challenge assumptions and guide people toward clearer and more accurate understanding of ideas. 

• Raise a question, get an answer, critique the answer

• Constantly refining your thinking 

Why is Socrates wiser than everyone else?

• He knows that he knows nothing 

What did Socrates believe about good and evil?

• Believed that evil did not exist

• He believes that no one intentionally does something bad 

What is the important question from Euthyphro

 -> What is piety? 

 Is the pious or holy beloved by the gods because it is holy, or holy because it is beloved of the gods? AKA is something good because the gods approve it or do the gods approve it because it is good?

Why are Euthyphro and Socrates outside of Athenian court?

• Euth. is there for prosecuting his father for murder 

• Socrates is on trial for impiety 

What does Socrates respond with to every answer of Euthyphros to this question?

• He challenges every answer 

What is impiety? What is piety?

• Disrespect towards gods or religion

• Showing respect/praying to gods

Who is Aristotle? 

• Student of Plato in the Academy 

What institution Aristotle find?

• His own institution called the Lyceum 

What is taxonomy?

• To classify 

• Aristotle driven 

What are the 4 ways to define something according to Aristotle?

• What is its form? 

• What is it made of?

• What purpose does it serve? 

• Who or what caused it? 

He believes there are many definitions for one object

What does telos mean? What is teleology?

• Purpose 

• The study of discovering the purpose of various things

What is this painting called?

The School of Athens

What is this painting depicting?

Trial of Socrates

Document 9.3 - Socrates on the Guardians 

• In the Republic, Socrates and Glaucon discuss guardians of the ideal city. Socrates argues that women are generally physically weaker but not naturally inferior, so they can also become guardians if they receive the same training as men. 

What is this device? 

Gastraphetes: military innovation deployed by ruler of Syracuse

Document 9.4 - Diodorus on Dionysius II of Syracuse 

• Diodorus of Siciliy didn’t like  Dionysus but admired his energy and determination 

• He recounts the eagerness with which workmen tried to make the best contributions to the war effort 

• Also stresses the force of Dionysius personality