The Rise of the Athenian Empire/Peloponnesian War

Potential ID's:

THEMISTOCLES, ARISTIDES, DELIAN LEAGUE, CIMON, PERICLES, (ASPASIA), (ANAXAGORAS), PERICLES, ARCHIDAMUS, MEGARIAN DECREES, CLEON, MYTILENE, NICIAS, ALCIBIADES, ARGINUSAE, MELOS

Generalization:

The story of Athens in the 5th century BC (especially from the end of the Persian war in 479 BC until the end of the Peloponnesian War in 404 BC) has both tragic elements and the elements of a real tragedy, elements that show forth particularly clearly in the pages of Thucydides.

I. Requirements for tragedy
    A. Protagonist of sufficient nobility
    B. Conflict of great magnitude/significance
    C. Resolution

II. Tragedy as a pattern in history

III. Four phases of the Athenian Story
    A. 479-460 The rebirth of Athens (Athenian success/stalemate)
    B. 460-445 Wars of Pericles (Athenian success/stalemate)
    C. 431-421 Archidamian War (Athenian success/stalemate)
    D. 420-404 Decelean War (Athenian success/disaster?)

IV. Phase I--Aftermath of Persian War
    A. What to look for: protagonists, theme, "catharsis"
    B. Spartan hegemony
    C. Rebuilding of Athens
    D. Formation of Delian League
    E. Eurymedon and its Results
    F. Fall of Cimon

V. Phase II-- Rise of Pericles, Imperialist Athens

VI. Phase III-- The Peloponnesian War Part I
    A. Protagonists
        1. Pericles? Alcibiades? Nicias? Archidamus?
        2. Athens and Sparta?
    B. Conflicts
        1. Two opposing ideas of freedom
        2. Choice of freedom/order
        3. Choice of justice/safety
    C. Resolution ????
    D. Causes of Peloponnesian War
       1. Underlying (fear/jealousy/economic rivalry)
       2. Immediate
                a. Epidamnus/Corcyra
                b. Potidaea
                c. Megarian decrees
    E. Conference at Sparta/ Archidamus' advice
    F. The Archidamian War: 431-421
       1. Spartan/Athenian strategy
       2 . Attack on Plataea
       3. Plague in Athens
       4. War against Mytilene
       5. Conflicts between Democrats/Aristocrats
       6. Rise of Cleon
       7. Death of Cleon/Brasidas
       8. Peace of Nicias

VII. Phase IV-- The Decelean War (420-404)
     A. Rise of Alcibiades
     B. Breakdown of morality
     C. Destruction of Melos
     D. Attack on Syracuse
     E. Oligarchic Revolution (Theramenes/ 400)
     F. Restoration of Democracy
     G. Arginusae
     H. Aegeospotamoi
     I.    End of War

VIII. Resolution? Catharsis?