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January 5, 2007
the Mytilenian Debate
There's one particularly eggheaded member of KIW's vast worldwide staff who, right about September 12, 2001, was asking everyone he knew to read Greek historian Thucydides' description of something called The Mytilenian Debate. 
Thucydides, who was the Western World's first real historian, wrote 'The History of the Peloponnesian War' sometime around 430 B.C. The book describes a 27-year war between Athens and Sparta.
The war was bitterly fought. At one point, the city of Mytilene betrayed Athens, and allied itself with Sparta. Mytilene was then recaptured by Athens.
And thus a dilemma was created for democratic Athens. What to do with the Mytilenians?
Should the City of Athens kill all the Mytilenian men and enslave the Mytilenian women and children, as the followers of Cleon advocated?
Or would Athens be made stronger (and safer) in the long run, by showing an example of mercy and trying to win Mytilenian hearts and minds? A position put forth by Diodotus.
After a public debate, the people of Athens were divided between the two positions.
Eventually the cruelties of Cleon were carried out. But, as the followers of Diodotus had warned, those policies boomeranged, and led to the destruction of the city of Athens and all of its society.
And that's how the first democracy died.
There are some reasons to read history.
Thucydides; 'The History of the Peloponnesian War'; circa 430 B.C.; pages 212-223
Posted by williamfrick at January 5, 2007 4:28 AM
Comments
I think you need to reread what happens after the debate....Diodotus successfully get Athens to change its mind and not kill all of the Men. Only those who were part of the rebellion.
Posted by: the advocate at April 27, 2009 3:31 PM