Thucydides, Pericles, and the Idea of Athens in the Peloponnesian War

Thucydides, Pericles, and the Idea of Athens in the Peloponnesian War is the first comprehensive study of Thucydides' presentation of Pericles' radical redefinition of the city of Athens during the Peloponnesian War. Martha Taylor argues that Thucydides subtly critiques Pericles' vision of Athens as a city divorced from the territory of Attica and focused, instead, on the sea and the empire. Thucydides shows that Pericles' reconceputalization of the city led the Athenians both to Melos and to Sicily. Toward the end of his work, Thucydides demonstrates that flexible thinking about the city exacerbated the Athenians' civil war. Providing a thorough critique and analysis of Thucydides' neglected book 8, Taylor shows that Thucydides praises political compromise centered around the traditional city in Attica. In doing so, he implicitly censures both Pericles and the Athenian imperial project itself. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 List of Maps......Page 11 Acknowledgments......Page 13 Introduction: Foundation Levels......Page 15 THE POWER OF CITIES IS NOT EASY TO JUDGE......Page 21 ATHENS’ POWER IS INTANGIBLE......Page 28 “WE ROSE UP FROM A CITY THAT NO LONGER EXISTED”......Page 35 THE ATHENIANS WILL NOT BE “SLAVES TO THEIR LAND”......Page 43 “WE MUST ABANDON OUR LAND AND HOUSES AND SAFEGUARD THE SEA AND THE CITY”......Page 54 THE ATHENIANS SLOWLY AND WITH DIFFICULTY MIGRATE TO THEIR ISLAND CITY......Page 62 PERICLES WONDERS AT “THE POWER OF THE CITY AS IT REALLY IS”......Page 78 THE MASTERS OF HALF THE WORLD LAMENT THE LOSS OF THEIR HOUSES......Page 88 THE ATHENIANS CHOOSE PERICLES’ CITY......Page 96 PLATAEA “ATTICIZES” AND IS DESTROYED......Page 105 THE ATHENIANS’ “OWN LAND” IS THE EMPIRE AND THE SEA......Page 120 THE NAUKRATORES CLAIM THEIR HALF OF THE WORLD......Page 129 WILL HOME-CONFUSION LEAD TO HOME-WAR?......Page 140 ATHENS DECIDES TO INVADE SICILY......Page 149 THE CITY-FLEET DEPARTS......Page 165 THE CITY-FLEET GROUNDS IN SICILY......Page 173 THE REMAINING CITY AND THE GREAT NAME OF ATHENS FALLS......Page 181 FEW OUT OF MANY RETURNED HOME......Page 189 ALCIBIADES AND THE ATHENIANS REDEFINE THE CITY......Page 202 “THE CROWD WAS UPSET FOR THE MOMENT”......Page 209 THE PEOPLE IN ATHENS DO NOT RESIST......Page 215 THE ASSEMBLY DOES NOT RESIST......Page 223 THE COUNCIL DOES NOT RESIST......Page 231 THE CITY IN ATHENS WAS QUIET......Page 238 THE SAMIANS RETURN THE FLEET TO DEMOCRACY......Page 244 THE CITY ON SAMOS ABANDONS ATTICA......Page 255 THE SAMIAN-ATHENIANS ALMOST ATTACK “THEMSELVES”......Page 267 THE CITY IS IN ATTICA......Page 279 Works Cited......Page 293 General Index......Page 309 Index Locorum......Page 320 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Dedication 7 Contents 9 List of Maps 11 Acknowledgments 13 Introduction: Foundation Levels 15 1 Pericles’ City 21 THE POWER OF CITIES IS NOT EASY TO JUDGE 21 ATHENS’ POWER IS INTANGIBLE 28 “WE ROSE UP FROM A CITY THAT NO LONGER EXISTED” 35 THE ATHENIANS WILL NOT BE “SLAVES TO THEIR LAND” 43 “WE MUST ABANDON OUR LAND AND HOUSES AND SAFEGUARD THE SEA AND THE CITY” 54 THE ATHENIANS SLOWLY AND WITH DIFFICULTY MIGRATE TO THEIR ISLAND CITY 62 PERICLES WONDERS AT “THE POWER OF THE CITY AS IT REALLY IS” 78 THE MASTERS OF HALF THE WORLD LAMENT THE LOSS OF THEIR HOUSES 88 2 The Sea and the City 96 THE ATHENIANS CHOOSE PERICLES’ CITY 96 PLATAEA “ATTICIZES” AND IS DESTROYED 105 THE ATHENIANS’ “OWN LAND” IS THE EMPIRE AND THE SEA 120 THE NAUKRATORES CLAIM THEIR HALF OF THE WORLD 129 WILL HOME-CONFUSION LEAD TO HOME-WAR? 140 3 The City Sets Sail 149 ATHENS DECIDES TO INVADE SICILY 149 THE CITY-FLEET DEPARTS 165 THE CITY-FLEET GROUNDS IN SICILY 173 THE REMAINING CITY AND THE GREAT NAME OF ATHENS FALLS 181 FEW OUT OF MANY RETURNED HOME 189 4 The Oligarchic City 202 ALCIBIADES AND THE ATHENIANS REDEFINE THE CITY 202 “THE CROWD WAS UPSET FOR THE MOMENT” 209 THE PEOPLE IN ATHENS DO NOT RESIST 215 THE ASSEMBLY DOES NOT RESIST 223 THE COUNCIL DOES NOT RESIST 231 5 The City on Samos 238 THE CITY IN ATHENS WAS QUIET 238 THE SAMIANS RETURN THE FLEET TO DEMOCRACY 244 THE CITY ON SAMOS ABANDONS ATTICA 255 THE SAMIAN-ATHENIANS ALMOST ATTACK “THEMSELVES” 267 THE CITY IS IN ATTICA 279 Works Cited 293 General Index 309 Index Locorum 320 Introduction: Foundation Levels -- Pericles' City -- The Sea And The City -- The City Sets Sail -- The Oligarchic City -- The City On Samos. Martha C. Taylor. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes.