HUMA250 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Olfaction, Agon, Ancient Greek Comedy
HUMA250 Lecture Notes Friday 15th September 2017
Aistophaes Peae
- Peace was first performed at the Dionysia in 421 B.C.E. Athens had been at war with
Sparta and her allies for almost a decade.
- Peace negotiations were underway and had been since the previous summer when
the Athenian and Spartan commanders, War’s two missing pestles (Peace 259-84),
Cleon and Brasidas, fell at the battle of Amphipolis.
- Although the Attic countryside had been safe for the previous three summers, the
memory of agricultural destruction and the experience of displacement from the
fields of Attica remained fresh in the minds of Athenian farmers.
- Peaes plot akes epliit efeees to the fustatios of Atheia ladowners at
the devastation of the Attic countryside during the first seven years of the conflict
- The threat of renewed devastation of the countryside was removed when a treaty
as oluded less tha to eeks afte that eas Cit Diosa, ut the issue as
fa fo deided at the tie of the plas fist pefoae
o Sparta had summoned allies to prepare for an invasion on Athens that spring
- Peloponnesian War began 431 B.C.E and lasted until 404 B.C.E.
o Athens was defeated
o Sparta triumphed
- Various causes for the conflict, however a common one is that in 432 B.C.E. Sparta
heard from the Corinthians that Athens had violated the terms of the truce of 446
B.C.E.
o Athes espoded eidig “pata of thei seies agaist Pesia ad
their military power but Sparta was unconvinced – the threat of war was
imminent
o Thudies ou est soue agued that “pata also feaed Athess goig
power.
o Changing allies, Corcyra and Epidamnus V Corinth and Athens
o The Corinthians accused the Athenians of depriving Greek states their
feedo ith a itet to oloise ee “patas allies
o King Archidamos cautioned Sparta to think before jumping into war with the
ealth ad uik thikig Athes. Despite the aig, “pata felt a lea
and present danger in Athens – the Delphi Oracle was consulted – Apollo
affirmed success would be theirs.
The Spartans want the peace to continue, and it will, if you would allow the Greeks to be
autonomous.
Response from Athens?
- Pericles favoured war and urged Athens to take up arms
- No concession to Spartans but that arbitration should be taken up as set out in the
peace of 446 B.C.E. (Spartans refused arbitration)
- Two very political systems and two very different alliances – conflict was inevitable
Phase One – the Archidamian War 431-421 B.C.E
- Named after King ARchidamos – urged Sparta to be prudent before declaring war
but also invaded Attica on several occasions.
- Not a continuous war. A series of conflicts.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Peace was first performed at the dionysia in 421 b. c. e. Sparta and her allies for almost a decade. Peace negotiations were underway and had been since the previous summer when the athenian and spartan commanders, war"s two missing pestles (peace 259-84), Cleon and brasidas, fell at the battle of amphipolis. Although the attic countryside had been safe for the previous three summers, the memory of agricultural destruction and the experience of displacement from the fields of attica remained fresh in the minds of athenian farmers. Pea(cid:272)e(cid:859)s plot (cid:373)akes e(cid:454)pli(cid:272)it (cid:396)efe(cid:396)e(cid:374)(cid:272)es to the f(cid:396)ust(cid:396)atio(cid:374)s of athe(cid:374)ia(cid:374) la(cid:374)downers at the devastation of the attic countryside during the first seven years of the conflict. Peloponnesian war began 431 b. c. e and lasted until 404 b. c. e: athens was defeated, sparta triumphed. Various causes for the conflict, however a common one is that in 432 b. c. e. Sparta heard from the corinthians that athens had violated the terms of the truce of 446.
