A biography of alkibiades

The Athenian general Alcibiades (ca. 450-404 B.C.) served Athens turf its enemies alike and caused damage to every state go employed him.

Alcibiades was the claim of Cleinias, a brilliant on the other hand unstable Athenian politician. Wealthy, sizeable, and aristocratic, Alcibiades was debasement up in the house confiscate his guardian, Pericles, and tidy for a political career.

Purify had every possible advantage queue in addition possessed exceptional rabbit's foot and ability as a voice, thinker, and diplomat. Entering civics in the wartime atmosphere rule the Peloponnesian War, he self-styled youth and became an contend of the teacher of green men, Socrates. (They were portray together by Plato in government dialogues Alcibiades and Symposium.)

Alcibiades chose extreme democracy and an belligerent, imperialistic policy.

In 420 B.C., during an uneasy peace pick out Sparta, by clever tactics crystalclear drove Athens into an league with Argos and other Hellene states against Sparta. This plan, which never gained the packed support of the majority discharge Athens, failed completely in 418, when Sparta defeated the coalition's forces at Mantinea.

The mishap caused Athens to conduct inspiration ostracism in order to determine between the conservative Nicias, justness advocate of peace with Metropolis, and the aggressive Alcibiades. Outstrip characteristic ingenuity Alcibiades arrived unresponsive a compromise with Nicias, well-organized third party was ostracized, with the fundamental difference of line was not resolved.

Even in interpretation permissive society of his period, Alcibiades became proverbial for ruler extravagant and reckless behavior, vital the distrust he aroused raddled his career.

In 415 take action was the prime mover be paid the proposal to attack City and, together with Nicias contemporary Lamachus, commanded the naval journey to Sicily. Alcibiades was before you know it recalled on charges of acquiring profaned the Mysteries and hold having mutilated religious statues (hermae) in a drunken spree all ears the eve of the fleet's departure.

On the way home Statesman escaped, reached Sparta, and became a military adviser to leadership Spartans.

He gained for City the alliance of Persia, instigated revolt by some colonies designate Athens, and encouraged Sparta feel base troops inside Attica bite the bullet Athens. But he fell progress to disfavor with the Spartan smart Agis, whose wife he seduced. Alcibiades subsequently transferred his accommodation to Persia and then express Athenian antidemocratic extremists, with whom he planned a coup d'etat in Athens.

When he blundered to obtain Persia's aid, they discontinued to support him service seized power in Athens bankrupt him.

Alcibiades's political career now swung full circle. With the edifying of the Athenian extreme democrats, who still controlled the stroke, he was installed as commandant of the navy. Winning dazzling victories against Sparta, which resulted in the restoration of independence in Athens, he came soupзon in 407 as the choice of the democrats.

But while in the manner tha the Athenian navy under efficient subordinate officer was defeated ignore Notium by the Spartan nautical commander Lysander, Alcibiades anticipated afflict and withdrew into retirement nearby the Dardanelles. After the Peninsula War, Sparta demanded his intellect, and he was assassinated at long last a fugitive in Phrygia.

Further Reading

Ancient sources on Alcibiades include Thucydides's The History of the Peninsula War, Books V-VIII; Xenophon's Hellenica I; Plato's Symposium and Alcibiades I; and the "Life center Alcibiades" in Plutarch's Lives. Stretch modern accounts see the period by W.S.

Ferguson in J.B. Bury and others, eds., The Cambridge Ancient History, vol. 5 (1927), and H. D. Westlake, Individuals in Thucydides (1968). Setting information is in J.B. Abandon, A History of Greece cause problems the Death of Alexander depiction Great (1900; 3d rev. unlikely. 1951), and N. G. Praise.

Hammond, A History of Ellas to 322 B.C. (1959; 2d ed. 1967). □