The Peloponnesian War by Thucydides - 1 - What Caused the War?
Book One
Quote
"The true denial of freedom is not that of the enslaving power, but rather that of the people who have the ability to end the subjection but choose to do nothing about it."
Notes
Thucydides begins by arguing that the Peloponnesian War was in fact bigger and more significant than any conflict in previous history. The Trojan War, he says, was probably exaggerated since it was written by a poet (ie Homer). And the Persian War was not that long and was finished after "two battles at sea and two on land." The Peloponnesian War lasted much longer, caused a lot more suffering and death, and it included major earthquakes, and — even worse — a horrific plague.
As for the cause of the war, Thucydides believes it comes down to Sparta's fear that Athens was becoming too powerful and needed to be attacked before they became the dominant power in Greece. He continues to give more detail of the lead up.
Two Greek cities, Corcyra and Corinth, were in a fight with each other (something that happened a lot amongst the many Greek city states back then) and they both go to Athens to try and convince them to support their side. Corcyra gives a speech saying they have a strong navy and would make a great ally with Athens. Plus, a larger war is looming between Athens and Sparta, so it will be better to have Corcyra's navy on their side than against them in that coming war. Next Corinth gives their speech and say the reason Corcyra isn't part of an alliance already is because no one trusts them or likes them. And, if Athens allies with them to attack Corinth, that would effectively break the existing treaty between Athens and Sparta in place at the moment.
Athens decides to go with Corcyra since they agree that war with Sparta is inevitable and they want to have Corcyra's navy on their side.
Athens joins Corcyra in its fight against Corinth and the fighting sparks more grievances with various Greek cities, including many of Sparta's allies.
The Corinthians set up a meeting at Sparta to complain about what Athens has been doing, and Sparta extends an invitation to all of their allies who have beef with Athens.
The Corinthians give a speech saying Sparta has been too restrained while the Athenians have been causing havoc and growing in power. As a result, they say, Sparta has been neglecting her allies.
Some Athenians happen to be in Sparta on other business. They want a chance to defend themselves against what Corinth is saying and Sparta allows them to speak, too. Athens then reminds everyone of their role and sacrifice in the recent Persian Wars. They argue that the reason their empire has grown is because people want to be part of it. Plus, Athens has been acting more justly than others would who were in their position of power. It's natural for weaker peoples to have grievances against the powerful, no matter how the powerful are acting. And finally, don't be hasty in starting a war with us. That would be bad for everyone.
After these speeches, the Spartans deliberate. Many Spartans want to go to war with Athens, but their king, Archidamus, advises against it. He says it's common for people who have never been in a real war to want to go to one, whereas people who have fought in wars know better. There is nothing wrong with having restraint; it is actually a virtue. "We are not schooled in that useless over-intelligence which can make a brilliant verbal attack on the enemies' plans but fail to match it in consequent action." War is no joke, and Athens will be a strong opponent. Better to take some time to prepare and plan rather than rush into things.
But, the pro-war Spartans speak next. "Let no one try to tell us when we are wronged that we should stop to think about it." In the end, the majority votes for war. They call for a meeting with the rest of their allies to figure out how to proceed.
Sparta makes a series of demands on Athens to restrain their actions and imperial wars. Athens makes counter-demands, and this continues back and forth.
Athens convenes a debate about what to do, seeing a potential war with Sparta on the rise. A "leading Athenian", Pericles, gives a speech to argue they should not give in to any demands, and they shouldn't be afraid of going to war with Sparta either. He says that their control of the sea gives them a huge advantage. He urges everyone to remember their fight against the Persians, and that "the greater danger gives rise to the greatest glory."
After the debate, the Athenians decide they will not give in to Sparta's demands, but for now they will agree to an arbitration.
Key Takeaways
Was war inevitable? It seems like almost all Greeks believed it was. The two rival powers, Athens and Sparta, were bound to clash. King Archidamus of Sparta came closest to speaking against going to war and reminding people of its implications. But even he was arguing more for restraint and taking more time to build up Sparta's resources, rather than taking a position that they should seek peace.
This question also raises a deeper, perhaps more troubling question. Going further than only was this particular war inevitable, is war itself simply inevitable? Will there ever be a time when we have gotten rid of it?
The Greeks make great speeches. Or maybe it's Thucydides' reproduction of them that are amazing to read. He does write that it was difficult to reproduce the speeches exactly, but his "method in this book has been to make each speaker say broadly what I supposed would have been needed on any given occasion, while keeping as closely as I could to the overall intent of what was actually said." So he is adding a bit of his own flourish to them, but they are one of the best parts of reading this book.