fifty frenchmen can't be wrong (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
some_stars) wrote2010-10-28 01:35 am
some_stars) wrote2010-10-28 01:35 am
(no subject)
I have an exam in my ancient Greek history class tomorrow--well, today--covering the Peleponnesian war (do not tell me if I spelled Pellepponnessiannn wrong, I no longer care) and part of my studying strategy is to reread all the notes I took during classes and rewrite/rephrase the essential points in a new text document, because the phsyical act of writing/typing helps nail ideas into my brainmeats. and it's getting very late and I'm getting really frustrated with Athens and so this has ensued:
Pericles rescues helots from spartans, establishes them in new colony, Naupactus: located to dominate Corinthian trade (Corinth are allies of Spartans)
SPOILER: WILL CAUSE WAR
453, Egypt disaster except I don't actually care about that
LET US NOW DETOUR INTO: ~*~The Greek Mind~*~ [[seriously I don't know why this lecture was crammed in the middle of "immediate buildup to Pelewhatever war" instead of, perhaps, leading INTO that? maybe?]]
Pericles guarantees Athens must win, if they don't DO ANYTHING STUPID.
second year of war=EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE
AND THEN: ALCIBIADES.
war brings opportunities and nicias is a LOSER and peace SUCKS
melos makes speech about how athenians have no right to attack them, it's wrong acc to custom and convention
athenians: FUCK ALL Y'ALL AND YOUR NOMOS, physis rules \m/ \m/
Alc. favors the genocide but it still doesn't start the war up again DAMMIT >:(
biggest expedition EVER
in charge: alcibiades, nicias, and the other dude (lamachus) (not that it matters)
so now the expedition's leadership is unopposedly against the whole idea. THIS WILL WORK GREAT, GREEKS.
nicias sends to athens for help getting out. athens sends another 134 ships because it is the foundation of all great western thought.
syracusans win in 413 OF COURSE. athenians fleeing on foot are all killed except the hardcore euripides fans which is an AWESOME way to run a war crime.
another costly athenian victory
so the athenians EXECUTE THE GENERALS. WHO JUST WON. because athenians are fucking dicks.
and then I took a break to write this. BACK TO THESALT SILVER MINES.
edit: my theory on why Alcibiades came down from his castle of exile to warn the Athenians at Aegospotami (much good it did, due to how Athenians are as previously mentioned the glorious shining intellectual lights of Western civilization) is that, despite not having any actual patriotism or in fact any genuine emotions about anything outside of the general topic-area of "Shit Alcibiades Wants," he just couldn't bear to witness that level of TOTAL FUCKING STUPIDITY committed by anyone. Even if they had just run him out of the city again and he had spent years advising their enemies to great success, he could not just stand idly by while people were being idiots where he could see them. Please do not attempt to correct any part of this theory with facts, it's keeping me sane.
Pericles rescues helots from spartans, establishes them in new colony, Naupactus: located to dominate Corinthian trade (Corinth are allies of Spartans)
SPOILER: WILL CAUSE WAR
453, Egypt disaster except I don't actually care about that
LET US NOW DETOUR INTO: ~*~The Greek Mind~*~ [[seriously I don't know why this lecture was crammed in the middle of "immediate buildup to Pelewhatever war" instead of, perhaps, leading INTO that? maybe?]]
Pericles guarantees Athens must win, if they don't DO ANYTHING STUPID.
second year of war=EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE
AND THEN: ALCIBIADES.
war brings opportunities and nicias is a LOSER and peace SUCKS
melos makes speech about how athenians have no right to attack them, it's wrong acc to custom and convention
athenians: FUCK ALL Y'ALL AND YOUR NOMOS, physis rules \m/ \m/
Alc. favors the genocide but it still doesn't start the war up again DAMMIT >:(
biggest expedition EVER
in charge: alcibiades, nicias, and the other dude (lamachus) (not that it matters)
so now the expedition's leadership is unopposedly against the whole idea. THIS WILL WORK GREAT, GREEKS.
nicias sends to athens for help getting out. athens sends another 134 ships because it is the foundation of all great western thought.
syracusans win in 413 OF COURSE. athenians fleeing on foot are all killed except the hardcore euripides fans which is an AWESOME way to run a war crime.
another costly athenian victory
so the athenians EXECUTE THE GENERALS. WHO JUST WON. because athenians are fucking dicks.
and then I took a break to write this. BACK TO THE
edit: my theory on why Alcibiades came down from his castle of exile to warn the Athenians at Aegospotami (much good it did, due to how Athenians are as previously mentioned the glorious shining intellectual lights of Western civilization) is that, despite not having any actual patriotism or in fact any genuine emotions about anything outside of the general topic-area of "Shit Alcibiades Wants," he just couldn't bear to witness that level of TOTAL FUCKING STUPIDITY committed by anyone. Even if they had just run him out of the city again and he had spent years advising their enemies to great success, he could not just stand idly by while people were being idiots where he could see them. Please do not attempt to correct any part of this theory with facts, it's keeping me sane.
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