THE PLAGUE OF ATHENS, 429 BC

“Just because you do not take an interest in politics, does not mean that politics will not take an interest in you.”

Pericles, Athenian Statesman

Dear Delegates,

Hello, and thank you all for coming and participating in MASUN this year. For all those returning, welcome back. To those who are new, I welcome you and hope that you return next year with the same enthusiasm you bring this year. My name is Laith Al Saif (pronounced like

Lay-th All Safe) and I will be your Crisis Director. I’m from Great Falls, Virginia, and I’m majoring in both Computer Game Design/Animation and Business Management. In addition, I’m also going for two minors; Integrated Design and Marketing. I play far too many video games than would be considered healthy, I run a few miles most mornings before classes and on the weekends, and I just recently began Archery. I went to Langley High School near the CIA

Headquarters in McLean (it’s the high school the one in American Dad is based on), and won

Virginia State championships three years in a row for Crew. I’m admittedly new to MUN despite my friends’ many attempts to have me attend regularly, and this will be my first time as Crisis

Director, although not my first time on a crisis team. Should any of you need to contact me for any reason: questions, clarifications, uncertain about your seat, want to know how to string a recurve bow; do not hesitate to email me at my GMU email: [email protected].

Sincerely,

Laith Al Saif

Crisis Director [email protected]

Hello,

It’s a pleasure to welcome you all to MASUN 2020. My name is Caroline Dabre and I will be your chair for this committee. I am also the secretary for GMU’s Model UN club. I am currently a sophomore majoring in Government and International Politics. I am from Ashburn,

VA and I have been doing Model UN for about 5 years now, since I was a freshman in high school. I enjoy watching a good comedy, eating good food and telling dumb jokes.

I hope that all of you enjoy researching, learning and debating about the topic that we have. If you have any questions about committee, have any concerns or just want to reach out, please do not hesitate.

Best Wishes,

Caroline Dabre [email protected]

Committee Summary

The Plague of Athens is a crisis committee with some of the top political players of the height of the Hellenistic Warfare period in the Peloponnesian War between Athens, Sparta, and their respective Leagues. A brief understanding of the Peloponnesian War and the political situation of Athenai at the time is invaluable and there are a few resources below to get your toes wet.

You and your fellow Archons have gathered in secret with your underlings at the

Areopagus, the traditional council of Athens, the ruling body before the vaunted democractic council of the Ecclesia. Here, you will decide the fate of the famous Polis of Athenai.

Position papers are not required for Crisis Committees. Computers may not be used during Committee at MASUN. Note-taking booklets will be provided to you. Standard parliamentary procedure as outlined in the delegate handbook will be followed. Junior Archons are to help their superior and will work with them on the committee. Be wary, however, as this is not to say they are without their own ambitions.

It is time for the democratic experiment to end. A plague is ravaging Athens. Rule of Law has disintegrated. It is time to gather power.

Introduction of Participants

I. EPONYMOUS ARCHON

Current holder of the office: Euthydemus

He holds- as most of the archons now- no legitimate power outside of organizing festivals and gathering playwrights, aoidoi, and artisans to Athens. The previous power of the Eponymous

Archon was the head of state. Still holds complete control over Athens, but only alongside the other archons. As an archon, his background is one of luxury, wealth, and high political standing.

He will be doing everything in his power to attempt to regain any of the lost power of the

Eponymous Archon.

II. POLEMARCH ARCHON

Current holder of the office: Xenostheus

He holds- as most of the archons now- no legitimate political power outside of organizing festivals and gathering playwrights, aoidoi, and artisans to Athens. The previous power of the

Polemarch was the complete control over the armies of Athens. Commander in Chief of the

Strategoi, he held high power over military campaigns outside of Attika. He will do everything in his power to regain control of the armies from the worthless Strategoi that had replaced his office, and take control of the navies from the Navarch.

III. BASILEUS ARCHON

Current holder of the office: Dardenus

He holds- as most of the archons now- no legitimate political power outside of organizing festivals and gathering playwrights, aoidoi, and artisans to Athens. The previous power of the

Basileus was the king. Unrivaled in power to even the Eponymous Archons that would follow.

Power was slowly stripped from the Basileus until they were the head of religious affairs and festivals such as Artemisia and Thesmophoria. The Eponymous Archon wishes to be king, but that title is reserved for the Dardenus, Basileus of Athens.

IV. THE SIX THESMOTHETAI

The Six Thesmothetai: Rhytion, Atrius, Thoas, Olenus, Cteatus, Dulichium

The six Thesmothetai are law givers of Athens. High ranking judicial officers that hold real power in both the Areopagus and the Democratic Eclecia, these six men hold power to judge laws and decide what is lawful within the constitution of Athens. To both aid and hinder the

Archons are at the whims of the Thesmothetai. A unanimous vote can complete block the three

Archons, and the backing of the Thesmothetai can grant real power to any of the Archons that hold in their favor. These wealthy and powerful men hold power in the Eclecia, too, and can sway the votes of the Democratic offices.

Figure 1. Pictured above, Peloponnesian League in red, Delian League in yellow at the onset of the war

I. HISTORY

The Greek world is on the brink of war. The absence of the Achaemenid Persian Empire has stretched the tensions between Athenai (Athens) and Sparta to the breaking point. Unable to compromise on which power would receive what territories, Athens and Sparta grew distant after their combined victory in repelling the invasion of Xerxes, King of Kings. While Athens wished to pursue the Persians and extend the Greek world, Sparta wished to wash their hands of the matter. Athens then formed the Delian League with many Poleis (city-states) which eventually forced their allies into becoming mere vassals under a grand Athenian Empire. They swore to continue the war with Persia until it could never pose a threat to the Poleis of Greece again. This allowed Athens to grow their Empire at an alarming rate. In response to the growing power of the Athenians, Sparta created the Peloponnesian League with the other two famous ancient cities of Korinthos (Corinth) and Thebai (Thebes).

Despite the constant pressure from Corinth to declare war on the Athenians, Sparta was reluctant to go back to war so soon. During this time Athens began a monumental building project, spearheaded by Pericles himself. The famous Parthenon and Statue of Athena were built during this project, along with the Long Walls of Athens, which made any siege of the city itself effectively impossible. With Athens now a fortress, the worries of Corinth were not looking so unfounded to the Spartiate Kings.

Now, with many Poleis and their ports under Athenian control, Athens began the construction of a fleet able to control all of the Aegean. Soon, this growing power would drag them into war with Corinth, and only ended when Sparta threatened to join Corinth’s side.

A ‘Thirty-Year Peace’ Treaty was signed, and gave Sparta and Athens two distinct spheres of influence. Athens, with their navy, were to control the Aegean and coastal parts of Greece, while Sparta and their Hoplites were to control the Pelopponese. This ostensibly meant they could co-exist in peace, but continued rising tensions and unease of the constantly growing

Athenian power threatened to tip the scales from even, to Athens. High on hubris and confident in the ability of their navy to strong-arm any Polis to kneel under their growing Empire, Athens issued the Megarian Decree. Megara, a small town firmly under Spartiate protection in the

Ismuth of Corinth, the only way by land into the Pelopponese, was blockaded by the Athenian

Navy. No ship was enter or leave Megara. With food and trade no longer flowing, Megara would soon be choked into submission. At the same time, Athens and Thrace were locked in political disagreement. With Thrace being a long-time ally of Sparta, they called upon them for aid before

Athens blockaded them as well. The Kings of Sparta called for Athens to lift the blockades and repeal the Megarian Decree, but Pericles summarily rejected all offers. Sparta, now at risk of losing their pre-eminent position in the Peloponnesian League, was forced into action. In the

Spring of 432 BC, the Spartiate King, Pleistoanax, marched into Attika, and began the

Peloponnesian War.

II. CURRENT EVENT

Athens is at war. Unable to defeat Sparta and her allies on land, Pericles has devised a plan of retreating into the Long Walls of Athens when the Spartans arrive and harrying the troop movements with the superior Athenian Navy. This has, however, led to severe population increase inside the walls of an already overcrowded city. Shortages and the poor hygiene of the mob led to the city becoming a breeding ground for disease. A plague has swept through Athens and is taking a heavy toll. Riots are breaking out every day. The peasantry is crying in the streets that the gods have forsaken them. The rule of law is broken and the priestesses are unable to use the threat of the gods to quell them. They feel as if the gods have already punished them, or that the gods are not with them. Sparta has burned and sacked most of the surrounding countryside of

Attika, and the city only remains supplied through the port. Should the Spartans make a sizeable navy and punch through, the city will be lost within hours.

However, a populace that is unhappy with how their leaders have governed them are willing to look elsewhere for guidance. The plague must be halted before it claims all of Athenai.

Athens has some of the brightest minds of the time at its disposal: Socrates, Herodotus,

Thucydides, and Hippokrates. And, despite Pericles’ popularity, there are many who oppose him.

Kleon, another popular politician, has publicly denounced Pericles recently. Remember, that outright seizing power will make the mob see you as kings, and depose you quickly.

III. QUESTIONS TO CONSDIER

• How will you stop the plague of Athens?

• How will you go about gaining power without arousing the ire of the mob?

• How can you use your station to gain an edge over the other Archons?

• How will you deal with Sparta and the war?

• What can be done to help show Athenian hegemony?

• What paths are available to you as a powerful politician?

• How can you use public opinion to lower the influence of others?

IV. RESOURCES FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

There are many videos and books about the Peloponnesian War. Many of the contemporarily studied philosophers and thinkers came from this era of Greek history, and so we have many accounts and more secondary sources than could fit a single library. Many of you will already have a loose grasp of the situation from history classes that gloss through ancient Greece.

I have prepared a handful of videos for you all to browse and watch as you wish, but any videos or books from reliable sources about the peloponnesian war or Athens during the time would be acceptable.

• Kings and Generals, Armies and Tactics: Ancient Greek Navies

• Kings and Generals, Armies and Tactics: Greek Armies During the Peloponnesian War

• Kings and Generals, Armies and Tactics: Ancient Greek Siege Warfare

• Historia Civilis, The Constitution of the Spartans

• Historia Civilis, The Constitution of Athens

• CrashCourse, The Persians and Greeks: Crash Course World History #5

V. WORKS CITED

“Ancient Greek Navies.” Youtube / Ancient Greek Navies, Kings and Generals, 3 May 2018, youtu.be/yMfe9SI99j0.

Cawkwell, George. Thucydides and the Peloponnesian War (London: Routledge, 1997), p 67

Kagan, Donald. The Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1989), p. 56

Lambrecht, Eric. “What Were the Causes of the Peloponnesian War?” What Were the Causes of the Peloponnesian War? - DailyHistory.org, 8 June 2019, dailyhistory.org/What_were_the_causes_of_the_Peloponnesian_War?