HISTORYHISTORY —STRUGGLEFORFREEDOM Lessons of the Peloponnesian War Althoughthecurrent“waronterror”andthePeloponnesianWarinancientGreeceare separatedbyover2,400years,theirsimilaritiesarestriking,instructive,andcautionary. by Joe Wolverton II, J.D. Delay not, fellow-allies, but con- vincedofthenecessityofthecrisis, andthewisdomofthiscounsel,vote forthewar,undeterredbyitsimme - diateterrors,butlookingbeyondto thelastingpeacebywhichitwillbe succeeded.Outofwarpeacegains freshstability. Corcyra —Speechdeliveredbythe Corinthianspleadingwiththe Spartanstorenewthewar withAthens,asquotedby Thucydidesin TheHistory Megara Athens ofthePeloponnesianWar Corinth ATTICA freepeopleembroiledinanin- creasingly unpopular war, a SicilianSea Sparta A mounting death toll, unilateral pursuitofthe“spreadingofdemocracy,” unsuccessfuleconomicsanctionsfollowed bymilitaryinterventionand“liberation,” politicianspromisingtheeventualestab - lishmentoflastingpeacethroughapolicy CreatanSea ofpreemptivestrikes,officialpronounce - mentsthattheliveslostin“defenseof freedom”willnotbeinvain,andfalse eracyknownastheDelianLeague)and ofSparta.ThePeloponnesianWarbegan reassuranceofthenecessityofpreventive itssuperpowerrival,Sparta(theleaderof roughlyin431B.C.whenAthens,under war.DoesthisdescribeAmericaof2005 thePeloponnesianLeague).Therearefew itsrenownedgeneralPericles,interfered andthe“waronterror?”Yes,butitalso statementsmoreaxiomaticthan“thepast inabattlebetweenaSpartanally,Corinth, describesAthensof421B.C.andthePelo - isprologue.”ThekeytoinoculatingAmer - andCorcyra,preventingCorinthfromin - ponnesianWar.Thesimilaritiesbetween icaagainstthediseasesthatinfectedand vadingCorcyra.Followingcloselyafter thesetwoconflictsarestrikingandshould destroyedtheancientGreekcity-statesis thisintervention,Athensplacedanother becautionary. tobecomecoronersexaminingthelifeless Spartan ally, Megara, under oppressive Thosetwowars,separatedbyagulf bodiesoftherepublicsofthepastinorder economicsanctions,forbiddingthesmall ofnearlytwoandahalfmillennia,have todiscoverthecausesoftheirdemiseand Doriancity-statefromtradingwithAthens muchincommon.Asthelegateesofasys - thereby avoid succumbing to the same orhercolonies.Spartaansweredbyinvad - temoforderedlibertygreatlyinfluenced maladies. ingthelandssurroundingAthensknown byancientAthens,wecanlearnagreat Although it occurred more than two asAttica.Periclesallowedtheinhabitants dealfromtherecordofthePeloponnesian millenniaago,thewarbetweenAthens oftheseAthenianhinterlandswithinthe Warpreservedbythefirstgreathistorian, andSpartaisprobablystudiedmorethan walls ofAthens, and he orderedAthe - ThucydidesofAthens,wholivedduring anyotherwarinthehistoryofman.The nianfootsoldierstoengagetheSpartan thetimeofthewar. warlastedsolongthatgrandfathers,fa - forces. thers,andsonsallfoughtinbattlescol - Pericles’defensivestrategyworkedfora History’s Warning Voice lectivelyknownasthePeloponnesianWar. while,andtheSpartansiegeofAtticawas It is fromThucydides that we get our Enmityhadlongexistedbetweenthepow - relatively unsuccessful. However, what primaryrecordoftheworld-alteringwar erfulmaritimedemocracyofAthensand Spartacouldnotdowithmilitarymight, betweenAthens(asleaderoftheconfed - theequallypotentland-basedcity-state a physical plague accomplished rather THE NEW AMERICAN • JANUARY 9, 2006 37 HISTORYHISTORY —STRUGGLEFORFREEDOM wasnotonlyunsuccessfulinits such interposition prevented wider war Exuberance at the beginning of martial questtoexportdemocracy,but fromspreadingtothewholeofthePelo - itfounditselfundertheruleof ponnesianpeninsulaandbringingterrorto ventures is easy. However, just as tyrantswhobroughttoanend Athens’citizens.Athensbeganitspolicy Pericles could not foresee the physical theGoldenAgeofAthens. ofpreventivewarbyimposingharsheco - According to the chronicle nomicsanctionsontheSpartansatellites, plague that would cripple Athens, there ofThucydides,thewar’sroots andwhenthesesmallercommunitiesre - are undoubtedly plagues, moral and can be traced to an attack by sistedsuchAthenianheavy-handedness, thePersians,afterwhichseveral Athensimposedherwillatthepointofa physical, that lay beyond the myopic Greek city-states formed the sword. view of modern American imperialists. DelianLeague,withAthensas AsAthens began losing battles and themostpowerfulmember.The sufferingnumerouscasualtiesasaconse - DelianLeagueusedthePersian quenceofitsdisastrousattemptsatestab - quickly.Justafter430B.C.,aplague(per- attackontheirhomelandasanexcuseto lishingitspeninsula-widedominance,the hapsbubonic)decimatedAthens,killing establishastandingnavy.Asthelargest citizensofAthensbegandoubtingthejust - roughlyone-quarterofthecity’spopula - memberofthisconfederacy,Athensex - nessofthewar,thewisdomofitsleaders’ tion,includingPericles.Uponrecovering erciseddefactocontroloverthepurse headlongmarchintobattleswithinvented fromtheplague,Athens’newleadership andbyexercisingsuchcontrol,converted enemies, and the questionable threats setabouttakingthewartotheSpartans theDelianLeagueintonothingmoreor thoseenemiesposedtoAthenianfamilies andforthenext26years(withtheexcep - lessthananAthenianempire.Inaneffort andhomes.Itwasatafuneralservicefor tionofasixyearcessationofhostilities) to demonstrate its new imperial might, Atheniansoldierswhodiedinwaragainst AthensandSpartatradedvictories. Athensjealouslygazeduponitspeninsu - Spartaandheralliesthatwegetwhatis Finally,in404B.C.,adebilitatedand larrival,Sparta,anddecideditwastim e widelyheldtobethemostinfluentialand humiliatedAthenssurrenderedtotheSpar - toassertitselfandmoveoutofSparta’s motivationalspeechdeliveredduringthis tan commander, Lysander, and the war shadow. eraofhistory—thefuneralo ration of cametoanend.ThewarcostAthensher Pericles. treasure,herprestige,herself-government, War: The Womb of Empire PericleswasanAthenian strategos ,or andthelivesofthousandsofheryoung Athensbeganflexingitsstrengthbyuni- general, charged with propounding the men.Thesaddestaspectofthisseemingly laterallyinterveningindisputesbetween Athenian strategy for winning the war unnecessarywarbetweenGreece’stwo Sparta’salliesaroundtheyear431B.C. againstSparta.Hiseulogy,deliveredin greatestcitiesisthatintheend,Athens TheofficialAthenianjustificationwasthat 430B.C.,representedtheAthenianad - ministration’s best opportunity to reas - sertthenecessityofwaragainstSparta. Periclessoughttoconvincethewavering Atheniansthattheircausewasjustand thatonlythroughtakingthewartoSparta couldAthensbekeptsafefromfutureat - tackonitshomesoil. Inthis,Pericles’taskwassimilartothat oftheBushadministrationasitseeksto rallysupportforthewarinIraq.Thatwar hasalreadysacrificedthelivesofover 2,300Americansoldiersonthealtarof Americanimperialism.Itwasamorbid milestonesuchasthisthatprovidedthe settingforPericles’famousoration. Periclesknewthewarwasnotgoing thewayheandotherAthenianleaders hadpromisedandthatthedeathtollwas mountingandwouldonlycontinuetoin - crease.Herecognizedthattheoccasion ofafuneralfornobleveteranswouldbe palpablyemotionalandthathecoulduse thissemi-religiouseventtoremindAthe - The Athenian fleet, depicted here in battle in the harbor of Syracuse, helped make that city-state niansoftheirdutytopromotetheirform the dominant power in the ancient Delian League. It also created the temptation for Athens to ofself-governmentthroughouttheknown intervene needlessly in conflicts abroad. worldandtopreventbellicoseSpartafrom 38 THE NEW AMERICAN • JANUARY 9, 2006 bringingwarhometoAthens.Inhisora- tion,Periclesstatedthatitwouldbefartoo riskytochangepolicyandleavethejob halfdone.Onlybypersistinginfighting couldAthensbeassuredoflastingpeace. (Thewar,itshouldbeherenoted,lasted another25years!) CommentatorGaryNorthdescribesthe themeofPericles’speechas“Don’tMess WithAthens.”Init,Periclesdeclaredthat Athenswassuperiorineverywaytoits neighbors, especially when it came to Athens’formofgovernment,aformof governmentthatshouldbeimposedonall whoresisted:“Ourconstitutiondoesnot copythelawsofneighboringstates;we areratherapatterntoothersthanimitators ourselves.” That is to say,Athens’ form of gov - ernmentwasbestanditsfallenwarriors broughtthatformofgovernmenttoother less-enlightenedpartsoftheworld,wheth - Democratic demagogue: Pericles used his famous funeral oration to extol the superiority of ertheylikeditornot.Thisisalevelof Athens and to assert the supposed necessity of a generation-long war to export democracy to the hubristhatshouldbefamiliartomodern known world. Americans. Periclesreassuredthemourningfamilies allgoalswouldbeaccomplishedsuccess - gular,acquiringourfriendsbyconferring, ofthefallensoldiersthatthecosttoAth - fullyandallinterveningdifficultieswould not[by]receivingfavors.Yet,ofcourse, enswouldnotbeverygreat(easytosay, beforgottenintheunitingandwarming thedoerofthefavoristhefirmerfriendof perhaps,whenitisn’tyourdeadsonlying afterglowofvictory:“Insteadoflooking thetwo,inorderbycontinuedkindnessto onthefuneralpyre).Athenswasstrong ondiscussionasastumbling-blockinthe keeptherecipientinhisdebt.” andfree,hepointedout,anditwouldbe wayofaction,wethinkitanindispens - Unfortunately,Thucydidesrecordsthat shamefulforAthenianstositidlyby,with - ablepreliminarytoanywiseactionatall. Athens was ultimately unsuccessful at outusingtheirstrengthtobringthebless - Again,inourenterpriseswepresentthe purchasingpeace:Spartaandherallies ingsoffreedomtothosestillwandering singularspectacleofdaringanddelibera - foughtforovertwodecadestoresistbeing aboutinthedarknessoftyranny.Thiswar tion,eachcarriedtoitshighestpoint,and subsumedintoagreaterAthenianempire, wasAthens’sacredduty,regardlessofthe bothunitedinthesamepersons;although