alcibiades the younger

Alcibi… Nor can you look at inaction from the same point of view as others, unless you are prepared to change your habits and make them like theirs. Isocrates asserts that Alcibiades was never a pupil of Socrates. He demanded an immediate inquiry, but his enemies, led by Androcles (the successor of Hyperbolus), ensured that he sailed with the charge still hanging over him. Only the support of the Persian land army and the coming of night saved the Peloponnesian fleet from complete destruction. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. [113] His property was restored and the ecclesia elected him supreme commander of land and sea (strategos autokrator). According to Thucydides, Alcibiades immediately began to do all he could with Tissaphernes to injure the Peloponnesian cause. The Ecclesia deposed Phrynichus and elected Pisander and ten other envoys to negotiate with Tissaphernes and Alcibiades. [61] It is alleged that Astyochus, a Spartan Admiral, was sent orders to kill him, but Alcibiades received warning of this order and defected to the Persian satrap Tissaphernes, who had been supporting the Peloponnesian forces financially in 412 BC. [117] Antiochus's ship was sunk, and he was killed by a sudden Spartan attack; the remaining ships of the decoy force were then chased headlong back toward Notium, where the main Athenian force was caught unprepared by the sudden arrival of the whole Spartan fleet. Socrates : Son of Cleinias, I think it Alcibiades the Younger (Q15984269) From Wikidata. He was, however, impressed by the moral strength and the keen mind of the philosopher Socrates, who, in turn, was strongly attracted by Alcibiades’ beauty and intellectual promise. During the 420s Alcibiades was best known for his personal extravagance and his courage in battle; but he had also become a recognized speaker in the Ecclesia (assembly), and as Athens moved toward peace, he hoped that the ties that had once existed between his family and Sparta would enable him to secure the credit for bringing peace to Athens. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Therefore, the orator was "the institution of the city talking to—and loving—itself". [135] Sharon Press of Brown University points out that Xenophon emphasizes Alcibiades's service to the state, rather than the harm he was charged with causing it. This was in direct contradiction to what they had said the day before, and Alcibiades seized on this opportunity to denounce their character, cast suspicion on their aims, and destroy their credibility. According to Diodorus Siculus, Alcibiades advanced with a small squadron in order to draw the Spartans out to battle, and, after he successfully deceived Mindarus with this ploy, the squadrons of Thrasybulus and Theramenes came to join him, cutting off the Spartans' retreat. The younger male was expected to follow a code of behavior that is taught to girls these days, i.e., not to be sexually aggressive, to resist sexual advances, and not to give in too easily. Miltiades the Younger, (born c. 554 bc, Athens [Greece]—died probably 489 bc, Athens), Athenian general who led Athenian forces to victory over the Persians at the Battle of Marathon in 490.. [2][104], From here Alcibiades joined in the siege of Byzantium along with Theramenes and Thrasyllus. A handsome youth like Alcibiades would naturally, then, have attracted many older male admirers. Alcibiades the Younger, who is prosecuted in these two speeches, was probably born in 416 b.c., a year before his father’s disgrace and banishment from Athens.At the time of this trial (395 b.c. [54] This was part of Alcibiades's plan to renew the war with Athens in Attica. [80], After a time, Thrasybulus persuaded the assembled troops to vote Alcibiades's recall, a policy that he had supported since before the coup. Alcibiades however gained no credit, because Phrynichus had anticipated Alcibiades's letter and, before the accusations could arrive, told the army that he had received information of an enemy plan to attack the camp and that they should fortify Samos as quickly as possible. Kagan has suggested that Thrasybulus was one of the founding members of the scheme and was willing to support moderate oligarchy, but was alienated by the extreme actions taken by the plotters. [134] On the other hand, Diodorus argues that he was "in spirit brilliant and intent upon great enterprises". [136], Plutarch asserts that "Alcibiades was a most able speaker in addition to his other gifts", while Theophrastus argues that Alcibiades was the most capable of discovering and understanding what was required in a given case. [139] One of Isocrates' speeches, delivered by Alcibiades the Younger, argues that the statesman deserved the Athenians' gratitude for the service he had given them. The family of Cleinias had old connections with the Spartan aristocracy through a relationship of xenia, and the name "Alcibiades" was of Spartan origin. In this he failed and, discarded by the oligarchs who had seized power, he was recalled by the Athenian fleet, which remained loyal to the democracy and needed his abilities. In the ensuing panic Alcibiades was accused of being the originator of the sacrilege as well as of having profaned the Eleusinian Mysteries. [98][99] A letter dispatched to Sparta by Hippocrates, vice-admiral under Mindarus, was intercepted and taken to Athens; it ran as follows: "The ships are lost. [127] Alcibiades was one of several Greek aristocrats who took refuge in the Achaemenid Empire following reversals at home, other famous ones being Themistocles, Hippias, Demaratos and Gongylos. human. [77] Alcibiades realized this and, by presenting the Athenians with stiffer and stiffer demands on Tissaphernes's behalf, attempted to convince them that he had persuaded Tissaphernes to support them, but that they had not conceded enough to him. [i], In 404 BC, as he was about to set out for the Persian court, his residence was surrounded and set on fire. He promoted himself as the “unifier,” just as Trump has vowed he will be a force for bipartisanship. Corrections? Pisander won the argument, putting Alcibiades and his promises at the center. [38] In spite of Alcibiades's enthusiastic advocacy for the plan, it was Nicias, not he, who turned a modest undertaking into a massive campaign and made the conquest of Sicily seem possible and safe. [98] According to Anthony Andrewes, professor of ancient history, the extravagant hopes that his successes of the previous summer had created were a decisive element in his downfall. [93], After an interlude of several months in which the Peloponnesians constructed new ships and the Athenians besieged cities and raised money throughout the Aegean, the next major sea battle took place the spring of 410 BC at Cyzicus. His bride brought with her a large dowry, which significantly increased Alcibiades' already substantial family fortune. As a young man he is reported to have taken part in some of the battles that were precursors to the Peloponnesian War. [65] In general, those were generously welcomed by the Achaemenid kings, and received land grants to support them, and ruled in various cities of Asia Minor. He finally sailed to Gytheion to make inquiries, partly about the reported preparations of the Spartans there, and partly about the feelings in Athens about his return. Alcibiades tried to convince the satrap that it was in Persia's interest to wear both Athens and Sparta out at first, "and after docking the Athenian power as much as he could, forthwith to rid the country of the Peloponnesians". Language Label Description Also known as; English: Alcibiades the Younger. Alcibiades is not held responsible by Thucydides for the destruction of Athens, since "his habits gave offence to every one, and caused the Athenians to commit affairs to other hands, and thus before long to ruin the city". Alcibiades went to live with his uncle, who happened to be none other than the greatest democratic statesman in Athens, Pericles. Plutarch mentions Alcibiades's advice, writing that "he rode up on horseback and read the generals a lesson. [122][125] Days later the fleet would be annihilated by Lysander. [2] His performance is judged as skillful by historians, since it saved time, resources, and lives and still fully achieved his goal. Alcibiades, son of Cleinias[a] /ˌælsəˈbaɪədiz/ Ancient Greek: Ἀλκιβιάδης, romanized: Alkibiádēs, [alkibiádɛːs]; (c. 450–404 BC), from the deme of Scambonidae, was a prominent Athenian statesman, orator, and general. against Alcibiades the younger are preserved) or to the Socratic Aeschines (who wrote a famous dialogue dealing with Alcibiades) may have encouraged the assumption that it is the work of an other-wise unknown pupil of a sophist. Historians Arnold W. Gomme and Raphael Sealey believe, and Thucydides reports,[26] that Alcibiades was offended that the Spartans had negotiated that treaty through Nicias and Laches, overlooking him on account of his youth. 1941), "Alcibiades I, by Plato (see Appendix I)", "Comparison of Alcibiades with Coriolanus", "Alcibiades was an Athenian general in the Peloponnesian War", "Alcibiades: Aristocratic Ideal or Antisocial Personality Disorder", "Good Man, Bad Man, Traitor: Aspects of Alcibiades", "Thucydides and Civil War: the Case of Alcibiades", "Alcibiades, Athens, and the Human Condition in Thucydides' History", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alcibiades&oldid=1002858430, Ancient Greek emigrants to the Achaemenid Empire, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Wikipedia articles with CANTIC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, "Men do not rest content with parrying the attacks of a superior, but often strike the first blow to prevent the attack being made. After their victory, Alcibiades and Thrasybulus began the siege of Chalcedon in 409 BC with about 190 ships. … These factors caused the rapid growth of the Peloponnesian fleet at the expense of the Athenian. Throughout his life, he remained excessively … son of Alcibiades. He plotted with a pro-Athenian party within the city and offered the Selymbrians reasonable terms and imposed strict discipline to see that they were observed. [88][90] The Persian satrap Pharnabazus, who had replaced Tissaphernes as the sponsor of the Peloponnesian fleet, moved his land army to the shore to defend the ships and sailors who had beached their ships. [58] Leotychides, the son born by Agis's wife Timaea, Queen of Sparta, shortly after this, was believed by many to be Alcibiades's son. Lastly, and most importantly, he told the satrap to be in no hurry to bring the Persian fleet into the conflict, as the longer the war dragged out the more exhausted the combatants would become. [84] It was primarily Alcibiades, along with Thrasybulus, who calmed the people and showed them the folly of this proposal, which would have sparked civil war and led to the immediate defeat of Athens. [118], Responsibility for the defeat ultimately fell on Alcibiades, and his enemies used the opportunity to attack him and have him removed from command, although some modern scholars believe that Alcibiades was unfairly blamed for Antiochus's mistake. He seized her in court and carried her home again through the crowded Agora. Alcibiades had remained behind at Samos with a small force while Thrasybulus and Thrasyllus led the greater part of the fleet to the Hellespont. [112] The procession had been replaced by a journey by sea, but this year Alcibiades used a detachment of soldiers to escort the traditional procession. When Alcibiades entered public life, he had two rivals;one was Nicias, a man advanced in years, and one of thebest generals of his day, the other Phæax, a youth justbeginning to make his way. Alcibiades Alcibiades, the young, beautiful man and follower of Socrates, bombastically and ‘very drunkenly’ intrudes into the party, demanding to be taken to Agathon. In fact, he roused them so much that they proposed to sail at once for Piraeus and attack the oligarchs in Athens. "[153] A similar assessment is made by Hervey Cleckley at the end of chapter 5 in his The Mask of Sanity. [81] Plutarch claims that the army sent for Alcibiades so as to use his help in putting down the tyrants in Athens. Alcibiades could not practice his master’s virtues, and his example of undisciplined and restless ambition strengthened the charge brought against Socrates in 399 of corrupting the youth of Athens. edit. Alcibiades is one of the most famous (or infamous) characters of Classical Greece. His father, Clinias, having fitted out a galley at his own expense, gained great honour in the sea-fight at Artemisium, and was afterwards slain in the battle of Coronea, … According to the historian Thucydides, who knew Alcibiades well and judged him dispassionately, it was the fact that the Spartans instead chose to negotiate through established political leaders that dictated Alcibiades’ subsequent choice of policies. Almost certainly Nicias's intention was to shock the assembly with his high estimate of the forces required, but, instead of dissuading his fellow citizens, his analysis made them all the more eager. [h] In any case, the Generals of the Athenians, "considering that in case of defeat the blame would attach to them and that in case of success all men would attribute it to Alcibiades", asked him to leave and not come near the camp ever again. Alcibiades' mother was Deinomache, the daughter of Megacles, head of the powerful Alcmaeonid family, and could trace her family back to Eurysaces and the Telamonian Ajax. With the support of these men and the Athenian soldiers in general, the Samian democrats were able to defeat the 300 Samian oligarchs who attempted to seize power there. [74], Despite these events, Pisander and the other envoys of the conspirators arrived at Athens and made a speech before the people. Nevertheless, he would often stumble in the midst of his speech, but then he would resume and proceed with all the caution in the world. He sets an example for those around him by not reciprocating the romantic advancements of Alcibiades, a man younger than him. [150] For his part, David Gribble argues that Alcibiades's actions against his city were misunderstood and believes that "the tension which led to Alcibiades's split with the city was between purely personal and civic values". On the designated night the defenders left their posts, and the Athenians attacked the Peloponnesian garrison in the city and their boats in the harbor. [116] Alcibiades was aware the Spartan fleet was nearby, so he left nearly eighty ships to watch them under the command of his personal helmsman Antiochus, who was given express orders not to attack. [128] Though many of his details cannot be independently corroborated, Plutarch's version is this: Lysander sent an envoy to Pharnabazus who then dispatched his brother to Phrygia where Alcibiades was living with his mistress, Timandra. He took refuge in Phrygia in northwestern Asia Minor with the Persian governor, who was induced by the Spartans to have him murdered. [160], Kagan believes that while Alcibiades was a commander of considerable ability, he was no military genius, and his confidence and ambitions went far beyond his skills. Alcibiades’ guardian, the statesman Pericles, a distant relation, was too preoccupied with political leadership to provide the guidance and affection that the boy needed. [75], At this point, Alcibiades's scheme encountered a great obstacle. [36] This request was denied, and the fleet set sail soon after, with the charges unresolved.[44]. He is extremely proud of his good looks, noble birth, many friends, possessions and his connection to Pericles, the leader of the Athenian state. “First Alcibiades,” or just “Alcibiades,” as our text is alternatively called, presents a dialogue between Socrates and the young and beautiful Alcibiades, who hasn’t thought too carefully about his ambitious plans for life. [33] This incident reveals that Nicias and Alcibiades each commanded a personal following, whose votes were determined by the wishes of the leaders. He failed to take Andros and then he went on to Samos. [58] Even more critically, Athanasios G. Platias and Constantinos Koliopoulos, professors of strategic studies and international politics, state that Alcibiades's own arguments "should be sufficient to do away with the notion that Alcibiades was a great statesman, as some people still believe". [41] Philosopher Leo Strauss underscores that the Sicilian expedition surpassed everything undertaken by Pericles. ", "Our party was that of the whole people, our creed being to do our part in preserving the form of government under which the city enjoyed the utmost greatness and freedom, and which we had found existing. A portion of the citizens of the city, demoralized and hungry, decided to surrender the city to Alcibiades for similar terms as the Selymbrians had received. Jump to navigation Jump to search. The image captures the standard view of Socrates: as poor and ugly. Translated from the French by J C Rawnsley. Alcibiades, who is described as a very young man, is about to enter on public life, having an inordinate opinion of himself, and an extravagant ambition. [g][96], The Spartan fleet suffered losses in the flight and reached the shore with the Athenians in close pursuit. [4] According to Plutarch, Hipparete loved her husband, but she attempted to divorce him because he consorted with courtesans but prevented her from appearing at court. Alcibiades, as it is supposed, was anciently descended from Eurysaces, the son of Ajax, by his father's side; and by his mother's side from Alcmaeon. [6] Alcibiades thereby, through his mother, belonged to the powerful and controversial family of the Alcmaeonidae; the renowned Pericles and his brother Ariphron were Deinomache's cousins, as her father and their mother were siblings. [d] Alcibiades had a particularly close relationship with Socrates, whom he admired and respected. As he grew up, Alcibiades was strikingly handsome and keen witted, but … [53] Yale historian Donald Kagan believes that Alcibiades knowingly exaggerated the plans of the Athenians to convince the Spartans of the benefit they stood to gain from his help. In 416 Alcibiades restored his reputation by entering seven chariots at Olympia and taking first, second, and fourth places. [43], One night during preparations for the expedition, the hermai, heads of the god Hermes on a plinth with a phallus, were mutilated throughout Athens. His father was Cleinias, and he was killed in battle when Alcibiades was quite young. [101] Although unable to attain a decisive victory or induce the city to surrender, Alcibiades was able to win a small tactical land battle outside of the city gates and Theramenes concluded an agreement with the Chalcedonians. Alcibiades soon returned and desperately tried to undo the defeat at Notium by scoring another victory, but Lysander could not be compelled to attack the fleet again. Dinomache, his mother, was the daughter of Megacles. He lived from about 450 to 404 B.C. This new revenue started to attract Athenian deserters to the Spartan navy. [85], Presently Alcibiades sailed to Tissaphernes with a detachment of ships. He was, quite simply, one of the most astonishing figures in all antiquity. I (1) ALCIBIADES, as it is supposed, was anciently descended from Eurysaces, the son of Ajax, by his father's side; and by his mother's side from Alcmaeon. At his urging, the satrap reduced the payments he was making to the Peloponnesian fleet and began delivering them irregularly. Translated in English by Arthur H. Clough (New York: Collier Press, 1909). 1451b.11); tragedy, by de facto mother. [68] The involvement in the plot of another General, Thrasybulus, remains unclear. [55] By doing this, the Spartans cut the Athenians off entirely from their homes and crops and the silver mines of Sunium. [102] Afterwards they concluded a temporary alliance with Pharnabazus which secured some much needed immediate cash for the army, but despite this Alcibiades was still forced to depart in search for more booty to pay the soldiers and oarsmen of the fleet. Additionally the Spartans had replaced Mindarus with Lysander, a very capable admiral. [84] According to the historian, Alcibiades had long known that Tissaphernes never meant to bring the fleet at all.[86]. [138] Paparrigopoulos does not accept Demosthenes's opinion, but acknowledges that the Athenian statesman could sufficiently support his case. [138] For Demosthenes and other orators, Alcibiades epitomized the figure of the great man during the glorious days of the Athenian democracy and became a rhetorical symbol. [j] According to Vlachos, the expedition had nothing of the extravagant or adventurous and constituted a rational strategic decision based on traditional Athenian aspirations. Dinomache, his mother, was the daughter of Megacles. Kagan argues that at Notium, Alcibiades committed a serious error in leaving the fleet in the hands of an inexperienced officer, and that most of the credit for the brilliant victory at Cyzicus must be assigned to Thrasybulus. [7] His maternal grandfather, also named Alcibiades, was a friend of Cleisthenes, the famous constitutional reformer of the late 6th century BC. [167], Alcibiades has not been spared by ancient comedy and stories attest to an epic confrontation between Alcibiades and Eupolis resembling that between Aristophanes and Cleon. The next significant part he would play in the war would occur at the Battle of Abydos. In 412 Alcibiades helped stir up revolt among Athenian allies in Ionia, on the west coast of Asia Minor; but Sparta now turned against him, and he moved to Sardis to exercise his charm on the Persian governor. [24], Alcibiades was married to Hipparete, the daughter of Hipponicus, a wealthy Athenian. He also confirmed his reputation with women (which the rich Athenian whom he had married appreciated only too well) by seducing the wife of the Spartan king Agis II, who was at Decelea with his army. [82] Shortly after Alcibiades's reinstatement as an Athenian general, the government of the Four Hundred was overthrown and replaced by a broader oligarchy, which would eventually give way to democracy. Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford; Lecturer in Ancient History, University of Oxford, 1939–70. [165][166] According to Habinek, in the field of oratory, the people responded to Alcibiades's affection with affection of their own. [148] Evangelos P. Fotiadis, a prominent Greek philologist, asserts that Alcibiades was "a first class diplomat" and had "huge skills". Tissaphernes would not make an agreement on any terms, wanting to follow his policy of neutrality. [140] Lysias, on the other hand, argued in one of his orations that the Athenians should regard Alcibiades as an enemy because of the general tenor of his life, as "he repays with injury the open assistance of any of his friends". Alcibiades I by Plato Translated by Benjamin Jowett "Alcibiades" represents Socrates trying to educate the young, ambitious Alcibiades on the meaning of true prosperity, which is justice and self-knowledge. P J Rhodes. Alcibiades responded in kind, sending to the authorities at Samos a letter against Phrynichus, stating what he had done, and requiring that he should be put to death. Alcibiades is a young Athenian man, arrogant and intelligent, pondering his future course in life. Thucydides, "The History of the Peloponnesian Wars", 5.43. [9], According to Plutarch, Alcibiades had several famous teachers, including Socrates, and was well trained in the art of rhetoric. [f], These officers of the Athenian fleet formed a group of conspirators, but were met with opposition from the majority of the soldiers and sailors; these were eventually calmed down "by the advantageous prospect of the pay from the king". [132], In ancient Greece, Alcibiades was a polarizing figure. [29] The next day, during the Assembly, Alcibiades asked them what powers Sparta had granted them to negotiate and they replied, as agreed, that they had not come with full and independent powers. The Athenians initially received these ambassadors well, but Alcibiades met with them in secret before they were to speak to the ecclesia (the Athenian Assembly) and told them that the Assembly was haughty and had great ambitions. Alcibiades was born in Athens. [78] This fiasco at the court of Tissaphernes, however, put an end to the negotiations between the conspirators and Alcibiades. His advice, whether to Athens or Sparta, oligarchs or democrats, was dictated by selfish motives, and the Athenians could never trust him enough to take advantage of his talents. [133] Diodorus and Demosthenes regard him as a great general. Most of the officers in the Athenian fleet accepted the plan and welcomed the prospect of a narrower constitution, which would allow them a greater share in determining policy. In Sparta, he served as a strategic adviser, proposing or supervising several major campaigns against Athens. Finally, he invited him to dinner, realizing he was acting like the lover and Socrates like the young boy. [62], On his arrival in the local Persian court, Alcibiades won the trust of the powerful satrap and made several policy suggestions which were well received. [151] Russell Meiggs, a British ancient historian, asserts that the Athenian statesman was absolutely unscrupulous despite his great charm and brilliant abilities. When Alcibiades first gets to know Socrates, he says this of his inner nature: “it struck me as utterly godlike and golden and beautiful and wonderful” (Plato, Symposium 216). The men are starving. ALCIBIADES. Alcibiades was suspicious of their intentions, and asked to be allowed to stand trial immediately, under penalty of death, in order to clear his name. Socrates initially presents himself to Alcibiades in the role of one of these admirers. [161], Press argues that "though Alcibiades can be considered a good General on the basis of his performance in the Hellespont, he would not be considered so on the basis of his performance in Sicily", but "the strengths of Alcibiades's performance as a General outweigh his faults". [88] Within a month he would escape and resume command. Alcibiades's troops, leading the Athenian pursuit, landed and attempted to pull the Spartan ships back out to sea. According to Thucydides, Alcibiades, being "exceedingly ambitious", proposed the expedition in Sicily in order "to gain in wealth and reputation by means of his successes". [35], In 415 BC, delegates from the Sicilian city of Segesta (Greek: Egesta) arrived at Athens to plead for the support of the Athenians in their war against Selinus. Xenophon attempted to clear Socrates's name at trial by relaying information that Alcibiades was always corrupt and that Socrates merely failed in attempting to teach him morality. There he served as an adviser to the satrap Tissaphernes until his Athenian political allies brought about his recall. This made it easier for him, in 415, to persuade the Athenians to send a major military expedition to Sicily against the city of Syracuse. That treaty, an uneasy truce between Sparta and Athens signed midway through the Peloponnesian War, came at the end of seven years of fighting during which neither side had gained a decisive advantage.

Hunting Ranches In Oregon For Sale, Costco Lipton Iced Tea Uk, React-native Local Image To Base64, John Mclaughlin Pollster Wikipedia, Ugg Avery Comforter Ocean, Biltong Maker South Africa, Who Owns Fd's Grillhouse, Coffee County Ga Jail Inmates In Custody, National Lazy Day 2021, Mod Pizza Coupon 2021, Burns Night Traditions,