Greek divisions Flashcards
How was Greece divided?
Different polis’ (Athens, Sparta etc.)
How is Greek division shown in Herodotus?
Athens vs everyone else seems to be a major theme
- once Athens has been burnt, people become set against Themistocles and order him “to be silent as his country is no more” => not a country united in the face of an enemy
- Themistocles says “we, as we are, will put on board our households and sail to Siris in Italy” - threatens to leave
- conflict between everyone and Themistocles (who just wants what us best after defeat) - Eurybiades & Themistocles had lots of conflicts due to A vs S
- “a long and forceful exchange of views arose” - democratic but people argue due to differing interests
Greeks who do not join in
“only recently 6000 Argives had been killed by a Spartan army
Argives are deliberately difficult and do not join in against Persia
“none of this mattered to the rest of the Peloponnesian states even though the Olympic and Cameian festivals had already taken place”
“remaining cities […] all remained neutral”
(whilst some unity, not Pan-Hellenic)
Herodotus’ opinion on Greek divisions
“In my honest opinion, if they were not against the Persians, then they were with them”
Conflicts between people in polis’
Themistocles ostracised to Persia in the future
Themistocles and Aristides conflict
Athenian practice of ostracism: voting system of saying person to exclude
