 |
Was
the Peloponnesian War justified? |
|
Was
the Peloponnesian War justified? |
It was supposed to be a great war, more worthy to be called a war than any other that had preceded it. The Peloponnesian War was so important and on such a grand scale, that Thucydides said, "there is nothing on a greater scale, either in war or in other matters." (Thucydides, 1959) The war was actually expected by many notable Greeks and they thought it would be the greatest thing ever, similar to the attitude towards World War I. Both sides felt war was the only way, but needed a reason as to justify their attacks. Technically, Sparta made the first moves of the war, but Athens made some non-violent actions first. But first let's look at why wars were fought in ancient Greece.
In ancient Greece, to wear arms was as much a part of life as it was to the barbarious Huns of the Steppes. War was expected and even anticipated. It was the principle topic for Homer and Herodotus, and even served as the backdrop to Greek Tragedy. (www.helleniccomserve.com) Fathers were even expected to bury their sons rather then their sons burying them. Anyone can imagine the great city of Athens and it's beautiful columns and flourishing agoras. But not everyone knows that Athens was fighting two out of every three years of it's history.
Near the ancinet city of Thebes lies the Great Plain of Boetia. The Greek historian Epaminondas called it "the dancing floor of war." (www.helleniccomserve.com) In fact, within just ten miles of the plain, ten major battles took place. Because of Greece's violent past, war was thus accepted. So instead of making war seem so horrible, they produced rules and regulated warfare. So the Peloponnesian War was justified in their eyes, but not in ours.
One of the most common reasons for war was border clashes and eruptions over border disputes. This type of fighting occurred in all cultures and still happens today. Another reason was for material incentives such as money, land, or even people, in the case of the Trojan War. War was also used as a way of proving one's courage and bravery. It was a way for young men to achieve status and become respected adults. The Theban General Pagondas said that "he who wishes peace, should prepare for war."
One of the justifications for the Peloponnesian War was the fear of Athens. Sparta didn't attack Athens because of the Corinthian plea, but instead used it as a reason to attack Athens because of their fear of Athenian power. (Thucydides, 1959) So to express their fear, Sparta attacked Athens farms in hopes of getting something more than security out of it. In turn, Athens didn't want to see all of it's farms being attacked, so they attacked. The war was justified in a way that Sparta was threatened and wanted some security, but then it wasn't justified because fear is a perceived threat, not a real threat. (www.helleniccomserve.com)
Sparta believed that this fear would constantly make them act violently towards any event. So to end this fear, they would eliminate it. In Greek history, lasting peace was only obtained after one of the sides was defeated in war. Modern historians would then rebuke this idea by asking why they didn't talk things out. To the Greeks, war was talking things out, and it was not only necessary, but morally justified.
So far, reasons for the war being justified have been presented, but how is this war not justified then? The most common reason is the humanitarian reason. Killing people isn't the best way, or the most effective way of achieving victory. Sparta and Athens could have easily avoided conflict if they would have just cooperated and possibly worked together. But according to Greek culture, this idea didn't exist, and the only other alternative was armed conflict.
