Latest / Ancient Greece: Philosophy, Democracy, and Endless War — Fexingo History
The Mytilene Debate: Democracy's Darkest Hour in Athens
In 427 BCE, in the midst of the Peloponnesian War, the Athenian assembly made a shocking decision: to execute every man in the city of Mytilene and enslave its women and children. Then, overnight, they changed their minds. This episode explores the Mytilene Debate—one of ancient history's most dramatic confrontations between anger and reason, justice and expediency. We examine the rebellion of Mytilene against the Delian League, the Athenian decree of mass execution, and the impassioned speeches of Cleon and Diodotus that turned the assembly around. Through the account of Thucydides, we…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.