Latest / Ancient Greece: Philosophy, Democracy, and Endless War — Fexingo History
The Athenian Decree: How One Vote Decided a Massacre
After the Mytilenean revolt in 428 BCE, Athens faced a moral crisis: should they slaughter an entire city or show mercy? In a single day, the Athenian assembly voted to kill every man in Mytilene and enslave the women and children — then voted again to repeal the decree. Lucas and Luna unpack the dramatic debate between Cleon and Diodotus, as recorded by Thucydides, exploring how Athenian democracy wrestled with justice, empire, and anger. What drove the first decision? What arguments changed minds? And what does the Mytilenean Debate tell us about the fragility of democratic deliberation in…
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