Society Marches On -

There is plenty going on around the Mediterranean, though, in societal change. The city-states of Greece keep switching sides, going nowhere. Thebes* , Corinth*, Athens* and Sparta*, all try to lead but no one wants to follow. The Persians* pick up a few scraps from the late war, but don't get very far with it. The Macedonians* (a rough, barbaric people to the north) are beginning to stir, but don't move yet.

Over in Sicily* the Greek city-state of Syracuse* is putting together a nice little empire over most of of the island of Sicily* and the toe of the boot of Italy (the Magna Graeca area). They can't quite get all of Sicily because the Carthaginians* have moved into the western end and can't be budged. This doesn't matter now, but it will later on.

The only exciting thing in the eastern end of the Mediterranean is the intellectual life of Athens*, Theatre may be reduced to revivals of the great dead playwrights, but philosophy and thinking in general are taking off like a sky rocket. Young Plato* (427-347 BCE), who had studied with Socrates*, is beginning to teach and develop the Socratic methods that will shape the western world's thinking.

Keep in mind that things are also beginning to shape up further west, around central Italy*. The Etruscan* actors are staging the first theatrical performances in Rome (the southern edge of their territory and a market town for dealing with the Greeks across the southern border), no doubt having seen how successful the Greek theatres are, just down the coast. The Romans* are rebuilding Rome* after the Gallic invasion (387 BCE) from the north, and building city walls to prevent that sort of thing happening again.

At home in Athens*, the general level of government is down. While it's true that the democracy has been reinstated it isn't working according to plan. The introduction of payment for citizens to attend the assembly is a good idea, it gradually became a curse. The point is to enable the poorer citizens the time away from their work to attend. The result is that the dilligent workers stay away and the unfit and disinterested show up just for the money. As time goes by, the really competent citizens give up in disgust and stay home.

The world famous Greek patriotism and pride in their state is pretty much gone. Since the Peloponnesian war*, when there was such a great need for soldiers that the state have been forced to hire men who fought for money, the military has become a caste of hired help. After the war the best of these look for further military employment elsewhere and they get it. This is great for Greek military reputation but useless to the Greek states. The Persians* hire on ten thousand of these Greek mercenaries. There is a big stink when the Persians murder their hired Greek generals and the common Greek soldiers have a long, bitter march home. The Greek soldier of fortune is being trained in the school of hard knocks.

Back on the home front this philosophy business is really taking off. Plato* is writing down everything he learned from Socrates* and launching out with his own views. People came from all over to study with him and learn from him. A young student named Aristotle* (384- 322 BCE) shows up and really takes to this philosophy stuff. He spends about twenty years in Plato*'s school, picking up everything there is to learn. After all, philosophy is the study of, well, everything. That covers a lot of territory. After Plato* dies in 347 BCE, Aristotle* leaves town for Asia Minor and the island of Lesbos*.

Society Marches On -