Aristotle’s Categorization of Governments:

Provide comprehensive answers for each of the following questions. Each answer must be AT LEAST one page long and no longer than three (double-spaced, standard margins, font 12, not including the question). Your answers must be based on the PowerPoint lectures and/or the video-documentary assignments. Use of any external sources is not allowed and will lead to a zero on the question even if the sources are paraphrased or cited. Use of A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) is forbidden and will be treated as an instance of academic dishonesty. Transcribing long segments from the lectures, textbook and/or documentary will lead to a zero on the question even if the sources are cited. Any plagiarized material will lead to a zero on the whole assignment. Answer each question separately. I want you to express your understanding of the issues with your own thoughts and words; provide support to your statements with specific historical facts/examples. Each question is worth 7 points. The assignment can be uploaded at any time before Thursday, January 23 at 11:59 PM. Do not wait until the last minute to upload your work. Make sure that the file has been uploaded before login out of Brightspace; it is always useful to take a picture showing the posted assignment with the date and time of submission in the rare case that some malfunction may occur. No late assignments will be accepted after 11:59 PM. If you miss the deadline, do not submit any work to me via email; I will not read anything that is not uploaded on Turnitin.

 

Explain Aristotle’s categorization of governments in the ancient Greek poleis; describe the Spartan social and political system and explain how it fits or doesn’t within the Aristotelian chart. What are the values upon which the Spartan system is built? How are these values reflected in the formation of Spartan homoioi (provide details about that process)? Discuss two aspects described in the lecture in which Spartan society is emblematic of Greek civilization and values and two aspects which Spartan society departs fundamentally from the Greek norm.

What is the political context for the formation of the Delian League? How did the creation of the league contribute in the long run to the Peloponnesian War? How did Athens and Sparta approach the conflict initially, what strategies did they adopt? What led to the signing of the Peace of Nicias? Who do you think was primarily responsible for the war? Explain why.

Why did the peace not last? Do you think long-term peace doomed? Explain your answer providing factual evidence from the lecture. What prompted the Spartan to renew the conflict? Besides military defeat, what are the political consequences of the Peloponnesian War for Athens? In spite of achieving victory, what are the long-term consequences of the war for the Spartans? Why were the Spartan unable to cope with the consequences of victory?

What led to the development of the democratic system in Athens; how did the system evolve from the time of Solon to the time the time of Pericles? How did democracy operate in ancient Athens? How was the government organized, what mechanisms enabled the participation of the citizens? What were the processes that ensured the full participation of the citizenry? What are the democratic values and practices articulated by Pericles in his oration to the fallen Athenians?

Discuss how philosophy emerged in Ancient Greece. Discuss how Thales of Miletus and Anaximander try to explain the world around them. How do Democritus and Pythagoras conceptualize the structure and operation of the world? Why might the philosophical perspective of the Skeptics might be considered more radical than the views of the Sophists, Stoics, the Epicureans and even the Cynics? How is the concept of ataraxia different in each philosophical school discussed in the lecture?

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Certainly! Here’s a breakdown of how you might approach answering these questions comprehensively, while ensuring each response meets the required page length and focuses on key details. I’ll provide examples for the first question to give you a better understanding of how to approach the others.

1. Aristotle’s Categorization of Governments and Spartan Social & Political System

Aristotle’s Categorization of Governments: Aristotle categorizes governments based on who rules and for whose benefit. In his work Politics, he identifies six forms of government, divided into two categories: correct and corrupt. The correct forms are those that aim for the common good, while the corrupt forms are those that benefit the rulers rather than the people.

• Monarchy (one ruler for the common good) can degrade into Tyranny (one ruler for personal benefit).
• Aristocracy (a government by the few for the common good) can degrade into Oligarchy (a government by the few for their own benefit).
• Polity (a mixed government aimed at the common good) can degrade into Democracy (rule by the many for their own benefit).

Spartan Social and Political System: The Spartan system fits within Aristotle’s categories as a form of Oligarchy. It was ruled by a small, elite group—the Spartiates (the fully-citizen warriors), who were motivated by military discipline, duty, and the maintenance of power within their class. The Spartan system was characterized by its emphasis on military readiness, hierarchical society, and control over a large slave population known as helots.

The values of the Spartan system revolved around discipline, strength, and austerity. Spartan society was built on the belief that individuals should subordinate their personal interests to the collective good of the state, particularly in terms of military and societal dominance. This is seen in the rigorous education and training of Spartan males, who were enrolled in the agoge system, a state-sponsored training process designed to mold young boys into warriors.

Spartan Homoioi: The process of becoming a homoios (a full citizen or equal in Spartan society) was integral to the Spartan system. Only those who passed the grueling agoge system, endured the training, and demonstrated loyalty to the state could become homoioi. The rigorous nature of this process created a cohesive, disciplined warrior class that maintained the political and military supremacy of Sparta.

Spartan Society and Greek Civilization: Two aspects of Spartan society that were emblematic of Greek civilization include its focus on military excellence and a commitment to civic duty. These values were shared across Greek city-states, where personal contribution to the state’s well-being was emphasized.

However, Spartan society departs from the Greek norm in its militarized focus and subjugation of women. Unlike other Greek city-states that allowed women to participate in the social and political life to a degree, Spartan women were subject to strict military-oriented roles and had fewer personal freedoms than their Athenian counterparts.

Moving Forward:

For each of the other questions, follow a similar approach:

• For the political context of the Delian League and the Peloponnesian War: Discuss the creation of the Delian League as a collective defense against Persian threats, how Athens’ dominant role caused resentment, and how this contributed to the war. Analyze the strategies employed by Athens and Sparta, the significance of the Peace of Nicias, and the causes of the conflict.
• For the collapse of the peace and the Peloponnesian War’s aftermath: Focus on the internal and external reasons for the failure of peace, such as Athens’ internal strife and Sparta’s challenges post-victory. Explore the long-term political consequences for Athens and the Spartans.
• For the development of Athenian democracy: Trace the evolution from Solon’s reforms to Pericles’ establishment of direct democracy. Explain how the Athenian government operated with a focus on citizen participation, and discuss the democratic values in Pericles’ oration.
• For the emergence of Greek philosophy: Explain the contributions of philosophers like Thales, Anaximander, and others in trying to explain the world. Discuss the difference between their views and the philosophical skepticism of the Skeptics. Compare how the concept of ataraxia is viewed differently across philosophical schools.

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By following these guidelines, each response can be thoroughly explored in a 3-5 paragraph format. Ensure that historical examples are cited directly from the provided materials, avoiding any use of external sources or AI tools.

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