Greek history in the 4th century BC is filled with fascinating characters, some of whom one might regard as real heroes despite the setbacks in their lives. The Greek/Roman historian Plutarch left us biographies of many of these figures, e.g., Agesilaus, Pelopidas, and Demosthenes. Please read Plutarch's account of the life of one of these men, and give your evaluation of that figure. To what extent is this man heroic? Do you see in their lives any elements of tragedy?
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Agesilaus, Pelopidas, and Demosthenes (extra credit)
Greek history in the 4th century BC is filled with fascinating characters, some of whom one might regard as real heroes despite the setbacks in their lives. The Greek/Roman historian Plutarch left us biographies of many of these figures, e.g., Agesilaus, Pelopidas, and Demosthenes. Please read Plutarch's account of the life of one of these men, and give your evaluation of that figure. To what extent is this man heroic? Do you see in their lives any elements of tragedy?
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Demosthenes does have some tragedy in his life. It said that when he was one he was abandoned by his father and didn't get a formal education like he should have. But Demosthense also is a heroic man. He was eager in his learning and wanted to gain certain knowledge. It seemed as though he didn't let others force him into doing things he didn't want to. I think that Demosthenes was a heroic character.
ReplyDelete-Alicyn Even
Pelopidas is rightfully looked on as a hero. He led an operation to liberate Thebes after the Spartans invaded and took over. Through this operation Thebes was liberated and back under Democratic rule. However, the Spartans came back to take over the city again, but Pelopidas devised a plan to create a war between Sparta and Athens. This plan resulted in supplies to defeat the Spartans from Athens. What really makes Peolopidas a hero is the fact that he did all his heroic acts for the good of Thebes and not for his own personal gain of wealth or glory.
ReplyDelete- Robbi Kannas
Agesilaus- was heroic because he "never hurt his enemies without just cause, and he never took any unjust advantages" and his tragedy was that he was too friendly that caused his weakness and having favorites as well, in his ruling of being king.
ReplyDeletePelopidas is a hero not only for his military accomplishments but also for not letting his wealth corrupt him. He did not use his wealth as a tool for his success, instead he lead a simpler life and earned his fame. He led many revolts against tyrants to try and restore Greece to a democracy. Pelopidas was revered so much as a general that he won a battle with no troops and took fifty men hostage from the battle. He was a real hero by his conquests and his character.
ReplyDeleteBaker Haar
As far as Demosthenes goes, he was heroic for the fact that he tried defending his city and standing up for it against Macedonian rule. But ultimately his efforts were to no avail and all he essential did was outrage the Macedonians. This led to his tragic downfall as well. When the Macedonians were coming to arrest him, he took his own life. Also it is known that he had a daughter but she died very young; and when he was a young boy his father left him. So there are some elements of a hero to Demosthenes but ultimately his life was more tragic than heroic.
ReplyDeleteR. Casey Oberle
I chose Agesilaus. I believe he was very heroic because even though he had one leg that was longer than the other, he never let it hold him back. He never whined or complained about it and he didn't expect special treatment because of that. I find that very admirable. He was also very likable and made friends easily. However, he did have his shortcomings. Agesilaus was very willing to overlook the shortcomings in his friends because he thought that friendship was more important than justice. Towards the end of his life, he began to be viewed as a spiteful man, which I think is a little tragic.
ReplyDelete-Brianna Hamil
Pelopidas was definitely a heroic figure. He had many great accomplishments, and he always put the people of Thebes before himself. Even early in life when he had a fortune, he chose to give rather than spend for himself. On top of all his military exploits, Pelopidas was an excellent diplomat, negotiating good terms for the people of Thebes. I would say the was he died was tragic. Pelopidas was such a great man, and yet he simply could not get over his anger which led to his death. Such a sad way to die for such a great man.
ReplyDeleteDemosthenes does have some tragedy in his life. It said that when he was one he was abandoned by his father and didn't get a formal education like he should have. But Demosthense also is a heroic and very brave man. he was a man that wanted to learn and strive to be a better man. he was a man that did what he wanted and was never made or forced to do things that he didnt want to do. i feel that with these skills and the drive that he had to do and be a better person it makes him a more heroic character.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to learn about Agesilaus, who had to learn to cope with a series of troubling dilemmas throughout his life. Being somewhat of an underdog in comparison to his firstborn brother, Agesilaus was not exempt from the ruff training to become a Spartan Helot. As we learned previously, these soldiers were more than equip for battle and never let the warrior mentality fade. Especially interesting was Agesilaus’ persistence and strength in the fact that he was handicapped; one leg was longer than the other. Nonetheless, he was a natural leader who laughed at his situation and didn’t let this challenge delude him from being an admiral leader. This confidence and happy-go-lucky proved to be great qualities; as Agesilaus became king, he was an obvious threat to their Persian enemies.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Spartans were seizing the Theban citadel, and while he was still injured, Pelopidas went to Athens to continue his fight for liberation. He was successful at this, and his achievements and victories continued - making him the great man which he was considered. his accomplishments were not without effort and there was a tragic element at the end of his life - being very confident to get Alexander himself he was struck down by the guards before he even had a chance to take him down. He beat the odds multiple times against near impossibilities but then was struck down by his own impatience and inflated ego at the worst time.
ReplyDelete- Jefferson Gunderson
Pelopidas was my choice because of his military exploits. He went above and beyond the call of duty. However his tragedy lies in his ego, which led to his ultimate downfall.
ReplyDeleteAgain, TaSunke21 is Jen Mellette.
ReplyDeletePelopidas was heroic. Since his friend would not accept his charity, he opted for the same simple life as his friend. He risked his life to undertake a ruse to free his city. Pelopidas commanded the Sacred Band and his actions at Leuctra contributed greatly to the resounding defeat of Sparta. He quickly responded to calls for aid from the allies of Thebes.
ReplyDeleteIt was tragic how Pelopidas was imprisoned by Alexander and then later gave in to his vengeful anger in an attempt to duel Alexander. His anger cost him his life even though during his imprisonment, he remained confident and defiant.
I read the story of Pelopidas. He is heroic in the fact that he led his army against the Spartans, considering they were known to be the warriors in the world. The tradegy in his story comes with his death. He was so bent on getting revenge against Alexander that he let down his guard during battle and was cut down.
ReplyDeleteThe life of Agesilaus is both heroic and tragic. Starting off with tragic, being handicapped was his main issue that I saw. Heroic because of how he was head of Sparta for a little over four decades and was able to help keep many lives alive. There is also the fact that he believed in friendship and always listened to their advice and if there were differences, he would just let it slide rather than execute them for their differences, he believed in gaining and keeping friends rather than losing them for reasons that did not matter.
ReplyDelete