Ambleside Online Plutarch's Life of Alcibiades

Prepared for the Ambleside Online Curriculum by Anne White, August 2008

Pronunciation of "Alcibiades:" Before we even start, there's the question of pronunciation. If you say "Elsie, buy-a these" you're coming pretty close, at least according to the guide I looked at.

Introduction

Alcibiades was the first Plutarch study ever done in this curriculum, in the 1999-2000 school year. My oldest (now in high school) wasn't even old enough then to be doing Plutarch, so I didn't pay a lot of attention to it at the time. I do remember quite a bit of conversation on the e-list, partly "this is hard" but also "Alcibiades is nasty." There weren't any AO study notes at that time.

And here we are back at the beginning of the cycle, and we now have Wikipedia articles, Rosalie Kaufman's Young Folks' Plutarch (online here), and much more online information to help us along than we did in 1999. But it still seems helpful to have some kind of a guide, so here we go again.

In reading through the text, I'm not as horrified as I expected to be; Plutarch just isn't that explicit about Alcibiades' misbehaviour. I think it's more important, for our character-study purposes, to learn why Alcibiades is not looked on as a good leader; why his obvious talent and charisma were subverted so that he is remembered more as a weasel than an eagle; than to focus on some of his other personal issues.

I'm going to make a suggestion, though, not so much because of unsuitable content but because of all the complicated political and military details in the story. If you have students between years 4 to 6, or aged 10 to 12, I think working through Kaufman's Alcibiades retelling would be enough for a term's work. It's certainly not dumbed down:

"Alcibades was noted for his beauty as well as for his charming manners, which attracted everybody who came in contact with him. He talked very rapidly, and with a little lisp that seemed rather to add to the grace of his speech, and to give it a certain power when he was persuading people to do what he desired. He was an Athenian, with a character made up of such opposite traits that while he was praised for his talent as a statesman and his skill and courage as a commander, he was condemned for his lack of principle, his extravagance, and his dissipation."

(The various retellings, including Kaufman's, are not always the best option for younger children, so that is not meant to be a general rule; as noted in a recent discussion about the advantages of using less-explicit phrasing.)

Some notes about Plutarch's style

One of the difficulties in beginning to read Plutarch--I think especially for young readers--is that it's not immediately clear a) what kind of a story this is, and b) who all these names are in the story. Not all the people named are actually part of the main character's life; some of them are historians, poets or others who wrote about him later on.

Imagine that you get an assignment for school: write the story of someone's life. You're allowed to use any books or other kinds of material you can find on that person; but since he or she lived a hundred years ago, there's nobody around who can clear up questions or contradictions. You just have to do the best you can with what's available; and that's what Plutarch did. He used bits of plays and poems, historical accounts, sometimes even graffiti or jokes, to construct a whole picture of whoever he was writing about. And he was usually careful to give credit to his sources. He might say, "So and so the historian tells this anecdote about Alcibiades' childhood," and then go on for a few paragraphs telling the story. So there is a hint for making sense of Plutarch's narrative: watch for his transitions and the places where he begins telling what someone else said.

Sometimes Plutarch does this in such a rapid-fire style that it's hard to keep up with him; but, fast or slow, it's the same thing--using bits and pieces, making connections, and trying to pull the whole thing together with his unique moral emphasis.

One more note on that: Plutarch often says, "It is said," and then goes on to tell what might have happened; but then he undercuts himself and says something like, "But the best sources disagree with that story." You might then wonder why he troubled himself to include something of doubtful accuracy; but it seems he wants to include all the possibilities. There is an example of this in the Life of Alcibiades: in our Lesson Two, Plutarch writes:

For it is said, that one Diomedes, an Athenian, a worthy man and a friend to Alcibiades, passionately desiring to obtain the victory at the Olympic games, and having heard much of a chariot which belonged to the state at Argos, where he knew that Alcibiades had great power and many friends, prevailed with him to undertake to buy the chariot. Alcibiades did indeed buy it, but then claimed it for his own, leaving Diomedes to rage at him, and to call upon the gods and men to bear witness to the injustice. It would seem there was a suit at law commenced upon this occasion, and there is yet extant an oration concerning the chariot, written by Isocrates in defence of the son of Alcibiades. But the plaintiff in this action is named Tisias, and not Diomedes.

In other words, Plutarch tried to do his homework by researching the court records, but the closest case he could come up with seemed to involve someone with a different name. Of course names can change, or people can have nicknames, or maybe the story is true but the person who told it just got the name wrong. There's no way to know for sure, but Plutarch thought it sounded like it had enough truth in it to include, even if he couldn't verify its accuracy.

Translation Used for Older Students

For the original text (Dryden's translation), I like the Internet Classics Archive; you can find Alcibiades here. I used the text-only version that's available for download near the top of the page. If you want to include my suggestions for editing the text, I would recommend downloading the text into a word-processing file; making any changes; and then printing it out.

There are some excerpts from North's translation (the one Charlotte Mason recommended) here . There is also a scanned-in version of North's translation available online as well.

Setting

Those of you who have done Plutarch's "Life of Nicias" or have read about the Peloponnesian War already know the essentials. If you or your student have never read anything about the conflicts in the 5th century B.C. (the 400's) between Athens and Sparta, you may have to go back, look at some maps (there are some good ones here), and learn about the Greek city-states, the various names used to refer to them (Athens; the commonwealth (Athens and its allies); Attica (the region around Athens); Sparta; the Lacedaemonians (the Spartans); the Peloponnesians (the Spartans and their allies). It helps to know something about the other powers of that time, particularly Persia. You need to have a general idea of Athenian culture and government--mainly that they had no king at that time but were ruled by an assembly of citizens (the Ecclesia); that there was little separation between politics and the military (generals were political leaders as well as leaders in battle).

Most of all, you need to know that Athens, during Alcibiades' adult life, was just ending what had been its "Golden Age" under Pericles; the thirty years of war mark the end of that time, and in fact the end of the whole classical period in Greek history. Athenian power and culture were never the same again. (Alcibiades was killed during the last year of the war.)

The more familiar name of Socrates comes up in the first few lessons, adding a bit more context to Alcibiades' life. Socrates was about twenty years older than Alcibiades, but outlived him by five years.

Why study Alcibiades?

Alcibiades is a controversial figure for historians; some of their opinions are summarized at the end of the Wikipedia article on him. (Please note that there is at least one mistake in the section about his oratorical skills; the reference to him being "in speaking most incapable" is, according to Plutarch, speaking of his political rival Phaeax.) Usually there's a "but" or a "though" attached--"though Alcibiades can be considered a good General on the basis of his performance in the Hellespont, he would not be considered so on the basis of his performance in Sicily," and so on. Even the people who have studied Alcibiades for years are still trying to decide if his accomplishments outweigh his mistakes and faults.

For Plutarch, there are two "telling details" about Alcibiades: the sight of him (Alcibiades, not Plutarch) flouncing along the street in a purple robe; and the extra-soft custom bed that he had fitted out on his warship. Neither of these examples, in Plutarch's opinion, showed the right kind of dignity, resolve or virtue (which, at its root, means manliness) for a true-spirited leader.

The book of Proverbs is full of advice on how to grow up seeking after wisdom and righteousness; and it appears you need that personal righteousness to be the kind of leader people really trust and admire, and don't secretly (or not so secretly) want to do away with. In the case of Alcibiades, his political double-dealing and personal lack of restraint (including a dalliance with the king of Sparta's wife) eventually led to a horrible death.

So why study Alcibiades, particularly in our own context of CM-style character and citizenship studies, and outside of the simplest reason of knowing your history? Only as a negative example of what not to do? Admiring his intelligence if not his ethics?

I think there are a couple of good reasons. First, when we look at Alcibiades himself, we can consider the qualities necessary for leadership, and see how those qualities were or weren't apparent in his life; what mistakes did he make? How did he become powerful, and how did he abuse that power?

Second, we can examine the people around him and consider the importance of thinking wisely and justly as citizens. How can we choose our leaders carefully? What basis do we have for following someone or turning against him? How do we react if we think our leaders have done wrong? There's something to learn here about crowd behaviour and the effects of propaganda.

Necessary Omissions

I'm going to recommend some omissions for our students, but that doesn't mean removing every reference to Alcibiades' personal weaknesses. In the case of the King of Sparta's wife, I think it's important to know about that, since it's one major reason the Spartans became his enemies. If you prefer, you can leave that part out.

LESSON 1

Section to Read: From "Alcibiades, as it is supposed" to "how very far from perfection in virtue." Note the recommended omissions: omit the paragraph starting, "it is stated in the invective"; omit the paragraph starting "He esteemed these endeavours"; omit the following paragraph starting, "He behaved in the same manner"; omit the paragraph starting "When he was past his childhood" and from there to the end.

Vocabulary:

fitted out a galley - paid to have a warship equipped and manned
his happy constitution -- general good health
corax -- crow
wonderful vicissitudes -- amazing changeability
antagonist -- enemy
sordid -- base, disgusting
Minerva -- the goddess Athena
raillery -- joking
amongst the liberal accomplishments -- among the things that all educated young men would study
such was the happiness of his genius . . . -- he was somehow intelligent enough . . .
discerned -- picked out

Discussion and Narration Questions.

Choose one or more of these to discuss.

How do we know so much about Alcibiades' family, even his nursemaid? (If you need a hint--it helps to have a writer friend.)

Consider the various anecdotes about Alcibiades' childhood: the biting story, the dice story, the story about refusing to play the flute because it made him look silly--what do all of these show you so far about his character? What opinion does Alcibiades have of himself?

Back in the 1970's, The Fonz was one of the most popular sitcom characters, especially for young people. In one episode, The Fonz said that libraries were cool; and during the next week there was a 500 percent increase in people requesting library cards. Consider how the flute story shows that, if we are popular or in a leadership role, or influential to someone else, we should take care in flaunting our opinions too loudly, or at least make sure we use that influence for good and not for evil or stupid ideas.

Why do you think Alcibiades picked out Socrates as his most trusted friend?

How did those who sought to corrupt Alcibiades play on his vanity and ambition? Explain "thrust him on unseasonably to undertake great enterprises." Have you ever bitten off more than you could chew, or gotten pushed into a performance that you didn't have the maturity to handle? Consider what sometimes happens to child T.V. stars.

LESSON 2

Section to Read: From "Whilst he was very young, he was a soldier" to "But the plaintiff in this action is named Tisias, and not Diomedes." Omissions: Omit the long paragraph beginning "He gave a box on the ear to Hipponicus."

Difficulty to note:

As explained in the introduction, Plutarch's structure is sometimes complicated by his frequent references to what other writers said. There are two examples of that in this lesson. The first is in the paragraph beginning, "He had great advantages" and reads as follows:

"That he was a master in the art of speaking, the comic poets bear him witness; and the most eloquent of public speakers, in his oration against Midias, allows that Alcibiades, among other perfections, was a most accomplished orator. If, however, we give credit to Theophrastus, who of all philosophers was the most curious inquirer, and the greatest lover of history, we are to understand that Alcibiades had the highest capacity for inventing, for discerning what was the right thing to be said for any purpose, and on any occasion; but aiming not only at saying what was required, but also at saying it well . . .

Can you pick out the references there? First, to "the comic poets" (those were not stand-up comics, but more what we would call playwrights, who often put references to public figures into their scripts); second, to "the most eloquent of public speakers"--not named, but probably Demosthenes, who did write an oration against Midias; third, to Theophrastus ("the successor of Aristotle . . . His interests were wide-ranging, extending from biology and physics to ethics and metaphysics." (Wikipedia article).

What do we really need to pull from all that? Simply that a lot of people--including a famous orator--agreed that Alcibiades was a very good public speaker!

The second example has already been referred to, in the introduction to this study. Alcibiades got into some trouble with a man named Diomedes, when he agreed to buy something for his friend but then decided to keep it for himself. Plutarch includes this story but admits that he cannot find any records to verify that it actually happened or at least that the man involved was named Diomedes. We can take it as another illustration of Alcibiades' character, though--and it does sound quite like something he would have done.

Keep watching for examples of this as you read; don't get too caught up in the sources, though, because it's like spending too much time on the footnotes of something and missing the main point.

Vocabulary:

so in all justice might have challenged the prize of valour - Alcibiades got the medal, but Socrates would have been within his rights to claim it for himself
a largess of money - a donation
transported - carried away
pilot - someone who pilots a ship
public games - athletic competitions like the Olympics
emulation - admiration
censure - criticism

Discussion Questions

After narrating, choose one or more of these questions to discuss.

Alcibiades wanted to be known for his eloquence. Why was this so important to him? Was he successful?

Give examples of Alcibiades' attitudes towards money and material things. How does the dog story figure into this?

Socrates saved Alcibiades' life (in the Battle of Potidaea, 434 or 432 B.C.) and then Alcibiades saved Socrates' life in return (in the Battle of Delium, 424 BC). (Remember the years go backwards!) Why did Socrates insist that Alcibiades receive the medal at Potidaea? How is that a contrast to Alcibiades' attitude? Do you think Alcibiades learned anything from his example?

LESSON 3: Alcibiades Begins His Political Career (422 B.C.)

Section to Read: From "As soon as he begin to intermeddle in the government" to "a title to all land that was cultivated and productive." Optional omission: for the sake of length, you may want to omit the paragraph beginning, "There was a certain Hyperbolus." However, the story does show Alcibiades' craftiness in getting the majority of citizens to vote against a third party rather than split the votes with Nicias.

Vocabulary:

peace of Nicias - a truce which created a lull of several years in the Peloponnesian war
plenipotentiaries - ambassadors who have full power to act (rather than just reporting back)
sagacity - wisdom
prevaricators - liars
break the league - break up the alliances between Sparta (Lacedaemon) and some smaller cities
there is extant - there exists
ostracism - this is explained in the text; certain people were banished, by popular vote, for a period of years. This was not a punishment usually given to criminals, but to leaders who were getting too dangerously popular for their own good.

Who are the:
Boeotions? The people of Boeotia, a region of ancient Greece (see the map here) From the Wikipedia article: "Boeotia had significant political importance, owing to its position on the north shore of the Gulf of Corinth . . . the other hand, the lack of good harbours hindered its maritime development. The Boeotian people, although they included great men like Pindar, Hesiod, Epaminondas, Pelopidas and Plutarch, were portrayed proverbially dull by Athenians . . .
Argives? The people of Argos (see this article.)

An explanation:

He exclaimed fiercely against Nicias, and accused him of many things . . .

My free translation of this section: "It's bad enough that Nicias is so disgustingly chummy with the Lacedaemonians, but it's even worse that he doesn't use that friendship to help Athens."

Another explanation:

What's all that about the Lacedaemonian ambassadors? (in the paragraph beginning "It happened, at the very time . . . ) Alcibiades shows what he's made of by telling the Spartan emissaries that, although they have already identified themselves as coming with full authority to act, they should say that they are really just there to report back. When they take his advice, he double-crosses them by publicly calling them liars. This not only makes the Spartans look bad, but it makes Alcibiades look so good that . . . (see the end of the paragraph).

Discussion Questions

After narrating, choose one or more of these questions to discuss.

Contrast Phaeax and Nicias to Alcibiades.

If you read the Hyperbolus section (also spelled Hyperbolos)--how did Alcibiades manage to get Hyperbolus ostracized instead of himself or one of the other two? (417 BC) Why didn't he just take the risk and maybe get rid of Nicias?

Look at the paragraph beginning "No man commended the method." Somehow, Alcibiades earned the citizens' reluctant admiration? What are the three reasons given here?

Does Alcibiades really want to help Athens, or only to prosper himself?

Do you admire anything so far about Alcibiades?

What do you think of his statement about gobbling things up? You may want to come back to that question later in the study.

LESSON 4: The Sicilian Expedition, 415-413 BC

Introduction:

At this time, Alcibiades enthusiastically promoted a move to take over Sicily. Nicias suggested a huge budget and a great number of ships, probably trying to get the whole project waylaid. To his annoyance, the Athenians got excited about the idea, the leaders did agree to the project, and they named Nicias as general for the expedition. Unfortunately, the whole thing turned out to be a disaster; also, it broke the Peace of Nicias, and started up the Peloponnesian War again.

Section to Read: From "But with all this words and deeds" to "all the other provisions corresponding." (see Note)

Note on structure: This lesson is set up differently from the others. Read this lesson in the sections described, stopping after each for discussion or questions.

Vocabulary:

exorbitant living - the opposite of frugality; high living
wantonness - shameful behaviour
abhorrence - disgust
apprehension - worry
usurpation - taking over the government
liberalities - generous gifts
munificence - huge generosity
Sicily - large island at the bottom of what is now Italy; it was strategically important because it was close to wealthy North African cities such as Carthage
a magazine for the war - a storage place, usually for arms
by the intervention of his attendant Genius - basically, because he was so intelligent; literally, because he had a kind of superintelligent guardian spirit
Mercury - the messenger of the gods
prodigies - omens
debauch - wild party
demagogues - leaders of the common people
to obviate this - to get around this
calumnies - malicious statements
Nemea - the goddess of the town of Nemea
Timon the misanthrope - a philosopher

Reading through this lesson

A first question:

Why was the Sicilian Expedition so important? (see vocabulary note on Sicily)

Read only to "youth and good nature" (partway through the paragraph beginning "The truth is, his liberalities . . . "

Why were the Athenians so willing "to endure patiently his excesses" and to attribute his misbehaviour to "youth and good nature?" Is it true that "boys will be boys?"

Keep reading . . .

Read the story about Timon. Discuss the last sentence.

Read about Sicily, up to the part about men drawing on the ground. Narrate the story so far.

Read the next part, up to the omens.
Summarize the sacrilege charges and why they came at an awkward time for everyone.

Read the last part (up to "So he departed . . . "
Why did Alcibiades try to refuse to go; what arguments did he put forth? (A possible response: he thought his absence would give his opponents more opportunity to slander him when he wasn't around to defend himself.)

Should Alcibiades have been tried on the spot, or not? Try to think like an Athenian who has some belief in these sacred things. It's possible to do this question at more length. You might want to write or act it out as a roving reporter, looking for different viewpoints.

LESSON 5

Introduction:

Alcibiades, Nicias and Lamachus are chosen as generals for the Sicilian Expedition.

Section to Read: From "Arriving on the coast of Italy" to "he accused his own servants amongst others"; stop and narrate there. Much of that section seems a bit off-topic; but try not to focus on the people who were accusing or being accused, but the general panic situation and the injustice that it caused.

Continue with "But notwithstanding this, the people's anger was not wholly appeased" to "obliged her to make prayers, but not execrations."

Vocabulary:

confounded together - mixed together
the profanation of the mysteries - a different kind of sacrilege than the type Alcibiades had originally been charged with
contumacious - insolent, defiant
execrations - curses

Places:

Rhegium: See the Wikipedia article and map here.

Catana: Also called Catania. Article and map here.

Boys Won't Be Boys

Something interesting happened in Athens while Alcibiades was away and couldn't defend himself. The original issue--some religious images that were defaced or broken, probably during a night of partying--turned into much more serious accusations of sacrilege, and that began to take on conspiracy overtones. The thinking went like this: did someone do this just to upset things in Athens, possibly to cause trouble against the government? There had been some talk about overthrowing the current government anyway; maybe somebody just wanted them to look bad. Maybe that somebody was Alcibiades.

If all that sounds far-fetched to you, don't worry about it: it's not easy for us to totally get into the mindset of the 5th-century-B.C. Athenians and understand how they might make that connection between broken statues and politics. But think about other small things that get blown out of proportion, like an argument that starts over something small and then snowballs; and it might start to make more sense.

Discussion questions:

After narrating, choose one or more questions to discuss.

Discuss what should happen at a fair trial or hearing, and what happened at this one.

What was the evidence against Alcibiades?

Discuss the quote about not trusting your own mother--what does this show about Alcibiades' mindset?

Do you think Alcibiades would worry about having all those priests curse him?

When Alcibiades was recalled to Athens, why was he not brought back as a prisoner but only asked (respectfully) to follow the Salaminian home?

LESSON 6

Introduction:

Alcibiades knows it's not safe for him to return to Athens. He escapes to Sparta and starts acting like a Spartan. An excellent Spartan; a fantastic Spartan--but it's all outward appearance. (Compare this to St. Paul's' "all things to all men," 1 Corinthians 9:22.)

The story jumps ahead at one point by mentioning his stay with the Persian satrap Tisaphernes (sometimes spelled Tissaphernes), which occurs in the last part of the section but wasn't until 412 B.C. There is also an intriguing description of Alcibiades' personal charm, which enables him to win over Tisaphernes and influence him against the Spartans.

Section to Read: From "Alcibiades, lying under these heavy decrees" to "into the hands of the Lacedaemonians, his enemies." Optional omission: the section beginning "For while king Agis was absent, and abroad with the army" and ending "which was the reason that afterwards he was not admitted to the succession."

Vocabulary:

he sent to Sparta - he sent word to the Spartan leaders
safe conduct - their guarantee that he could travel safely through their territory, to the city of Sparta
Lycurgus - the "father" of Sparta
admitted to the succession - (in the omitted paragraphs) put in line to become king
satrap - a provincial governor within the Persian empire
Tisaphernes - the satrap of Caria and Lydia (more information here)
daily intercourse with him - daily contact and conversation with him
odious - hateful

An explanation:

"After the defeat which the Athenians received in Sicily, ambassadors were despatched to Sparta at once from Chios and Lesbos and Cyzicus, to signify their purpose of revolting from the Athenians."

This defeat showed that Athens was no longer the "top dog" of the Greek city-states, and the smaller cities that depended on Athens to protect them began to look for a stronger friend. It was not possible to simply walk away from their alliances with Athens, though; the people of Athens thought of these smaller cities as colonies or possessions that they controlled, and did not want to give them up without a struggle. If the Spartans (Lacedaemonians) wanted to take over the protecting/controlling, they would have to fight Athens for them.

Discussion Questions:

What is Alcibiades' first action after he has gained the trust of the Spartans? How do they react? Do you feel his vengeful plans against Athens are justified?

What do you know about Spartan life and culture? To what animal does Plutarch compare Alcibiades (during his stay in Sparta)?

Why did Tisaphernes find Alcibiades an intriguing character?

During his stay with Tisaphernes, why did Alcibiades turn his attention away from using Sparta to ruin Athens? What is the strategy that he proposed to the Persians? (see the sentence beginning, "For his advice was to furnish them . . . " What is Alcibiades' greatest fear at the end of this section?

Something fun to think about:

Some people think the Spartan "black broth" might have been coffee. More information here

LESSON 7: "Who's Your Friend?"

Section to Read: From "At that time the whole strength of the Athenians was in Samos" to "by professing he was a party to his escape."

Vocabulary:

"and issued from these headquarters to reduce such as had revolted" - the Athenian navy sent ships out to punish any former allies that had rebelled against their leadership
"one hundred and fifty alleys" - typo--should be "galleys" (ships)
precipitate resolutions - hasty decisions
the Barbarian - Persian king
succour - assist

Places:

Where is Samos and why was Athens' navy based there? Remember that Athens was land-locked (it had no harbour of its own). The Wikipedia article "Samos Island" shows its location and says, "At the end of the Peloponnesian War, Samos appears as one of the most loyal dependencies of Athens, serving as a base for the naval war against the Peloponnesians and as a temporary home of the Athenian democracy during the revolution of the Four Hundred at Athens (411 BC), and in the last stage of the war was rewarded with the Athenian franchise." (section on the Peloponnesian War)

Guide to this Section:

When we left Alcibiades at the end of the last section, he had escaped before his trial in Athens (and so was tried and condemned for sacrilege in his absence), had spent some time in Sparta but had left in disgrace, and was now living with and trying to influence the Persian satrap Tisaphernes. Alcibiades' goals in this seem to vary over time; he has grudges against both Athens and Sparta, but he worries that if Athens goes down, he will be at the mercy of Sparta (including the Spartan king Agis who has a personal grudge against him).

He "calls up" the Athenian leaders based in Samos and tries to convince them to take over the government and turn it into an oligarchy, run by aristocrats only instead of all the citizens; and also to pardon him, in exchange for his using his influence with Tisaphernes to keep the Persians away. (The Athenians were very worried about the possibility of being outmatched if Persia supported the Spartans (Lacedaemonians) in battle.) The Athenians at Samos are mostly receptive, except for Phrynichus who smells a rat. (Why does Alcibiades want to help them now?)

So this is what happens:

Phrynichus speaks his mind but is told to shut up, so he is angry with the other leaders.
He secretly talks to the Lacedaemonian high admiral Astyochus and warns him about Alcibiades' double-dealing.
But the admiral tells Alcibiades what Phrynichus said.
Alcibiades accuses Phrynichus of treachery.
Phrynichus calls up the admiral and tells him off, but offers to betray the Athenians (allow the Lacedaemonians to capture their army and navy).
The admiral of course reports everything to Alcibiades, as Phrynichus expects.
Phrynichus warns the Athenians to prepare for an attack; he warns them before they can hear Alcibiades' latest bulletin that they will be betrayed by Phrynichus himself.
When Alcibiades warns the Athenians, they don't believe him.

BUT (The story gets a little twisted here.)

A group of aristocrats, including friends of Alcibiades, do take over the government, but they cut Alcibiades out of the deal.
The leaders at Samos (reluctantly?) send for Alcibiades and ask his help in putting down the rebellion (ousting the usurpers).
This would actually have been a bad move. It would have meant complete civil war, weakening Athens and leaving them open to their enemies.
So that is Positive Thing Number One that Alcibiades does.
(Remember, he really doesn't want to see Athens collapse.)
Positive Thing Number Two: Alcibiades uses his influence to prevent the Phoenician ships from coming to help the Spartans.

(I wondered if Phyrnichus ever did actually betray the Athenians and tried to find out what I could online. I found that he was part of the usurpers (The Four Hundred) and that he was assassinated the same year, 411 BC.)

Soon after, the defenders of Athens do manage to drive out the usurpers; and Alcibiades is requested/commanded to return to Athens.
He doesn't want to come back with his tail between his legs, or make even a half-size entrance; so he goes in search of adventure and personal glory before returning.
On the way home, he decides to show off his loot to Tisaphernes.

Unknown to him, Tisaphernes has been told that he shouldn't be nice to Alcibiades any more. It doesn't look good.
In fact, Tisaphernes puts Alcibiades under arrest, to prove he's faithful to the Persian king.
But Alcibiades escapes.
To get revenge, Alcibiades tells everyone that Tisaphernes helped him escape.

Discussion Questions:

No questions this week! (If you can get this story straight, that's enough.)

LESSON 8: The Battle of Cyzicus

Introduction:

Alcibiades sails to the Athenian camp, gets the soldiers on his side, and gets them so pumped up that they sail off to attack the harbour of Cyzicus, which they do successfully; they secure the Hellespont (control an important water gateway) and force the Lacedaemonians out of the rest of the sea. It's a great victory, and the soldiers are extremely puffed up about this. (More about the Battle of Cyzicus here.)

There is another Athenian contingent, led by Thrasyllus, that then gets attacked; Alcibiades' army, flying high, comes and saves them, and they all burn the land, kidnap the priests, etc. It all means more success for Alcibiades, at least for the time being. (Remember his goal is to return to Athens with enough glory to make them all forget that he had been sent away in disgrace.)

Section to Read:

Read from "From there he sailed to the Athenian camp " to "he took divers priests and priestesses, but released them without ransom." After this part, you may want to condense a bit or a lot, depending on the age and interests of the students. The military stuff gets very long and complicated at this point, including the siege of Chalcedon (409 BC). (I like Rosalie Kaufman's very brief summary of this part: "He captured many places along the coast of Asia Minor.") The section ends with "The Lacedaemonians, upon hearing his defence, respected it, and discharged all that were accused."

People:

Who are Mindarus and Pharnabazus? Mindarus is the Peloponnesian (Spartan) fleet commander, and Pharnabazus is a Persian satrap.

The names are too much the same:

Thrasybulus: "an Athenian general and democratic leader. In 411 BC, in the wake of an oligarchic coup at Athens, the pro-democracy sailors at Samos elected him as a general, making him a primary leader of the successful democratic resistance to that coup." (Wikipedia, "Thrasybulus")

Thrasyllus: "one of four Athenians . . . who the Samian democrats trusted for protection from the plot . . . In the turmoil following these events, the generals at Samos were deposed by the soldiers and sailors of the fleet, and Thrasybulus and Thrasyllus were among those elected to replace them." (Wikipedia, "Thrysyllus")

Vocabulary:

despised them - sneered at them
destroyed its Peloponnesian garrison - destroyed the Spartan fort there
ephors - Spartan officials

Discussion Questions:

How did Alcibiades manage to be so successful in this battle?

Discuss this: "The soldiers of Alcibiades reproached those who were under the command of Thrasyllus with this misfortune, at the same time magnifying themselves and their own commander, and it went so far that they would not exercise with them, nor lodge in the same quarters." See Proverbs 16:18.

What was the true significance of this battle?/

From Wikipedia, "Battle of Cyzicus": "Cyzicus, although a dramatic victory, failed to bring any lasting advantage to the Athenian side, and only served to postpone the eventual outcome of the war."

LESSON 9: No Place Like Home

"If there's one thing [Miss] Piggy knows, it's how to make an entrance."--Muppet Family Christmas, 1987

Introduction:

This is a short lesson, about Alcibiades' turnaround of fortunes.

Alcibiades headed home (probably 407 BC). Some people say he made a grand entrance, some say he didn't announce his arrival until he was sure of a welcome. When he did arrive, he was welcomed as a hero, and there seemed to be regret that they hadn't left more of the decisions up to him in the first place.

Section to Read: From "And now Alcibiades began to desire to see his native country again" to "'if he is innocent, I never cursed him.'"

Vocabulary:

buskins - boots worn in the theatre
alloyed - lessened; mixed with something less happy
suburbs - outlying areas of the city
intestine factions - internal divisions

Discussion Questions:

This might be a good place for a writing assignment--maybe a newspaper account of Alcibiades' arrival?

Why does Plutarch not give much credence to the idea that Alcibiades arrived "in the style of revellers breaking up from a drinking-party?"

What happened to the punishments that had been decreed?

Explain what the high priest meant when he refused to absolve Alcibiades from the curses: "For," said he, "if he is innocent, I never cursed him."

LESSON 10

Introduction:

Now that Alcibiades is finally home, he takes a look around for things that could be improved (and that could boost his popularity with the Athenians). Religious processions in recent times have been forced to be made by water, because the Spartans hold one of the major roads. Alcibiades decides that the whole procession should go on as it used to, guarded by his army. It works; they have their procession, and everybody loves Alcibiades (at least this week), including the common folks because they got to have their parade. There are suggestions that he should take absolute control over the city--act as tyrant. ("Tyrant" is not meant in quite such a negative sense as we use it now; it is meant more in the sense of "dictator".)

Other people think it prudent that he be gotten out of Athens for awhile, since he is getting too big for his own good (and in Athens that can be a problem). So he takes a fleet to Andros (406/405 BC) and fights the Lacedaemonians (Spartans).

This is the first place where Lysander is mentioned--the admiral of the Spartan fleet (a replacement for Mindarus). (The Persian satrap Tisaphernes has been replaced by someone named Cyrus--the reference here is to the satrap, not to King Cyrus.) At the Battle of Notium, Lysander kills Alcibiades' second-in-command, Antiochus (note that Antiochus was disobeying orders at the time), while Alcibiades is away trying to scrounge more funds to pay his soldiers.

Section to Read: From "But not withstanding the affairs of Alcibiades went so prosperously" to "He slew Antiochus himself, took many men and ships, and erected a trophy."

Vocabulary:

Minerva - the goddess Athena, patron of Athens
inauspicious - unlucky
celebration of the [Eleusinian] mysteries - a major religious event
Agis - king of Sparta
Eumolpidae - One of the sacred families of priests that ran the Eleusinian Mysteries

Discussion Questions:

In the first paragraph, how does Plutarch use foreshadowing as a hint that the end of the story may not be so glorious?

Consider this: "He conducted them with great order and profound silence; an august and venerable procession, wherein all who did not envy him said he performed at once the office of a high priest and of a general." Why did Alcibiades become so involved suddenly in religious affairs?

There is an interesting point made here, that since Alcibiades is thought so capable, then if he fails at something, it must be by his own neglect. Do you agree with this? What are some possible other reasons this attack failed?

There is a possible application here for Christians. Do we sometimes put unreasonably high expectations on those we appoint to minister, without also offering adequate support?

LESSON 11: The Battle of Aegospotami

Summary:

Alcibiades hears about the Spartan attack and takes a fleet from Samos to meet Lysander--but Lysander refuses to engage with the Athenians.

Thrasybulus (not the same Thrasybulus mentioned earlier), an enemy of Alcibiades, goes and reports to Athens with all kinds of terrible stories about him.

Alcibiades escapes, knowing he is in trouble. He takes some mercenaries with him, fights with the Thracians and funds himself with the spoils from that battle.

Athens appoints three new generals. They also try to fight with Lysander, but nothing happens for awhile. Alcibiades, who is still nearby, warns them that their ships are not in a good position, that Lysander is probably just waiting to strike; but they ignore him.

Section to Read: From "As soon as Alcibiades heard this news" to "and demolished their long walls." Recommended omission: the line reading "giving himself up to every sort of luxury and excess amongst the courtesans of Abydos and Ionia at a time when the enemy's navy were on the watch close at hand" could be shortened to "giving himself up to every sort of luxury and excess at a time when the enemy's navy were on the watch close at hand."

Vocabulary:

barbarians - Persians
ostentation - showing off, hot air
long walls - walls built from a city to its port, such as from Athens to Piraeus. For more information, see the Wikipedia article "Long Walls."

Discussion Questions:

Why is Thrasybulus believed so quickly? (How fickle ARE these people?) How do the Athenians react? Why do you think Alcibiades is then so quick to forsake the army? (Wouldn't he figure that he would quickly regain his popularity?)

Why did Alcibiades warn the generals about their dangerous position? Do you feel this was magnanimous of him, or did he have other reasons?

What are the Spartan and Athenian positions at the end of this section?

LESSON 12

Introduction/Summary:

Alcibiades, fearing the Spartans, escapes to Bithynia. After being robbed, he decides to go to Artaxerxes (king of Persia) and ask for his aid against Sparta (and some security for himself). First, though, he goes to Pharnabazus (the Persian satrap) to ask for protection and safe conduct to the king.

Meanwhile, the Spartans rule in Athens. The Athenians are sorry they rejected Alcibiades, and hope he will find some way to save them again; and that's exactly what the Spartans are afraid of as well.

The "official" version of the story at this point says that Lysander (the Spartan general) is ordered to have Alcibiades killed. Plutarch mentions that there may be other possibilities; Alcibiades did have personal enemies as well as political ones.

Section to Read: From "After this, Alcibiades, standing in dread" to "in the manner just related." Recommended omissions: The final part of the lesson, beginning with "Alcibiades resided at that time in a small village in Phrygia" may be problematic for younger students. You may wish to remove the references to his mistress. Here is a possible edited version:

"Alcibiades resided at that time in a small village in Phrygia. As he slept, he dreamed that he saw Magaeus cut off his head and burn his body. Those who were sent to assassinate him had not courage enough to enter the house, but surrounded it first, and set it on fire. Alcibiades, as soon as he perceived it, getting together great quantities of clothes and furniture, threw them upon the fire to choke it, and, having wrapped his cloak about his left arm, and holding his naked sword in his right, he cast himself into the middle of the fire, and escaped securely through it before his clothes were burnt. The barbarians, as soon as they saw him, retreated and none of them durst stay to wait for him, or to engage with him, but, standing at a distance, they slew him with their darts and arrows."

Vocabulary:

retired - escaped, hid
Themistocles - great Athenian soldier and statesman
despotic - with absolute power
Critias - "a leading member of the Thirty Tyrants, and one of the most violent." (Wikipedia)
acquiesce - give in, submit
"Yet Lysander would not be prevailed upon by these representations" - he would not be persuaded by these arguments
despatched - killed

Discussion Questions:

Why did Alcibiades assume that he would be well treated by the Persians?

The Athenians "judged this second ill-usage of Alcibiades to be all the most inexcusable. For he was rejected without any fault committed by himself . . . [they had] deprived the commonwealth of its most valiant and accomplished general." Do you agree with this, or is it just a case of "hindsight is 50-50?"

The Athenians had some confidence that Alcibiades would do what he could to free them from the Spartans. What does this mean?: "Nor was it an absurd thing in the people to entertain such imaginations, when the Thirty themselves were so very solicitous to be informed and to get intelligence of all his actions and designs."

The ending of this Life is fairly abrupt; Plutarch often describes funerals or makes some kind of summary of the main character's life. Write another possible ending, based on what you know of the life of Alcibiades.