Thucydides on the brain

Still not sure why Neo Cons claim to be such fans of Thucydides.

Nicias rightly sees that invading distant Sicily under flimsy pretexts will prove the ruin of the Athenian empire. Why? Because Sicily is a big, distant, complicated place that the Athenians do not understand. Invading Sicily will ruin Athens' domestic economy, squander its reputation as a military power and make it vulnerable to attacks from her other enemies.

We should also remember that we are only now enjoying some respite from a great pestilence and from war, to the no small benefit of our estates and persons, and that it is right to employ these at home on our own behalf, instead of using them on behalf of these exiles in whose interest it is to lie as well as they can, who do nothing but talk themselves and leave the danger to others, and who if they succeed will show no proper gratitude, and if they fail will drag down their friends with them. 6.12.1

The Hellenes in Sicily would fear us most if we never went there at all, and next to this, if after displaying our power we went away again as soon as possible. We all know that which is farthest off and the reputation of which can least be tested, is the object of admiration; at the least reverse to us they would at once begin to look down upon us, and would join our enemies here against us. 6.11.4

We must not disguise from ourselves that we go to found a city among strangers and enemies, and that he who undertakes such an enterprise should be prepared to become master of the country the first day he lands, or failing in this to find everything hostile to him. 6.23.2

Such is the list of the peoples, Hellenic and barbarian, inhabiting Sicily, and such the magnitude of the island which the Athenians were now bent upon invading. 6.6.1

Alcibiades argues (after being accused by Nicias of starting the war to bring benefit to himself and his friends) that Athens should invade because Athens is strong enough to conquer Sicily and hold off its other enemies. The Sicilians are also an easy mark. They're a disorganized, weak, lot lacking in any strong identity, ripe for having an alien political system forced upon them from the outside.

Nor should you rescind your resolution to sail to Sicily, on the ground that you would be going to attack a great power. The cities in Sicily are peopled by motley rabbles, and easily change their institutions and adopt new ones in their stead; and consequently the inhabitants, being without any feeling of patriotism, are not provided with arms for their persons, and have not regularly established themselves on the land. . . From a mob like this you need not look for either unanimity in counsel or unity in action; but they will probably one by one come in as they get a fair offer, especially if they are torn by civil strife as we are told. 6.17.2-4

Of course, Athens shouldn't wait around for the Sicilians to cause trouble, but should engage in a preemptive strike.

Men do not rest content with parrying the attacks of a superior, but often strike the first blow to prevent the attack being made. Moreover, we cannot fix the exact point at which our empire shall stop; we have reached a position in which we must not be content with retaining what we have but must scheme to extend it for, if we cease to rule others, we shall be in danger of being ruled ourselves. Nor can you look at inaction from the same point of veiw as others, unless you are prepared to change your habits and make them resemble theirs. 6.18.2-3

Finally, Athens should invade Sicily because to not do so would be to "go soft." If you've got it, flaunt it.

. . . by sinking into inaction, the city, like everything else, will wear itself out, and its skill in everything decay; while each fresh struggle will give it fresh experience, and make it more used to defend itself not in word but in deed. 6.18.6

No Child Left Behind

What I'm learning from ye blog so far:
1) I work a fair amount. Yay.
2) I work on a lot of different things--art-teachin', USEM-teachin' (bless thee, Thucydides), script-writin', 3D modelin' and animatin', 2D animatin' & drawin', web-site-makin', art-makin', school admin crap, prepping for teaching, 'mersh projects, water heaters and the like. Not to mention being a deadbeat dad and feckless husband. I'm not complaining. It's good livin'.
3) I'm bad at estimating how long it takes to get something done. Hence, the website's not done, the Happiness Hole's languishing, the water heater took 5 days to install, etc.
4) Life feels short--it's rushing by, happening now, and I feel completely clueless about it. Balls.
5) I'm thinking of taking the summer off from teaching for the first time in 10 years. I'd like to catch up on some solitude, some friends, and have fun with Sam.
6) I need to get the Corvair running. This weather is too beautiful.

What am I thrilling to?

Not sure. So much "stuff" to deal with, so not so much deep reflection and splendid studio "process" this week. Yet, life seems pretty good. I'm feeling some hum of creative energy despite feeling kind of trashed, put-upon, and haggard.

Ol' Thucydides is firing up my imagination. Good stuff for a 41-year old man to be taking in. William Blake, however, had no time for the "silly Greek and Latin slaves of the sword." Romanticism, anti-romanticism. Fire it up. Let's see who wins.

Oh yeah, nobody wins, actually, just suffering and death. Damnit!!! I always forget that part. !@#$

And. . . so much for getting the site up last week. Hardy har har.

Real Life & Anti-Romanticism

Thucydides is an anti-romantic. If anyone finds a less romantic sentence than this, please let me see it (5.116.3-4):

Reinforcements afterwards arriving from Athens in consequence, under the command of Philocrates son of Demeas, the siege was now pressed vigorously, and some treachery taking place inside, the Melians surrendered at discretion to the Athenians, who put to death all the grown men whom they took, and sold the women and children for slaves, and subsequently sent out five hundred colonists and settled the place themselves.

Bleak enough by itself, these are the concluding words in the chapter containing the famous Melian Dialogue, in which the rag-tag rebel Melians tell the Athenians to get stuffed. This is the way 300 would have ended in an alternate universe. Clearly superior power overruns outnumbered, noble, brave, and honorable crew of desperate men killing all of them and enslaving their families.

Last few days spent dealing with water heater replacement and school silliness. Please return soon, Muse, you are sorely missed.

Dear Diary. . .

Ha ha, I didn't post anything yesterday. Who cares? I did, however, buy some pants w/o trying them on, and they're . . . a bit tight. The factory must have mis-printed the size.

Getting ready to talk about Pericles' Funeral Oration this afternoon. I thought I knew what I was going to say about it, but now feel like I have no idea. "Uh, yeah, that was a pretty wild speech, huh?" or maybe, "Yup, that Pericles--he's always up to something, isn't he?" Maybe we can talk about how stabbing someone in the face or liver never seems to go out of style. Savage killing and high-order rational thought and rhetoric make good bedfellows.

And by the way, Maya just crashed, so @#$% and #$@$%. I just downloaded an autosave script which I'm sure will totally @#$% up my life and make Maya crash more, but what can you do?