READ FOURTH The Surrender Of Athens

We have been sent to the Spartans to negotiate peace with them. We have very 

little to negotiate with for our people are starving, but we shall do our best. The

Spartans are holding a meeting for all city-states that would like to participate. 

They reached the city of Sparta within a days time. Upon entering the meeting with the Spartans, Theramenes realized the meeting was going to take much longer than he wanted it to. They were all seeted in the Throne room discussing the treaty.

   "Corinthia believes we should not make a peace treaty with the Athenians. They must be annihilated for what they have done. They have not been a just people to their allies. They do not belong on this earth." A representative from Corinthia told the congregation. The Thebans agreed vehemently. The room became loud with arguments. People began to push their chairs back and yell across the room at each other.

   "Quiet!" The Spartan king Pausanias yelled to quiet the rowdy bunch. He stared them all down with his feirce face, a scar running down his left eyelid. Agris II then spoke.

   "We will not destroy Athens. They have done to many good things for Greece. We are all Greeks, we must remember this. No, Sparta will not, under any circumstances, annihilate Athens."

   "Yes, but we do have some terms for the peace treaty. Those terms of course would be to knock down your walls that protect you, to give us all of your ships but twelve that you may keep, you must hand over all your overseas possessions, and you must have the same allies and enemies of Sparta. If we go on an overseas voyage or any voyage you must support us and join as well. These are the terms of the treaty." Pausanias told the Athenians. Theramenes stared at them and took it all in. 

We truly do not have much of a choice. It is either starve

and die of diseases, or follow Sparta's plan that includes 

surviving. I am positive that all of Athens would want this. 

We will have to venture home now to vote on it in the 

senate.

   "We shall set off for Athens imidiately to share your terms with our council to vote. It is in serious consideration." Theramenes stated. The kings both nodded.

******

Once In Athens

   "We cannot accept Sparta's terms for a treaty. Get rid of our protection, hand over our only defenses?! Never!" One member of the council shouted in response to hearing the terms Sparta had set. Much yelling was emanating from the council, too much yelling. The council was called to order and Theramenes stepped up to speak.

    "I know that these terms are difficult for many here to accept, but they may be our only hope. One set of walls is not going to harm us, handing over our ships is not either. Being allied with an extremely powerful city-state is good. They will protect us, and we will once more have food. No children will starve, we will be able to cure our sick and finally leave this city. You must understand, this is our only chance of survival. The other city-states, such as Thebes and Corinth, wanted to destroy our city and put us all into slavery! These terms are our only hope!" He stepped down from the podium and took his seat once more. Everything was silent as his words sunk into the minds of the congregated citizens. Later that day they all agreed to the terms and followed through with them. Celebrations went out through the streets of Athens as flute girls played merry tunes. It could only get better from here, or so they thought.

READ THIRD The Battle At Amphipolis

Brasidas looked out over the city of Amphipolis from his window.

Brasidas on a hoplite sheild

A few weeks ago the one year truce between Sparta and Athens ended.
We will no longer have peace. A year ago, we captured Torone 
and Scion, two very important cities in the eyes of the Athenians.
They will come for them now that there is no longer peace 
between us. I am sure Cleon will be the one to come to fight
and recapture these two cities. I am sure Cleon 
will be itching to arrive here to take these cities from Spartan
hands. 

A young man sweating and breathing heavily entered the room. He was a messenger and spy for the Spartans. Brasidas looked over his large shoulder at him. The boy paused before walking closer to the general.

   "Greetings sir," he breathed. "Cleon has taken Torone and Scione and is headed for Eion as we speak. He has with him thirty ships, about twelve thousand hoplites, and three hundred cavalry."

Brasidas considered this, it was exactly as he had expected. He turned to two of his most trusted soldiers and just below him in command, Clearidas and Demetri . 

   "Gather three hundred cavalry and two thousand hoplites. Leave a couple troops here as well. We will head up to Cerdylium to look upon the Athenians immediately. Understood?" They both nodded and went off to ready everything. When Cleon and his troops arrived, all of Brasidas' were positioned on Cerdyluim, looking down at Cleon. As thime passed, it seemed as though Cleon was moving his troops upriver. They seemed to be headed for Amphipolis. Brasidas yet again moved his troops back to Amaphipolis.

We have a much larger army than the Athenians, but I must admit

that Cleon's troops are of better quality. How should I go about attacking

the Athenians?  We shall, because they are very disorganized, take my best

men, maybe one hundred and fifty of them. We shall surprise attack the Athenians.

 Brasidas ordered Clearidas and Demetri to gather the best men in his army to undertake the surprise attack, them and himself included.

******

I had Clearidas take the remaining troops under his command except for my one hundred and fifty well trained men. We separated so that we would be attacking from different sides behind gates in the city. We were moving about so much that the Athenians must have heard something and the left wing of Cleon's army began to move back to the coast. That is when I attacked with my smaller group of men. We charged at the center, quickly collapsing it and began to fight our way to the right wing of the Athenian army. Swords clashed and blood was spilled all over the battle field. You could hear the cries of men when limbs broke away from their bodies with a swipe of your cold and biting blade. Pain and suffering lies on the battlefield along with glory. Clearidas' troops then joined us and began to cut their way through the Athenian soldiers of the right wing. I chopped my way through bodies fighting for the wrong side. Suddenly I came upon a man who's skill matched my own. He came full force at me jabbing with his blade at my chest. I parried his attack and moved forward quickly to try and catch him off guard. We went like this back and forth for a while when finally I lunged trying to plunge the point of my sword into his heart, when a man stabbed me from behind. A red blossom formed where my stomach should be. My limbs froze instantly and a gagging sound emanated from my throat. Blood spilled from my swollen lips and dripped onto the already blood soaked field. I lay there knowing that death was to wrap its numbing embrace about me shortly, but nothing happened for a while. When finally I knew I was to die in at least a minuet, Clearidas rushed to my side and kneeled. A tear rolled down his cheek as he saw my wound that was fatal. 

   "Did we have a victory?" I choked out between raking coughs. A small smile played on his lips.

   "Yes, we did. We have beaten the Athenians once again, and Cleon has died as well." My lips twitched upward in content. Suddenly I was surrounded by a warm blanket of darkness.

READ SECOND The Plague of Athens

An aristocratic supporting politician stood up walking to the center of the room to be heard by all other members of the council. "We are now confronting the issue of this plague that has taken a hold on our city. There are some who would like to speak before you today on this controversial topic, but first I shall give a description of what is currently happening. Death ravages the city, carcasses lying upon each other. The piles upon piles of bodies creates a stench that follows you everywhere you may go. There is no escaping it. No one knows what this horrid plague is, or how to treat it.The symptoms showing in the patients are the worst we have seen yet. Many burn from the inside out to the point that they would rather go about unclothed. Their thirst is unquenchable, and you will see them jumping into the water cisterns out of their minds." The man walked back to his seat in the arena like council. Another nobleman stood before the council. Clearing his throat, he dove into his speech. "As my friend stated before, those infected by the sickness are losing their minds and go insane with the disease. People turn to superstitions, and pure enjoyment thinking that it will be their last day in this glorious city.  One day Athens was at the height of its glory, the marble temples glistening in the sun, and the next there is death everywhere you turn. We believe that the cause of this plague that rakes our city, is from the Spartans. They must have slipped a substance into our water supply, or our food we are shipping from Egypt. There is no doubting that this came from the war, my fellow citizens. The war has caused these problems, this uproar of disease in our beautiful city. This war, that was suggested by Pericles himself! This disease would not be here if it were not for Pericles! People are dying because of his decision. He is unwise and not fit to be on this council." The nobleman standing there, at the center of the people, went silent. He let the intention of his speech sink into the other citizens minds. He watched as they realized what he had said, the accusation he was making. One after another, they all began to speak, whether it be loudly or not. There was an uproar in the council. Everyone talking over another in disbelief. Then there was a sudden outpouring of cries. "Pericles started this! Pericles started this! Pericles started this!" Over and over again they chanted this as it spread throughout the throngs of people. The nobleman smiled, he had accomplished what his intention had been. As all this went on, Pericles was thinking to himself:

This has slowed my plans concerning the war with Sparta. We are no longer able to 

confront them, we may in the future, but not now. We are to weak with this horror.

This has all been blamed on me, the plague, the war we have started with 

Sparta.The people of this city believe that because I suggested the war,

and the plague was "brought upon by the war", that I am responsible for it. They 

wish to cut all ties with me after everything I have done for them. 

I have nothing but the best interest of Athens at heart. I have never once let

them down, and now the one time I do, they turn on me. They listen to the

words of a silly noblemen rather than to me, and do not think of how I have 

lead them so far. They have gone mad in the times of trouble that we are 

facing now. Almost everyone has had a loved one pass from this illness.

My own son has died. Oh how I wish I could have saved him, how I wish

I could take back our arguments and have a wonderful time with my son.

He was a wonderful boy, but what is done, is done. We do not need a person

to blame all our troubles for, they originate from each and everyone of us. These

people here seem to not know this. I will lose most of my political standing

because of this nobleman's idiotic deed. No matter, I will always be there for Athens. 

I will always be willing to be taken back into her embrace, because Athens is worth

everything. It is a wondrous place, and once you have lived here, you will never enjoy

another place again.

 The citizens crowded together had agreed upon taking Pericles' power from him. They then sent him off, out of the meeting and on his own.

******** 

 One Year Later

An old man cowered in the corner of his lavish estate. He clutched at his bald skull, his black eyes ablaze with madness. He wore no clothes, and continued to run his tongue slowly over his cracked lips. Memories pulsated quickly through his mind; flashes of images from past times. 

A motionless young man lay on a funeral pyre not long after Pericles

was banished from the senate. His limp body was the same as it had 

been a few days before his death. A stolid man stepped forward brushing 

the young man's silky brown hair from his unfocussed eyes. A tear slid down 

the man's wrinkled cheek. He tried to keep his composure, but it slid completely

out of his grasp. Tears began to stream down his face. He had always been

a model of regal composure; today he was everything but. Onlookers from the 

Senate were moved by this sight. They saw that he wanted to take care of Athens,

that he wanted the best for it, and that no other man could do the job but him.

Soon he was reinstated back into the senate as the head of the military. He lead 

them for a while against Sparta.

  The man was placed in a bed right next to his corner. His eyes closed for a moment. Two young men watched him as he lay there speaking to one another.

   "He has done so much for Athens. He restored her after the Persian wars, and developed democracy." one said. The other nodded in agreement.

   "He is an amazing man. He was able to lead all of these people, make wonderful decisions for them that would be best. He was always there for Athens. He never once let us down, even after we betrayed him."

   "He truly is amazing." The both nodded in agreement, reflecting on what had been said. Pericles opened his eyes and sat up to stare both men in the eyes. He needed to share one thing before he died.

   "You have forgotten what I am most proud of, my greatest achievement." rumbled from his chest slowly.

Both young men looked at him in shock, they hadn't known he was still awake. "You have forgotten how I lead the Athenians with moderation of tyrannical power. I was very good about that." The men agreed vehemently and he closed his eyes welcoming the end of his pain. 

The fight with Sparta continued when the Athenians had gained back some of their

former strength. They fought on without Pericles, though nothing was ever as good 

as it was when he lead the people of Athens.....

READ FIRST Introduction To The Peloponnesian War

The Ancient Greeks, as you are well aware of, were like a family. They were all part of one another, yet they were their own separate city-states that had their own ideals, governments, and ways of doing things. They were also constantly bickering and conning one another. This is what lead to the Peloponnesian War.

   Athens had created the Delian League, a group of city-states that would send in a certain amount of money, ships, and men that would be used to protect all these city-states and restore them after the Persian War. Eventually Athens turned on the other members, moving the league's treasury to Athens, using the money for themselves, and meeting any city-state who no longer wanted to participate, with force. This rise of power for the Athenians caused worry for the military focused Spartans and their league, the Peloponnesian League. There were many differences between these two  leagues: the Delian League was a dictatorship where the Athenians held all power, and the Peloponnesian League let every city-state in its league have one vote and be independent. The fact that Athens was becoming extremely powerful made the Peloponnesian League worried which caused the Peloponnesian War. 

                              

                             Members of The Delian League

                                - Athens

                                - 200 other members small city states

                              Members of The Peloponnesian League

                               - Sparta

                               - All Peloponnesian city-states other than Argos 

Information Pertaining To Blog

Hey! This is my first blog. I would like to share with you what this blog will be based on. I will be posting creative writing pieces here. This will usually be for projects, but I might write an editorial that is not assigned as well. These pieces will be intended to move, entrap, and make you think. I dislike when there is a writing piece (usually fictional writing) that does not make you think, when it does not make you feel something stirring deep inside your innermost being. You should feel completely wrapped in the story itself, feel transported into this amazing world you never thought could exist. I love making people enraptured in my writing, feeling the writing, relishing every single word written. You should taste the book, taking in every single word, letter, phrase. I want there to be a connection to certain characters, hate others, or hating the fact that you love a certain character. The written word is extremely important to me, and everything I write is a part of me. I truly hope you enjoy my writing and leave comments pertaining to it. Enjoy!

             BTW: My real name is not Natasha. I am using this as my pen name/alias.