United Nations Memorandum on the Future of Greece

Findings from the following report have are based on a case study of the rise and collapse of the Greek city-states of the classical period

Report composed by 7th period February 7, 2014

Dear fellow members of the United Nations,

It has come to our attention that Greece is on the verge of financial ruins. For the past several years, Greece has been spending money it doesnt have. The government there took advantage of the economic good-times to borrow money and spend it on pay-raises for public workers and projects, such as the 2004 Olympics. Greece has been spending more money than how much Greece can earn. Due to the amount of money that Greece has spent during the past years, it had initiated to run-up a bigger deficit. After the world economy had gone bad, Greece had suffered. This resulted in a form where Greece is perceived as a country that may not be able to manage its money. Also, this may lead to a point where Greece may fail to pay it loans, and it may even go bankrupt. Banks started charging Greece more to borrow cash, thinking that this will cover the risk, but instead it, it made the problem worse. Greece is now borrowing 110 billion euros from other Europeans Union countries and the International Monetary Fund. The money is being loaned at a much better rate, but comes with tough conditions. Greece has to promise to cut its budget deficit. This is the austerity. Greece had laid off many of the public service workers. It includes a freeze on public sector pay, raising the tax on fuel, and cutting pensions. Its those cuts that have led to the riots in the Athens. Many of the protesters are public service workers, whose salary comes from the taxpayers. Others are just ordinary Greeks, angry about how the financial crisis will affect them. They object their government's plan to get Greeces economy back in control.

Rise from a Dark Age Greece began as isolated communities of fishermen and cultivators and turned into a network of city states rising from the dark age by trading and expanding. Phoenician sailors traded along the Mediterranean coast for a long time bringing knowledge of technical advances achieved in the Mesopotamian and Egyptian empires. There was direct and continual intercourse between the Greek cities and wealthy empires of the Middle East. The city-states fought against each other but also would come together through trade, a common alphabet, a mutually understandable dialect, similar religious practices and joint festivals such as the Olympic Games. For the alphabet they took the Phoenician alphabet and made it into their own alphabet so they could not be literate. The shortage of fertile land in a mountainous region encouraged the cultivators to take to the sea and expand along the Mediterranean.

Geography determined the culture of Athens and Sparta because they were close to each other but had slowly spread apart due to disagreements between Greeces own people. This soon led to Greek city-states. Greece was split by large rocky mountains that were spread through most of Greece. The mountains isolated them. Greece also lacked natural resources. They had lacked crops causing them to depend on water as their main natural resource. Since Greeks lacked natural resources, they bought slaves to help cultivate crops. Also because the mountains led to city-states in Greece, city-state community then formed multiple types of government. The people of Athens were first an oligarchy, meaning that power was in the hands of the few. In the 6th century they decided to make decisions through democracy. Greeks citizens decided on the laws of Greece. However, although many citizens did have political rights, the women, poor people, and children were not included. Greece headed towards masculinity and wealth. This meaning that the men and the rich had become the ones who ran Greece. Centripetal Forces There were a few centripetal forces that brought the Greek city-states together. These forces range from simple things like festivals, feasts, and telling tales (mythology) to much more complex concepts like war and what the Greek city-states considered to be moral obligations. Mythology had many branches that brought the Athenians and the Spartans together. The Greek city-states were polytheistic , meaning they believed in multiple gods. They had many temples and statues that represented each god. Each god had a specific job and represented a specific aspect of life. For example, they joined with each other to listen to the story of Narcissus. The story of Narcissus teaches us that we should not be self centered and arrogant, for it would cause many downfalls. It teaches them what proper morals and

values were. The mythology brought them together because they myths explained natural occurrences and how the world worked. It explained things that they could not explain themselves. Occasionally they would have festivals and feasts celebrating their culture and beliefs. Plutarch Moralia, a Greek philosopher from 110 C.E once said, Its not the abundance of wine or roasting that makes the joy of sharing a table in a temple, but the good hope and belief that the god is present in the kindness and graciously accepts what is offered. This philosopher tells us that coming together is not about the food or the partying but about knowing that God is present. They would also have annual Olympics that brought them together, in the same way today it brings the When Greece rose from the dark age the Persian War created a union between the Greek city-states. Despite Athens/Sparta despising each other, the Persian War gave them an opportunity to make an alliance. The law forbade them from fleeing. In the dialogue between Xerxes and Demaratus they talk about the forces that make Greece and empire. And his command never changes: It forbids them to flee in battle, whatever the number of their foes. They fought together and died together. Fighting for the Greek city-states was recognized as their duty. It was a responsibility and if you backed out you were considered a coward. It was a moral obligation. The law was respected and it was that, that brought Athens and Sparta connected The union of the city-states made a powerful empire. It was a centripetal force. Since the Persian War at the time, was one of the few things that they had in common, when the war ended, their paths and perspectives once again diverged. Athens created the Delian League which was exclusively for the Athenians and their allies. They became an abusive power and the reason for this is that they have no reason to be conjoined with the other city-states. They once again separated and became enemies. That is why war

is considered the major centripetal force. These centripetal forces made a powerful union between the city states of Greece. It made them better people, and a better country.

Athens Golden Age

Athens experienced a golden age during 5th century b.c.e because there was an advancement to the democracy. Pericles had said, It is true that we are called a democracy, for the government is in the hands of the many and not the few. Neither is poverty a barrier, but a man may benefit his country whatever be the obscurity of his condition (Lesson 1.7-Pericles on Democracy). While Sparta had a few people who were apart of their government, Athens allowed all of their citizens to have a say in who they wanted to represent them. Athens was an oligarchy before the golden age, but later on it changed into a direct democracy. The Athenian male citizens, only benefitted from this democracy because they were the ones who were voting, but the women, slaves and foreigners held no power. This direct democracy gave all Athenians, including the poor an opportunity to vote so everyones thoughts and opinions were included. However, even though only the male citizens were able to vote, it was still a golden age because gradually the Athenian government system improved. By allowing everyone to vote, Athens become more united and showed that social classes did not impact the right to vote for all male citizens. Athenian architecture played an important role during the golden age. According to The Parthenon, The Parthenon is the temple of Athena Parthenos, built on the Acropolis in 447-432 B.C.E. by Pericles to honor Athens patron goddess and to commemorate the recent Greek victory over the Persians. The Parthenon was one of the many architectural structures built to honor goddesses and the Greek victory over the Persians. This proves that

Athens was experiencing a golden age because construction caused there to be an advancement in religion. Athens was prosperous enough to build a beautiful building like the Parthenon, which is still standing today. The temple was benefitted by everyone because it contributes to religious practices. Even through all the ravages, the Parthenon survived. It went from a temple to a church, and then was turned into a mosque by the Ottoman Empire. In spite of all the damage, the Parthenon is still a part of modern day Greece. In addition, Athens also had a golden age because there was a flourishing of the arts. Athens produced a numerous amount of artwork, which were more detailed and advanced than before the classical period (Lesson 1.7-Classical Art). This shows that Athens was experiencing a golden age through art. Athenians showed power by making statues of athletic people. As a result, Athenians would be viewed as powerful and strong people. Plays were a form of art, which had a huge role in Athens golden age. There were many plays that were a part of the Athenian society. For example, they had a play called Lysistrata by Aristophanes. The play started in Athens 411 b.c.e., and it was only performed by males. Even though mostly men took part in plays, it still entertained everyone. The plays were featured in huge arenas, giving space to thousands of Athenian citizens to watch. Having the Athenians watch together, was an important moment because it was them sharing a moment with each other, like a family would. With the arts, literature, philosophy, and history had evolved.

Centrifugal Forces The Peloponnesian War was a major centrifugal force within the Greek city-states. The tension between the Athenians and Spartans existed prior to the war. Despite this, the Greek city-states united their forces on the island of Delos; each city-state provided funds towards

the war. Subsequent to the war, Sparta began to disregard assistance from Athens when it came to their own personal matters. When a helot revolt occurred in Sparta, the Athenians offered help, but were ostracized by the Spartans. Afterwards, the Athenians transferred the Delian league treasury from Delos to Athens. Another important catalyst to the war between the two city states was in 431 B.C.E. , when the Athenians placed embargo onto Megara, an ally of Sparta. (Peloponnesian War Timeline document) Therefore, Megara was cut off from their resources, resulting in malice for Sparta. Breaking up their trade with Megara would not affect the prosperous Athens; however, Spartans are prone to battling over anything that is linked to their city-state. With Athens dissolving trade with their ally, the Spartans have a comprehensible rational to go into war with their enemies. The foundation of their selfvalues was war and fighting in honor of the city-state. Eventually in war, both city-states would have to operate with their own military and allies. As a result, both Athens and Sparta would force small territories into being their ally. Athens attempted hegemony on Melos, an island of neutrality. Athenians provided the Melians with an ultimatum; conform to joining the Athenians or be attacked by their navy. Thucydides, an Athenian historian, wrote about the exchange between the Athenians and Melians, or the Melian Dialogue. Athenians comment, By a law of natural the gods and men rule wherever they can. We did not make this law, nor were we the first to act upon it. This law existed before us and will continue after us. The Athenians were interested in hegemony over the Melians; self- values or morals did not apply to their legal system. By forcing territories to take sides, the rift between Athenians and Spartans widened, and dissolved the neutrality of their allies. Each city-state was for themselves, running the risk of plunging each one into failure. Thus, the city-states would struggle to thrive because their allies are not resourceful. War provides a increased chance of a downfall in supplies.

One centrifugal force that existed between the Greek city-states was the plague that resulted from the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides, an Athenian historian, documented the impact of the disease on the Athenians. He states, ...And many [Athenians] resorted to shameless modes of burial...would put on their own dead and kindle the fire; others would throw the body they were carrying upon one which was already burning... Neither the fear of the gods nor laws of men awed any man...because no man expected that lives would last till he received punishment of his crimes by judgment. (Plague in Athens, 430 B.C.). In essence, the plague had dissolved the civilized society of Athens. The citizens disregarded the value of human lives, because of the vast of number of Athenians that perished each day. Therefore, funerals lacked sensitivity, due to the need of disposing of the infected bodies. Eventually, the urge to lead a practical life overtook the Athenians, and they did not want to waste their own time, holding endless funerals. Another ideology that the Athenians developed was survivalism, forgetting their laws and morals originating from mythology and forming a anarchy. Their own self-principle was to live, and the Athenians did whatever they could to achieve it. However, they accepted that fact that they had an increased chance of contracting the disease and perishing from it. The ever-present fear to prolong their lives mean that there would be no barriers; stealing or murdering were became the norm, and men focused on the predictability that they would not make it to judgment time. Henceforth, their heinous actions would not matter in the long run. Another event that was direct result of the plague was the death of Athens democratic leader, Pericles. The philosopher Pericles was deemed as the greatest statesman of the era, receiving respect from everyone in Athens. With the war going on, a new disease started to take place. The disease was a widespread epidemic which took away Pericles life. Subsequent to the death of Pericles, many Athenians began to acknowledge him as an

Olympian. M.A. Soupios discussed the enormity of Pericles leadership to Athens. Soupios writes, In carrying off Pericles, the plague deprived Athens of the one man who had the courage and capacity to criticize the citizenry when necessary. Unlike other public figures, particularly those who followed, Pericles did not pander to the people; where the others flattered, he alone dared to speak the truth. (Impact of the Plague in Ancient Greece Document). Many Athenians were not very fond of the loss of Pericles. Athenians knew Pericles as a wise, man who was courageous enough to be sincere about anything that came his way when needed. Unlike Pericles, other philosophers were not the type of people who were spiteful. Every minute that passed, Pericles always spoke his mind about things. Because Pericles was this type of person, the Athenians grieved over him for. In the moment of the plague, Pericles presence was especially essential to the order of Athenian society. If he had survived the disease, Pericles would have most likely provided a honest commentary over the irrational actions of the Athenians. Consequently, the Athenians would take his word into consideration, remembering their values and morals. Thus, there would be less of an uncivilized society, trying to follow Pericles opinion.

Decline of Greek Hegemony

Greeces hegemony was declined in the end of the 5th century B.C.E.The hegemony declined after the Peloponnesian War. Greece was depleted by the war, so its dominance did not exist anymore. This began in 404 B.C.E. and continued until Athens fell in 404 B.C.E. The period immediately after the Peloponnesian War is called the Spartan Hegemony. Even though Sparta did not complete the tribute they only allowed the governments who were friendly with them to live within Greece.

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Alexander the Great was a king who conquered the Persian Empire, after his father's death in 323 B.C.E. Alexander spread Hellenism, or Greek culture, to all of the Middle East up to India and down from Macedonia to Egypt. He left governors in each of the places. However, after his death the governors started their own dynasties. This all was known as the Hellenistic Era because of the cultural diffusion. Greece's hegemony did not diminish influence of Greek culture. It has been unrolled to many countries. The Parthenon has an enormous history of conquerors. After the Greek hegemony, Greece's power was also declined. In the document Greece conquered by Romans (Lesson 1.10) the temple of goddess Athena was transformed into a church, as the Greeks were controlled by the Romans from the second century B.C.E until the 5th century B.C.E. Greece was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century until the 19th century B.C.E. The Ottomans turned the church the Romans made into a mosque. Greece did not have any power until 1832 according to the document Greek Independence from Ottoman Empire (Lesson 1.10). Greece and its power vanished when the hegemony happened after the Peloponnesian war.

Conclusion Since Greece decided to be hegemonic to the citizens, they are now deep in debt. Therefore, Greece has no other option but to send their workers, bankers, and people out to the other countries to make money. After they have enough money, they should bring the surplus back to Greece, since Greece cannot make a good amount of money on their own. Clearly, the Greece government is mainly running on borrowed money from the EU and the IMF. They are not really earning any money and they do not have enough money to pay the public service workers in the government. This will help Greece start developing again. After

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this, Greece can make peace treaties with other countries, saying that Greece will give back their money in a certain amount of years. Afterwards, all the problems will be solved and Greece can go back to normal. We dont want any other chaos in the streets, like there was in Ancient Greece. Ancient Greece was falling apart when the death of Pericles took place and the commencing of plague had happened. These were some of the centrifugal forces back then. This is the kind of chaos that is happening now. This is due to the economical issue that had occurred in 2008. Greece is such danger and we need to put a stop to these riots and uprisings in Greece. We have to make sure that these types of turmoils do not occur again. If this resolution is not presented to them, then there may never be peace in the world ever again. Let this be a big step to the end of Greeces financial catastrophes and create a new future for Greece and all European countries!

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