The Restoration of the Athenian Empire

“The Restoration of the Athenian Empire” Our walls are crumbling and our fleet is minute. We here in Athens are unable to collect tribute from other city-states and are often in threat of being attacked. Our fleet is defenseless and weak. The Democratic fraction, propose that we spend our time and hard earned money on the rebuilding of our walls and fleet. That way Athens can dangerously collect tributes from other Greek city-states. The Democrats also would like to commence in hazardous military voyages with our insubstantial navy. Hoping the result brings forth great rewards.
However as a Student of Socrates I strappingly disagree with the Democratic fractions. Yes our walls are collapsing and our fleet feeble but, is it essential to spend our money and time to rebuild. Is it of such importance collecting tributes that we put our great people of Athens at high risk? If we are to lead our few strong navy men to expeditions will they return, and who will protect our city-state. Instead of rebuilding and wasting our valuable time and money, the Students of Socrates propose to enlarge the hoplite divisions. Our foot soldiers will however need equipment in order to protect our great state.
We feel that with the money saved from not rebuilding our walls and fleet, our great state can provide these soldiers with the necessary tools. We do not want our walls or fleet to be rebuilt and feel as we should be self-sufficient within our own decaying walls. We feel that if we were to rebuild the fleet we could potentially be corrupting our great people with foreigner’s ideas and thoughts. As Socrates states “the Democratic fractions will make a tour of other states, where they will hire actors, with their fine persuasive voices, to play their works to large audiences, and sway them over to tyranny or democracy. As found on Page 306 568c Instead of becoming corrupt we wish to make Athens stronger. Socrates advice would be “to stick to his own way of life”. Anytime you allow outside influence your allowing potential corruption. Also Athens navy is frail and unable to protect the fleet so we would be risking the few strong men we have along with the rest of the Athenian’s. It is vital that we keep our strongest men safe so that we can train several upcoming foot soldiers. Who would we have to protect Athens if our strongest were directed on an expedition and perished?

Instead of allowing Athens to become corrupt or even worse weakened under attack we would like to see our great state become self-sustaining. In this we would like Athenian’s to depend on our own resources. We can learn to make what we don’t have and the things that are insurmountable we can learn to live without. This may not be easy but, in time we will become a much stronger Greek unit. Socrates states on page 295 559b “But the desire for a more varied and luxurious diet is one which, with discipline and training from an early age, can normally be got rid of, and which is physically damaging to intelligence and self-discipline.
May it therefore rightly be called unnecessary? ” We will learn to be happy with our own resources and man-made items. This will make us nondependent on any other city-state. With our hoplite divisions trained, enlarged and, with sufficient equipment we should be less fearful of potential invasions. If by chance an assault on Athens was to transpire we now have many trained and equipped foot soldiers to protect us. In conclusion The Students off Socrates feel that by not rebuilding the fleet or wall we are making Athens a sturdier more dependent unit.
We intend to grow our own nourishment, live off our own resources, and make our own merchandises. Without negative effects of foreign persuasion’s all our efforts and valuable resources will be retained within our own city-state. That with the saved expenses we are able to provide necessary tools and train many added foot soldiers. Adding superfluous security within our city-state. With the expansion of our hoplite division we will be able to keep our great state of Athens and all its inhabitants safe. l