File under Clio. We are accustomed to regard Athens as a paradigm of Democracy and a center of Philosophy and Science, especially in contrast with Sparta which is widely and correctly considered a militaristic slave holding society of sadism and cruelty. Given this sympathy it’s easy to forget that Athens lost the Peloponnesian War and pretty definitely deserved to considering that they started it and had spent decades looting and grinding down vassal cities all over Greece and Asia Minor. Not that this was a new thing mind you, it’s pretty much what they did to start the Persian War too.
Oh, that Science and Philosophy thing? A ton of it was done in what is now Turkey and Sicily, as well as Ptolemaic Egypt. Athens gets credit because… Greek. Nothing like some Dolma, Kalamata, and Feta with a squeeze of Lemon.
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