The Fall of Athens

 

            Athens had long been a leader in Greece. After all, it was the Athenians that had formed the Delian League for the protection of all the Grecian cities; and Athens that had fought off the Persian invaders.  It could not be denied by any who had ever seen it that Athens was a truly impressive city. She was beautiful, strong and lovely, full of rich temples and marvelous buildings and statues.  But Athens was only a city. The Athenian people were very proud of their city and of themselves but they were slowly losing their virtues and diligence to which they owed their beautiful city, and becoming a careless people. They had seventy public festivals in their year and held many holidays. With their love for parties and feasting, grew their pride in their city and soon they were quite conceited.

Slowly, bit-by-bit, Athens was beginning to lose her power and position. When another war broke out with Sparta, the Athenians lost. This was a terrible loss, indeed, to them. Sparta and Athens had long been rivals but the Spartans had never really completely subdued the Athenians. Now, it was different. The very walls of Athens were destroyed and, although in time, she rebuilt these walls and threw off the Spartan yoke, Athens was never again the great city that she had once been.

Wars broke out frequently in the following years but they revolved around Macedon and Persia and the great young conqueror, Alexander The Great. The Athenians just refused to be roused to the danger they faced against these new powers until it was too late. Then, once again, Athens was conquered and ever after, she was only a bystander in the complex history of the world.

 

                        A narration by Frodo