Plus ça change...

The Athenian speech to the Peloponnesian allies assembled at Sparta (I.73-78) is a tour de force of Realpolitik.  We will definitely spend some time on it next class.  Since one of you is currently reading (and two of you have already read) Hobbes' Leviathan in Western Civ., I thought I would just note the almost exact correspondence between the Athenian list of reasons for pursuing empire, and Hobbes' natural causes for the State of Warre existing prior to the establishment of a sovereign power.  On Athens' side we have fear, honor and interest; on Hobbes' we have Competition, Diffidence and Glory, which aim for Gain, Safety and Reputation, respectively.