Mocking politicians have an ancient history January 8,
2007Posted by grhomeboy in Archaeology Greece, Culture History
Mythology. One venerable tradition of democracy seems likely to
continue its noble history. Mocking politicians goes back a long
way, it seems, at least as far back as the foundation of
democracy in ancient Athens. Consider the case of Cleon, an
Athenian statesman credited with a victory over the Spartans in
425 B.C. at the Battle of Sphacteria. After capturing an
astounding 120 knightly Spartans, Cleon and his victorious
generals returned the Spartan shields in victory to Athens,
placing them in the Agora, the center of Athenian government, as
war trophies. Spartans, after all, were famously inveighed to
“return with their shield or on them (i.e. dead),” by their own
mothers before proceeding into battle. So Cleon capturing a
bunch of the tough guys of the ancient world was a very big
deal. Editor’s Note > In Ancient Greek the mothers wished their
sons “I Tan I Epi Tas” which means “Or with i