Blueprint for War

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In any conflict, there is a level of terror and brutality that goes against the neutral and innocent. The death of innocent people has always been a repercussion of war which causes many people to find a distaste for it. The terror that can be depicted during the Peloponnesian War is based on the change of tactics both the Athenians and Spartans had which resulted in the mass murder of innocent people and neutral cities. In the book, Hanson gives an analogy that the war between these two nation would be an elephant, representing Sparta, fighting against a whale, Athens (Hanson 6). As a result of these two nations not able to face each other with their proper armies, they resorted to attacking all neutrals who they believe were supporting the enemy (Hanson 89). Throughout the twenty-six years of the war, most of the Greek-speaking world has been affected by the attacks composed by either the Spartans or Athenians. Hysiae, Argos, and Iasos were attacked by Spartans while the Athenians spread their terror throughout the small villages of Melos, Lampsacus, Miletus, and Lydia (Hanson 97). Moreover, Thucydides records that these battles were more like mass execution and exercise of brutality; most of the victims of these raids were killed as they were running away (Hanson 97). In conclusion, Innocent beings have always been the repercussions of war and it’s clear that these horrific scenes can be seen in the modern conflicts such as the Syrian civil war reflects the inevitable.

In the Jarhead main protagonist and narrator of the movie states, “all wars are different, all wars are the same.” Meaning all wars might differ in conflict but all wars are the same when it comes to the people it affects and its consequences. Overall, Hanson’s opinion can be similar to the previous quote; although most wars are unique in its own way they all possess similar qualities. They are similar to its beginning and end, its repercussions, and its revealing insight of human nature. Overall, Hanson gives a good input on how the Peloponnesian War laid the blueprint for many past and present conflicts. Furthermore, the lesson that can be taken away from this book is that in any war, humans tend to drift away from good moral values in order for them to survive and despite the glorious and adventurous descriptions that are depicted in wars the truth is war is a simple tragedy.