Alcibiades's Downfall

In Nine Greek Lives: The Rise and Fall of Athens, Plutarch presents the life of Alcibiades as a contrast between inspired military excellence and disappointing moral failure. Although he was a brilliant and accomplished military strategist, Alcibiades’ lack of moral fortitude, and his provocation of the Athenians into reckless action led to his downfall, and that of Athens. Although Alcibiades was a man of prodigious gifts who could have led Athens to military dominance, he gave in to base self-interest and lack of self-control that caused him to alienate his friends, waste his military genius, and die alone in exile.

Alcibiades was a very gifted human being in several ways: appearance, intelligence, oratorical ability, charisma, and, as Socrates
Alcibiades was a very skilled general -“his conduct of the war was excellent” (Thucydides, 6.15) - but he felt no loyalty to his soldiers or his country- “Alcibiades, when he laid down his command after his recall and realized he was going to be exiled, had given information about the plot, in which he was concerned himself, to the pro-Syracusans party in Messina” (Thucydides, 6.74). He betrayed the devoted soldiers, who “had openly declared that it was only on Alcibiades’ account they were going” (Plutarch, 8.19), because he was mad at Athenian government. He was intolerant of others’ success in military or political matters: “Alcibiades was vexed beyond measure at his rival’s success and out of sheer jealousy began to plot a way to violate the treaty” (Plutarch, 8.14). But his biggest failing is that the Athenians could not trust him because “his way of life made him objectionable to everyone as a person, thus they entrusted their affairs to other hands” (Thucydides, 6.15). The downfall of Athens began at Sicily, when Alcibiades was recalled “by the Athenians to stand his trial” (Plutarch, 8.20); progressed rapidly when he turned traitor, “He now decided to renounce his country altogether. So he sent word to the Spartans asking for asylum and promising that he would render him services” (Plutarch, 8.23); and was sealed when the “generals remained deaf to Alcibiades’ advice…and to all his warnings…as there were others in command now” (Plutarch, 8.37). Thucydides says that he did not cause Athens to lose the Peloponnesian War, but if his personal failings had not caused him to be untrustworthy, his military greatness might have been enough to save