> Suppose Athens and Sparta are locked in a long-term strategic rivalry. Athens possesses superior naval capabilities, advanced shipbuilding expertise, and extensive experience in maritime logistics. Would Athenians conclude that the best way to moderate Sparta’s behavior is to teach Spartans how to build triremes, train Spartan officers in naval tactics, integrate Spartan shipyards into Athenian production networks, and invite Spartan engineers to study the most advanced maritime technologies available?
> The obvious concern would not be that Sparta might fail to learn.
> The concern would be that Sparta might succeed.
And how would man the Spartan ships? If the Spartans allowed the Helots to man them, they'd have deal with the Helots demanding more right commensurate with their new found role.
Also, the Athenian system wasn't just ship building, it was a maritime commercial system. The Spartan system has based on excluding commerce, as such allowing significant amounts of it into their system would undermine it.
We know what happened, because Persia gave Sparta the money to build a trireme fleet. They were staffed by Spartans as rowers, and that’s how Sparta defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian Wars.
> Suppose Athens and Sparta are locked in a long-term strategic rivalry. Athens possesses superior naval capabilities, advanced shipbuilding expertise, and extensive experience in maritime logistics. Would Athenians conclude that the best way to moderate Sparta’s behavior is to teach Spartans how to build triremes, train Spartan officers in naval tactics, integrate Spartan shipyards into Athenian production networks, and invite Spartan engineers to study the most advanced maritime technologies available?
> The obvious concern would not be that Sparta might fail to learn.
> The concern would be that Sparta might succeed.
And how would man the Spartan ships? If the Spartans allowed the Helots to man them, they'd have deal with the Helots demanding more right commensurate with their new found role.
Also, the Athenian system wasn't just ship building, it was a maritime commercial system. The Spartan system has based on excluding commerce, as such allowing significant amounts of it into their system would undermine it.
We know what happened, because Persia gave Sparta the money to build a trireme fleet. They were staffed by Spartans as rowers, and that’s how Sparta defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian Wars.
I thought Sparta defeated Athens because the Athenians kept exiling their competent generals.
A real learning experience!