cleon VS diodotus

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There could not have been any two speeches more opposite of each other than Cleon and Diodotus. Cleon seems to be the more aggressive and vulgar politician where Diodotus wants to talk everything out calmly and peacefully. They both seem to have valid points, but it seemed to me that they would have been valid at different points of a person’s life. Cleon seeming to be a younger man that lives in the moment of passion and how dare the Mytilenians double cross his country! Diodotus was more of the wiser, older man that has seen a lot in his day; Diodotus was only looking for the future good of his country. Never once did he say that it was okay what the Mytilenians did, but that as a politician you should use them to better your country rather than just disposing of them to get an irrational state of justice. The question of the day did not seem to be whose side you were taking because both men were Athenians, but the question was which side of justice for Athens were you taking? It would be wrong for me being in my early twenties to side with Diodotus because I once heard a quote saying something along the lines that being twenty is to be liberal and to be forty is to be conservative. It may have no actual basis in this topic, but I perceive it as having enough time when you are older to think more wisely and act more conservatively. Knowledge and wisdom follow with age. Since I claim that Cleon is showing signs of a younger politician he is acting on pure passion. Cleon honestly views that the Mytilenians have wronged his people and that he will not rest until they are punished. I do not want to say that he does not care about the future, but it does not seem like he is giving any thought as to what the consequences are going to be. Every happening has a consequence, good or bad; in this instance I think Diodotus has a more level head in the matter. He could even

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