Weekly Assignment: Skit

Characters:

Achilles (Athenian Citizen)

Delbin (Wife of Achilles)

Makis (Achilles’s son)

Pericles

Socrates

Lysander

Aspasia (Pericles wife)

Adonia (Nurse)

Orpheus (Servant)

Gyles (Athenian Solider)

Prologue:

The Athenians had just won the Persian War and entered a time of Prosperity of the Golden Age. The Athenians now ruled the East Mediterranean and ruled most trade in that area. The Athens become very wealthy and their government of democracy becomes stronger along with their navy. As we know, with prosperity comes down fall.

Achilles’s house

Makis: Father, did you hear?

Achilles: Hear what?

Makis: Pericles is building a new acropolis that would worship the goddess, Athena.

Achilles: Sounds expensive

Makis: It is, but imagining how great and big it will be.

Achilles: I know son, but what about what Socrates is saying.

Makis: What do you mean? About how there are empires greater than Athens?

Achilles: He may be right you now.

Delbin: He’s just another crazy old man who doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Achilles: Whatever you say, Delbin.

Delbin: Makis go out and get us some food from the market for supper.

Makis: Ok mom, be back soon.

Makis leaves, and we go over to look at Pericles’s life.

Aspasia: You should really take a break.

Pericles: I have to please the people, and make the Acropolis perfect.

Aspasia: You work too hard.

Pericles: I know, I just want to finish the plans.

Orpheus enters

Orpheus: My lord would you like anything.

Pericles: Yes bring me two wines, quickly.

Aspasia:  Pericles, what do you think about Sparta?

Pericles: Actually………… (Interrupted by Orpheus)

Orpheus: Lord, Sparta has attacked the port!

Pericles: We must take action now.

Aspasia: Be careful my love.

Pericles leaves and suits his army up to go down to the port. We now go back to Achilles’s house.

Achilles: I wonder where Makis is; he should be back by now.

Delbin: Your right, I just hope he’s ok.

Makis enters

Achilles: There you are, my son.

Delbin: What took you so long?

Makis: There were crowds of people everywhere, I don’t know why.

Delbin: Did you get the food?

Makis: Yes

Gyles enters

Gyles: The Spartans just attacked the main port. Suit up and report to North Wall immediately.

Achilles gets his armor and sword and walks out the door.

Makis: Mother, where are they taking father.

Delbin: Son, before you were born, you father fought in the Persian war and would return to the army if there was any other emergency.

Makis: So what you’re telling me is that he’s going to war.

Delbin: Yes, but if he did it once he can do it again.

Makis: I hope so.

Now back to Pericles.

Gyles: I’m back with a couple more men.

Achilles: It’s an honor to fight by your side, my lord.

Pericles: Thank you, but let’s focus on stopping the Spartans.

Gyles: Achilles, you come with me.

Pericles: Gyles you take your men right down the middle.

Gyles: Perfect, my Lord.

Pericles: Ready, attack!

The Athenians fight the Spartans and are forced to retreat, and the Spartans take over the port.

Gyles enters Achilles’s house

Delbin: Where’s Achilles?

Makis: Mom, Where’s dad?

Gyles: I’m sorry, but Achilles was killed while in combat. He was a very brave man.

Delbin: I know. Can I have some privacy please?

Gyles leaves.

Makis: What? Dad died. He can’t be gone.

Delbin: We can make through together, Makis.

Athens has been trapped in the walls of the city for weeks and they start to sun out of food and supplies due to the Spartans blocking the port. To make matters worse, a plague hits Athens.

Orpheus: My Lord, are you feeling any better?

Pericles: No, get me a nurse.

Orpheus: Adonia, get in here.

Adonia: Oh my Lord, It looks like you have the plague.

Aspasia: Will he be ok.

Adonia: I’m sorry, but he probably won’t make it.

Adonia and Orpheus leave.

Aspasia: Pericles, I love you.

Pericles: I, I ……………..

Pericles dies.

Aspasia: Oh why have the gods taken my Pericles? They should have taken me instead.

 The plague hits Athens hard and destroys 1/3 of the Athenian population.

Back to Achilles’s house

Makis: Mom did you hear?

Delbin: No, but Makis don’t go out anymore. I don’t want you getting the plague.

Makis: Whatever you say Mom, but Pericles died because of it.

Delbin: You mean the plague.

Makis: Yes

Delbin: This is not good something has to be done.

Now without Pericles, the Athenians look toward their democracy. And the people choose to continue you the war without any real commander.

Gyles: Where should we go from here?

Hristos: I believe we should attack Sicily first,. After all they won’t be expecting it.

Gyles: Great idea we should head out by dusk and get there in a month or two.

Hristos: Surely we will win in a surprise attack with triremes.

The Athenians take sail to Sicily and it takes about two months to get there. However, what they don’t know is that there plan completely back fires. There was a traitor who was persecuted in Athens while he wasn’t there, and turns his ship around to tell the Spartans. Then the Spartans tell Sicily, and Sicily gets prepared for the battle.

Gyles: I see some ships right off the coast.

Hristos: Your right, they’re tons of ships.

Gyles: They must have been expecting us.

Hristos: Athenians, get ready for a bloody battle.

The battle of Sicily was the downfall of Athens. Athens was now only a population of the diseased and war. Lysander, the leader of Sparta, now started to fully take over Athens.

Delbin: How could we lose. We had so much to live for.

Makis: Mother, everything is going to be ok.

Delbin: No it’s not Makis, Athens as lost hope and spirit. Now Lysander is progressing his troops into Athens.

Makis: Who is there to blame?

Delbin: I blame Socrates, the crazy old man for this, he always doubted Athens. I believe he is the traitor and responsible for all of this.

Makis: The gods have cursed Athens; we were the strongest empire with fortune and stronghold, now we are nothing, just like the Persians we had destroyed before. Athena please protect the city of Athens, we need you the most now.

Athens had to surrender to the Spartan commander, Lysander. Lysander ordered Athens to tear down their walls and destroy all the ships but twelve. Athens was truly humiliated. This was the story of the rise and downfall of Athens.