The ideal, Periclean Athenian sees in planning, forethought and caution nothing but specious pretexts of inaction and cowardice. The city endeavored to test whether humanity, when freed as much as possible from restraints, will become an enemy to all restraint and return to barbarism.
This means the Athenian character is inherently fraught with dangers. Athenian cunning eventually devolves into viciousness, a trait that turns the mainstay of the society into a thing of contempt, where even the winners cannot relax because of the pervading fear and distrust.
Alcibiades was aware of and sought to circumvent Athenian devolution. His primary traits were those of equanimity amid the vicissitudes of life and impatience of dishonor and he was one of the first universal men.
