The history of ancient Greece teaches us that the lasting formula for maintaining global power over time is through mutually beneficial alliances, not brute strength and coercion.
In 416 BC, the city-state of Athens was in a prolonged conflict with Sparta, its archrival. For years, Athens had enjoyed comparative advantage over Sparta, particularly alliances and mutual defense pacts with smaller city-states known as the Delian ... [7782 chars]