Cleon's Speech on the Athenians

Cleon argues that the mightylenian people as a whole, not merely the oligarchs, had revolted against Athens. Cleon is amounting a full scale attack on the imperial policy of Pericles and his moderate faction. He opts for a policy of terror to deter rebellions. In Cleon's estimation, the Athenian Empire was hated by its subject allies so the only secure way to maintain the Empire was doing still fear. The death penalty for those who revolt would be the most effective way of doing that.