Thucydides Role In The Sicilian Expedition

Deception and misinformation play an important role during Thucydides’ account of the Sicilian Expedition. In reality, the whole expedition which leads to deception and destruction, could have been avoided if the Athenian Assembly had listened to Nicias’s plea. Sicily was indeed too far away to be subdued permanently, and the current state of Athens was more important. Many other Greek city states were looking for their opportunity to attack Athens, and this event would only weaken the empire further. To become the strongest Polis, these individual states and people began their attempts to mislead and deceive one another in order to . These actions of deception and misinformation changed the course of the war, making this the prominent theme of the Sicilian Expedition.
What ultimately led to the Sicilian Expedition and the eventual series of deceptions between the …show more content…
Alcibiades was then recalled to face trial for the second time, and was ordered to be executed. Alcibiades, along with many other accused, set sail with the Salaminia back to Athens. Alcibiades and his companions went as far as Thurii, left their ship and disappeared (Thuc 6.51.6). Alcibiades then became an outlaw of Athens, fled to the Peloponnesus, and was then condemned to death. This deception changed the course of the war dramatically. His fleeing from Athens indirectly led to the destruction of the expeditionary forces of the Athenians, and a great Syracusan victory. Thucydides then explains the great loss suffered by Athens. “They were beaten at all points and altogether; all that they suffered was great; they were destroyed […] with total destruction, their fleet, their army-everything was destroyed” (Thuc 7.87.6). Because of this defeat caused by Alcibiades, Athens suffered. He betrayed Athens and became an ally of Sparta, where he served as an adviser and worked many campaigns against