Thucydides

George Steiner’s book, The Death of Tragedy, written in 1961, defines tragedy as something that is uniquely Greek in the sense that no other culture really embodies it. Steiner says that, “Tragedy is irreparable,” and that “Tragic drama tells us that the spheres of reason, order, and justice are terribly limited and that no progress in our science or technical resources will enlarge their relevance (8).” These statements clarify what makes Greek tragedy so unlike any other type of tragedy…

From the works of Thucydides, realism was created and has become a major paradigm in international politics. Thucydides studied the Polynesian War between Athens and Sparta, and he studied the relations between these city-states. From his many observations, he put a focus on how the balance of power is a major factor in international politics as well as the importance of the state. The state is an essential component of realism and it is the foundation for many of the central assumptions coming…

theories and practices of international relations, which both have different perspectives towards security structure, human rights/nature and international systems. Both of these theories trace back to their intellectual roots. Realism related back to Thucydides’ classic account of the Peloponnesian War in the fifth-century B.C and the liberalist tradition is usually traced back to Enlightenment, which is mainly traced back to main philosophers, John Locke and on a number of matters Immanuel…

Historians and International Relations scholars have long had a relationship that allows for interworking, while distinct differences still remain separating the two. In studying the past, a historian and an international relations scholar would take into account the past as a force that generates the questions and theories of both parties. On the other hand, there lies a difference in the way that the historian would place more emphasis on recounting history and international events for their…

law of nature, and the natural order of events. In 416 BCE, Athens’ belief, policy, and ideal of realism is evident through their preference for knowledge-based spiritual faith and rejection of the metaphysical. The Melian Dialogue, recorded by Thucydides in 416 BCE, recounts the discussion between representatives from the empire of Athens and the small island of Melos concerning the addition of Melos into the alliance of the Delian League. The Athenian speakers take a strong, confident,…

Essay IV: Universal History (Marx v Hegel) The view of history as universal was a turning point for historians, who had until that point had a more isolated view of history, wherein it related to a single place and the series of events taking place there. Universal history described the history of the human race as a whole, and while this idea had been around since the time of the Romans, it become more developed in the nineteenth century. Two prominent proponents of this were German…

Thucydides’ description of the Peloponnesian War, besides being an account of an enormous conflict, also serves as an account of the many views of justice. The Athenians, the imperial force in ancient Greece, often assert that justice plays no role in foreign affairs. This belief, specifically explained at Sparta and Melos, is the Athenian Thesis. Although not all Athenians agree with the Athenian Thesis as proposed at Sparta and Melos, it is still an important theme in the Peloponnesian War.…

While Plato’s first book of the republic thoroughly examines the subjective nature of justice, Thucydides illustrates a more convincing picture of the subjective nature of justice through his narration of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides provides a compelling argument through his narration of Athens’ view on justice before and after the war. On the other hand, Plato records Socrates questioning others on their views of justice. In the first book of Plato’s Republic, Socrates only questions…

According to Thucydides’ history of the Peloponnesian War, justice, and the lack of it, was the main way of validating actions and making definitive decisions. The clearest role of justice concerned decision making, especially in circumstances of war. When poleis would make allies, they would consider what the justest and fairest path to take would be, despite disadvantages. The Plataeans allied with Athens rather than Sparta because it was “as justice required” and even held their decision with…

An Argument Against the First Image Political Realist in the Literary Example of Thucydides in The Peloponnesian War This international relations study will define the three images of war as theorized by Kenneth waltz to argue against the first image political realism of Thucydides in the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides was a general in the Athenian army that did not feel that a single leader or tyrant caused the war in the first image model, but in the clash of burgeoning nation states, such…