Thucydides

The History of Peloponnesian War was written by Thucydides who is reportedly born around 460 BCE and suspected to have died somewhere between 411 and 400 BCE. Thucydides is a known was an Athenian and a General in the Athenian military when the Peloponnesian War began in 431 BCE. Thucydides led men into battle during the Peloponnesian War and in 430 BCE would contract the same plague that would ravaged the Athens during the war. Eventually, Thucydides would recover and was exiled by the Athen…

abuse of power for their own interests. The dissatisfaction of allies, such as revolts and eventual outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, is noted in Thucydides. While Thucydides acts as a good primary source of accounts of the Delian League, it is undoubtedly an Atheno-centric primary source that may not fully capture all sides of the story. Thucydides shows only his perceived point-of-view; as an elite Athenian citizen, his perspective of the popularity of the Delian League almost certainly…

Thucydides’ portrait of Perikles (TPOP) believes that the common populace are just as good as anyone else, if not more so, because they work hard and as humans are equal and just. The Old Oligarch believes that the kakos are inherently lesser and are bad and that the agathos are by nature are better people and are more qualified for running the city. Thus, the difference in perceptions of democracy between the Old Oligarch and Thucydides’ portrait of Perikles arises from their different views of…

Human nature and politics are inseparable. Raw, overpowering, and mighty, human nature is the dynamic force that drives political discourse. While Sophocles’ Antigone and Thucydides’ On Justice, Power, and Human Nature appear to be simply two independent works of antiquity, both convey timeless teaching on human nature. These interconnected lessons are relevant in modern political leadership and serve as a guide for moderation, justice, and engagement. Leadership Requires Moderation Human…

An Athenian, Thucydides, writes and tells about the war between the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, known as the Peloponnesian War, from the beginning of the war. In the first part of chapter 1, he tells about how the war would be a great war, more memorable than any wars before this time. He writes about the causes of the war and he looks at previous wars such as the Trojan War and correlates their abilities and impact with the war between Athens and Sparta. Thucydides believed that the…

History of The Peloponnesian War by Thucydides and the Iliad by Homer are both timeless accounts of war that also analyze human nature. Both authors divulge their belief about what comprises human nature through the observation of war and its effect on morality. Homer and Thucydides agree that emotion, specifically compassion, is the key to a human life. However, the authors differ on their definition of compassion. Thucydides sees compassion as a natural emotion felt among equals while Homer…

succession from generation to generation, and handed it down free to the present time by their valour” (Thucydides). He points out that if it not for their ancestors’ constant bravery and determination from one generation to the next, they would not be a free nation. Additionally, Pericles praised their fathers, who spared no pains to build up the inheritance of the present generation (Thucydides). Meaning, were it not for their fathers, they would have had nothing to…

opinion towards a particular subject matter. In a democratic society, which literally translates to ‘the rule of the people’ from the Greek word demokratia, persuasion is an important tool for a democratic leader. Authors and Historians Plutarch, Thucydides, and Steven Pressfield provides us with examples of prominent Athenian public speakers who displayed powerful ethos, pathos, and/or logos in their address to the public. By perfecting the practice of public oration, a democratic leader will…

Thucydides’ narrative of the Melian Dialogue in his work, “the History of the Peloponnesian War,” delivers a primitive account of international relations between two conflicting nation states, as well as any conceivable sequences of action emerging from the aforementioned literature. Although numerous clashes between other nation states have taken place prior to the confrontation between the citizens of Milos and the Athenian empire, this quarrel provides conditions that is applicable to the…

simple military might. He talks about how the Athenians treat other peoples and says “when we do kindnesses to others, we do not do them out of any calculations of profit or loss: we do them without afterthought, relying on our free liberality” (Thucydides 2.41). Pericles believes that every decision does not have to be made out of selfishness. According to this philosophy, one can and should show mercy merely because one has the ability to do so. The fundamental reason Pericles holds this…