Later sources Thucydides

bust of pericles

inferences thucydides s character can drawn (with due caution) book. sardonic sense of humour evident throughout, when, during description of athenian plague, remarks old athenians seemed remember rhyme said dorian war come great death . claimed rhyme [death by] famine or starvation (λιμός, limos), , remembered [death by] pestilence (λοιμός, loimos) due current plague. thucydides remarks should dorian war come, time attended great dearth, rhyme remembered dearth, , mention of death forgotten.

thucydides admired pericles, approving of power on people , showing marked distaste demagogues followed him. did not approve of democratic commoners nor radical democracy pericles ushered in considered democracy acceptable when guided leader. thucydides s presentation of events even-handed; example, not minimize negative effect of own failure @ amphipolis. occasionally, however, strong passions break through, in scathing appraisals of democratic leaders cleon , hyperbolus. cleon has been connected thucydides s exile.

it has been argued thucydides moved suffering inherent in war , concerned excesses human nature prone in such circumstances, in analysis of atrocities committed during civil conflict on corcyra, includes phrase war violent teacher (πόλεμος βίαιος διδάσκαλος).