Life Thucydides

1 life

1.1 evidence classical period
1.2 later sources
1.3 history of peloponnesian war

life

in spite of stature historian, modern historians know relatively little thucydides s life. reliable information comes own history of peloponnesian war, expounds nationality, paternity , native locality. thucydides informs fought in war, contracted plague , exiled democracy. may have been involved in quelling samian revolt.

evidence classical period

thucydides identifies himself athenian, telling father s name olorus , athenian deme of halimous. survived plague of athens killed pericles , many other athenians. records owned gold mines @ scapte hyle (literally dug woodland ), coastal area in thrace, opposite island of thasos.

the ruins of amphipolis envisaged e. cousinéry in 1831: bridge on strymon, city fortifications, , acropolis

because of influence in thracian region, thucydides wrote, sent strategos (general) thasos in 424 bc. during winter of 424–423 bc, spartan general brasidas attacked amphipolis, half-day s sail west thasos on thracian coast, instigating battle of amphipolis. eucles, athenian commander @ amphipolis, sent thucydides help. brasidas, aware of thucydides s presence on thasos , influence people of amphipolis, , afraid of arriving sea, acted offer moderate terms amphipolitans surrender, accepted. thus, when thucydides arrived, amphipolis under spartan control.

amphipolis of considerable strategic importance, , news of fall caused great consternation in athens. blamed on thucydides, although claimed not fault , had been unable reach in time. because of failure save amphipolis, exiled:

i lived through whole of it, being of age comprehend events, , giving attention them in order know exact truth them. fate exile country twenty years after command @ amphipolis; , being present both parties, , more peloponnesians reason of exile, had leisure observe affairs particularly.

using status exile athens travel freely among peloponnesian allies, able view war perspective of both sides. during exile athens, thucydides wrote famous work history of peloponnesian war. because in exile during time, free speak mind. conducted important research history during time, having claimed pursued project thought 1 of greatest wars waged among greeks in terms of scale. thucydides wrote own life, few other facts available reliable contemporary sources. herodotus wrote name olorus, thucydides s father s name, connected thrace , thracian royalty. thucydides connected through family athenian statesman , general miltiades , son cimon, leaders of old aristocracy supplanted radical democrats. cimon s maternal grandfather s name olorus, making connection exceedingly likely. thucydides lived before historian , linked thrace, making family connection between them well. finally, herodotus confirms connection of thucydides s family mines @ scapté hýlē.

combining fragmentary evidence available, seems family had owned large estate in thrace, 1 contained gold mines, , allowed family considerable , lasting affluence. security , continued prosperity of wealthy estate must have necessitated formal ties local kings or chieftains, explains adoption of distinctly thracian royal name Όloros family. once exiled, thucydides took permanent residence in estate and, given ample income gold mines, able dedicate himself full-time history writing , research, including many fact-finding trips. in essence, well-connected gentleman of considerable resources who, after involuntarily retiring political , military spheres, decided fund own historical investigations.

later sources

the remaining evidence thucydides s life comes rather less reliable later ancient sources. according pausanias, named oenobius able law passed allowing thucydides return athens, presumably sometime shortly after city s surrender , end of war in 404 bc. pausanias goes on thucydides murdered on way athens. many doubt account, seeing evidence suggest lived late 397 bc. plutarch claims remains returned athens , placed in cimon s family vault.

the abrupt end thucydides s narrative, breaks off in middle of year 411 bc, has traditionally been interpreted died while writing book, although other explanations have been put forward.

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).

the history of peloponnesian war


the acropolis in athens



ruins @ sparta

thucydides believed peloponnesian war represented event of unmatched importance. such, began write history @ onset of war in 431. intention write account serve possession time . history breaks off near end of 21st year of war , not elaborate on final conflicts of war. facet of work suggests thucydides died whilst writing history , more so, death unexpected.

after death, thucydides s history subdivided 8 books: modern title history of peloponnesian war. great contribution history , historiography contained in 1 dense history of 27-year war between athens , sparta, each alongside respective allies. subdividing done librarians , archivists, being historians , scholars, working in library of alexandria.

the history of peloponnesian war continued modified beyond end of war in 404, exemplified reference @ book i.1.13 conclusion of peloponnesian war (404 bc), 7 years after last events in main text of thucydides history.

thucydides regarded 1 of first true historians. predecessor herodotus, known father of history , thucydides places high value on eyewitness testimony , writes events in himself took part. assiduously consulted written documents , interviewed participants events recorded. unlike herodotus, stories teach hubris invites wrath of gods, thucydides not acknowledge divine intervention in human affairs.

thucydides exerted wide historiographical influence on subsequent hellenistic , roman historians, though exact description of style in relation many successive historians remains unclear. readers in antiquity placed continuation of stylistic legacy of history in writings of thucydides putative intellectual successor xenophon. such readings described xenophon s treatises attempts finish thucydides history. many of these interpretations, however, have garnered significant scepticism among modern scholars, such dillery, spurn view of interpreting xenophon qua thucydides, arguing latter s modern history (defined constructed based on literary , historical themes) antithetical former s account in hellenica, diverges hellenic historiographical tradition in absence of preface or introduction text , associated lack of overarching concept unifying history.

a noteworthy difference between thucydides s method of writing history , of modern historians thucydides s inclusion of lengthy formal speeches that, himself states, literary reconstructions rather actual quotations of said—or, perhaps, believed ought have been said. arguably, had not done this, gist of said not otherwise known @ all—whereas today there plethora of documentation—written records, archives , recording technology historians consult. therefore, thucydides s method served rescue oral sources oblivion. not know how these historical figures spoke. thucydides s recreation uses heroic stylistic register. celebrated example pericles funeral oration, heaps honour on dead , includes defence of democracy:

the whole earth sepulchre of famous men; honoured not columns , inscriptions in own land, in foreign nations on memorials graven not on stone in hearts , minds of men. (2:43)

stylistically, placement of passage serves heighten contrast description of plague in athens following it, graphically emphasizes horror of human mortality, thereby conveying powerful sense of verisimilitude:

though many lay unburied, birds , beasts not touch them, or died after tasting them [...]. bodies of dying men lay 1 upon another, , half-dead creatures reeled streets , gathered round fountains in longing water. sacred places in had quartered full of corpses of persons had died there, were; for, disaster passed bounds, men, not knowing become of them, became equally contemptuous of gods property , gods dues. burial rites before in use entirely upset, , buried bodies best could. many want of proper appliances, through many of friends having died already, had recourse shameless sepultures: getting start of had raised pile, threw own dead body upon stranger s pyre , ignited it; tossed corpse carrying on top of burning, , went off. (2:52)

thucydides omits discussion of arts, literature or social milieu in events in book take place , in himself grew up. saw himself recording event, not period, , went considerable lengths exclude deemed frivolous or extraneous.