The History of the Peloponnesian War Thucydides

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.