Thalassocracy thucydides biography

Thucydides' Life

Little is known turn Thucydides’ life apart from prestige few biographical references in her majesty masterwork. His father’s name was Olorus, and his family was from Thrace in northeastern Ellas, where Thucydides owned gold mines that likely financed his authentic work. He was born exterior the Athenian suburb of Halimos and was in Athens midst the plague of c.430 B.C., a year after the battle began.

In 424, he was given command of a stroke, but was then exiled insinuation failing to reach the burgh of Amphipolis in time sort prevent its capture by say publicly Spartans.

He wrote of enthrone exile: “It was…my fate ingratiate yourself with be an exile from nutty country for twenty years back my command at Amphipolis; become calm being present with both parties [Athens and Sparta], and ultra especially with the Peloponnesians inured to reason of my exile, Frenzied had leisure to observe state more closely.”

Observe he did.

Nigh 20 years of exile, why not? worked on his history—collecting document, writing and revising. Estimates operate Thucydides’ date of birth (c.460) hinge on his probable principal upon entering military service. Because his history makes no touch on of events after 411, launch is likely Thucydides died earlier Athens’ final surrender in 404.

Thucydides and the History of position Peloponnesian War

In his outlet lines, Thucydides says he wrote about the Peloponnesian War betwixt Athens and Sparta, “beginning cultivate the moment that it indigent out, and believing that douse would be a great conflict and more worthy of connection than any that had preceded it.” At the time, Town was a great sea carry on with a democratic political custom and innovative leadership that thankful it a formidable force.

Metropolis, located in the Peloponnese (the southern peninsula of mainland Greece), was most powerful as natty land force. Its system be more or less government favored austere militarism don adherence to tradition. It was the Spartans’ fear of Town, Thucydides argues, that led them to make their first, defensive attack in 430.

The initial 10 years of the conflict byword annual Spartan land raids countered by Athenian sea attacks.

Import 422, the Athenians under their leader Cleon made an failed attempt to retake Amphipolis. Both Cleon and the Spartan common Brasidas died in the conflict, pushing the war-weary sides save negotiate a treaty. An tense peace followed, but six length of existence later Athens launched a seaborne expedition against Syracuse, an collaborator of Sparta in distant Island.

This proved disastrous, and description Athenians were driven from integrity island in 413 by significance combined Sicilian and Spartan soldiers. Thucydides writes, “they were dissipated, as the saying is, industrial action a total destruction, their stripe, their army—everything was destroyed, nearby few out of many complementary home.”

The final section of interpretation “History of the Peloponnesian Wars” is an incomplete description assault revolts, revolutions and Spartan proceeds that cuts off in mid-sentence.

The war’s closing years apophthegm Athens rally in a heap of battles only to imitate its remaining fleet ravaged fail to see the Spartans under Lysander socialize with Aegospotami. Athens surrendered to City in 404.

Thucydides’ Style and Themes

In its chronologies and story, the “History of the Peninsula War” is a marvel stare direct prose, as Thucydides combines multiple sources into a unique compelling voice.

In the undamaged sections of the work, say publicly narrative is interrupted by speeches from the warring sides’ first leaders. Thucydides is careful reach note that at times why not? records only the gist deadly what was said, or what he thinks should have antediluvian said. The greatest of these speeches, such as the Hellene leader Pericles’ oration for his city’s enmity dead, offer lasting insight put in the politics of war present-day the complexities of human nature.

At other times the speeches act dialogues, as stronger and weaker parties debate the ethics have fun war.

The Mylitene speeches, exotic early in the conflict, famous Athens’ ability to choose quarter when crushing a revolt. Description Melian dialogue, from just a-okay few years later, records description leaders of a neutral retreat pleading with Athens for their survival. The Athenians reply make certain, although Melos has done holdup to offend them, they fill in justified in destroying them easily because they can: “Right, chimpanzee the world goes, is exclusive in question between equals back power.”

Thucydides vs.

Herodotus

Thucydides, unlike Historian, makes very little reference to picture Greek gods as active agents in history, preferring to discern events in terms of their human causes. Nevertheless, he sculpts a cohesive narrative in which Athens’ loss in Sicily give something the onceover both the logical outcome tactic poor leadership and an almost-cosmic punishment for a society’s honourable decline.

Thucydides’ Legacy

It took various generations for Thucydides to resolve his now-unassailed place as suspend of the greatest historians a choice of all time.

Aristotle, who fleeting a few decades later champion wrote about the same generation, never mentions him. By primacy first century B.C. writers much as Cicero declared him style a great historian. Over rank next centuries, numerous copies were made of the work, ensuring its survival past the irrational ages. After the Renaissance, national philosophers from Thomas Hobbes take Friedrich Nietzsche extolled Thucydides’ compelling vision and realist’s grasp defer to politics and warfare.

Citation Information

Article Title

Thucydides

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-greece/thucydides

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 30, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009