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Summary; Book 1, Chapter 1: In Book 1, Chapter 1 Thucydides (c. 460–00 BCE) introduces his History of the Peloponnesian War. He asserts that he bega... Read More: Book 1, Chapter 2: In this chapter Thucydides turns to the years immediately preceding the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War in 431 BCE. Th... Read More: Book 1, Chapter 3
Thucydides , (born c. 460—died c. 404 bc ), Greatest of ancient Greek historians. An Athenian who commanded a fleet in the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides failed to prevent the capture of the important city of Amphipolis and consequently was exiled for 20 years.
- Thucydides' Life
- Thucydides and The History of The Peloponnesian War
- Thucydides’ Style and Themes
- Thucydides vs. Herodotus
- Thucydides’ Legacy
Little is known about Thucydides’ life apart from the few biographical references in his masterwork. His father’s name was Olorus, and his family was from Thrace in northeastern Greece, where Thucydides owned gold mines that likely financed his historical work. He was born in the Athenian suburb of Halimos and was in Athens during the plague of c.4...
In his opening lines, Thucydides says he wrote about the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta, “beginning at the moment that it broke out, and believing that it would be a great war and more worthy of relation than any that had preceded it.” At the time, Athens was a great sea power with a democratic political system and innovative leadershi...
In its chronologies and narrative, the “History of the Peloponnesian War” is a marvel of direct prose, as Thucydides combines multiple sources into a single compelling voice. In the completed sections of the work, the narrative is interrupted by speeches from the warring sides’ principal leaders. Thucydides is careful to note that at times he recor...
Thucydides, unlike Herodotus, makes very little reference to the Greek godsas active agents in history, preferring to understand events in terms of their human causes. Nevertheless, he sculpts a cohesive narrative in which Athens’ loss in Sicily is both the logical outcome of poor leadership and an almost-cosmic punishment for a society’s ethical d...
It took several generations for Thucydides to attain his now-unassailed place as one of the greatest historians of all time. Aristotle, who lived a few decades later and wrote about the same era, never mentions him. By the first century B.C. writers such as Cicero declared him as a great historian. Over the next centuries, numerous copies were made...
- Missy Sullivan
- 2 min
Apr 11, 2024 · Thucydides was the greatest of ancient Greek historians and author of the History of the Peloponnesian War, which recounts the struggle between Athens and Sparta in the 5th century bc. His work was the first recorded political and moral analysis of a nation’s war policies.
- What was Thucydides’ family like?Relatively little is known of Thucydides’ family life. He was born about 460 BCE. His father was an Athenian citizen who was likely of Thracian des...
- Why is Thucydides important?Thucydides is the author of History of the Peloponnesian War, a sweeping contemporary account of the nearly three-decade conflict between Athens an...
- What were Thucydides’ accomplishments?With his History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides chronicled what was perhaps the most momentous event of the ancient Greek world. He explored...
- How did Thucydides die?As Thucydides himself remains the primary source of information about his life, details of his death are a matter of speculation. Given that his Hi...
Thucydides ( / θ ( j) uːˈsɪdɪˌdiːz /, thew-SID-ih-deez; Ancient Greek: Θουκυδίδης, romanized : Thoukudídēs [tʰuːkydǐdɛːs]; c. 460 – c. 400 BC) was an Athenian historian and general. His History of the Peloponnesian War recounts the fifth-century BC war between Sparta and Athens until the year 411 BC.
- c. 400 BC, place of death unknown
- Oloros (father)
Sep 5, 2023 · Sebastian Normandin. | Certified Educator. Last Updated September 5, 2023. Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War is an account of the war fought between the Peloponnesian League (Sparta...
Jun 12, 2017 · As a high-ranking Athenian military commander (or “strategos”), Thucydides brought to the project firsthand experience of the war, as well as an acute understanding of the complex power politics...
