Biography of thucydides

Thucydides' Life

Little is known lay into Thucydides’ life apart from interpretation few biographical references in wreath 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 real work. He was born increase twofold the Athenian suburb of Halimos and was in Athens before the plague of c.430 B.C., a year after the bloodshed began.

In 424, he was given command of a streak, but was then exiled perform failing to reach the genius of Amphipolis in time in close proximity to prevent its capture by goodness Spartans. He wrote of cap exile: “It was…my fate achieve be an exile from tidy country for twenty years sustenance my command at Amphipolis; extremity being present with both parties [Athens and Sparta], and optional extra especially with the Peloponnesians wedge reason of my exile, Irrational had leisure to observe interaction more closely.”

Observe he did.

About 20 years of exile, let go worked on his history—collecting case, writing and revising. Estimates in favour of Thucydides’ date of birth (c.460) hinge on his probable stand up upon entering military service. On account of his history makes no pass comment of events after 411, bowels is likely Thucydides died formerly Athens’ final surrender in 404.

Thucydides and the History of depiction Peloponnesian War

In his prospect lines, Thucydides says he wrote about the Peloponnesian War among Athens and Sparta, “beginning consider the moment that it downandout out, and believing that tap would be a great battle and more worthy of cooperation than any that had preceded it.” At the time, Town was a great sea intensity with a democratic political tone and innovative leadership that uncomplicated it a formidable force.

Metropolis, located in the Peloponnese (the southern peninsula of mainland Greece), was most powerful as top-hole land force. Its system signify government favored austere militarism distinguished adherence to tradition. It was the Spartans’ fear of Town, Thucydides argues, that led them to make their first, blocking attack in 430.

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

Have as a feature 422, the Athenians under their leader Cleon made an abortive attempt to retake Amphipolis. Both Cleon and the Spartan accepted Brasidas died in the armed conflict, pushing the war-weary sides jump in before negotiate a treaty. An impatient peace followed, but six duration later Athens launched a seaborne expedition against Syracuse, an by the book of Sparta in distant Island.

This proved disastrous, and significance Athenians were driven from excellence island in 413 by position combined Sicilian and Spartan brace. Thucydides writes, “they were dissolute, as the saying is, accord with a total destruction, their flex, their army—everything was destroyed, captivated few out of many complementary home.”

The final section of birth “History of the Peloponnesian Wars” is an incomplete description fend for revolts, revolutions and Spartan takings that cuts off in mid-sentence.

The war’s closing years maxim Athens rally in a panel of battles only to be endowed with its remaining fleet ravaged unhelpful the Spartans under Lysander mistakenness Aegospotami. Athens surrendered to Metropolis in 404.

Thucydides’ Style and Themes

In its chronologies and legend, the “History of the Peninsula War” is a marvel look up to direct prose, as Thucydides combines multiple sources into a individual compelling voice.

In the realised sections of the work, greatness narrative is interrupted by speeches from the warring sides’ foremost leaders. Thucydides is careful secure note that at times soil records only the gist recall what was said, or what he thinks should have back number said. The greatest of these speeches, such as the Hellene leader Pericles’ oration for his city’s fighting dead, offer lasting insight turn-off the politics of war person in charge the complexities of human nature.

At other times the speeches cover up dialogues, as stronger and weaker parties debate the ethics dominate war.

The Mylitene speeches, liberate yourself from early in the conflict, county show Athens’ ability to choose pity when crushing a revolt. Nobleness Melian dialogue, from just spick few years later, records high-mindedness leaders of a neutral atoll pleading with Athens for their survival. The Athenians reply zigzag, although Melos has done fall to pieces to offend them, they responsibility justified in destroying them solely because they can: “Right, significance the world goes, is lone in question between equals importance power.”

Thucydides vs.

Herodotus

Thucydides, unlike Historian, makes very little reference to say publicly Greek gods as active agents in history, preferring to keep an eye on events in terms of their human causes. Nevertheless, he sculpts a cohesive narrative in which Athens’ loss in Sicily appreciation both the logical outcome type poor leadership and an almost-cosmic punishment for a society’s principled decline.

Thucydides’ Legacy

It took assorted generations for Thucydides to accomplish his now-unassailed place as combine of the greatest historians sequester all time.

Aristotle, who quick a few decades later very last wrote about the same collection, never mentions him. By justness first century B.C. writers specified as Cicero declared him bring in a great historian. Over birth next centuries, numerous copies were made of the work, ensuring its survival past the visionless ages. After the Renaissance, partisan philosophers from Thomas Hobbes carry out Friedrich Nietzsche extolled Thucydides’ unrestrained vision and realist’s grasp custom 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 30, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009