Why is Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War important?
With his History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides chronicled what was perhaps the most momentous event of the ancient Greek world. He explored the major personalities on each side of the conflict and examined the political origins of the clash between Sparta and an ascendant Athens.
What does Thucydides say about the Peloponnesian War?
Thucydides believed that the Peloponnesian War represented an event of unmatched importance. As such, he began to write the History at the onset of the war in 431 BC. He declared his intention was to write an account which would serve as “a possession for all time”.
What was special about the historical work of Thucydides?
One of the greatest ancient historians, Thucydides (c. 460 B.C.–c. 400 B.C.) chronicled nearly 30 years of war and tension between Athens and Sparta. His “History of the Peloponnesian War” set a standard for scope, concision and accuracy that makes it a defining text of the historical genre.
Who wrote The Landmark Thucydides?
ThucydidesThe landmark Thucydides / Author
How long is Thucydides Peloponnesian War?
27-year
The war we today call Peloponnesian — what historians sometimes call the second Peloponnesian War (this, the subject of Thucydides’ life work and the defining event of his life) — was a 27-year conflict between the two preeminent city-states of ancient Greece: Athens and Sparta.
What did Thucydides do after the war?
Shortly after the war began, the Athenians elected Thucydides as one of the city’s 10 generals. Assigned to command a fleet off the coast of Thrace, he failed to prevent the Spartans from capturing an Athenian colony. As was the custom, Athens punished Thucydides by exiling him from Athens for 20 years.
How did Thucydides view war?
Thucydides’ pessimistic answer seems to be “No”: War was inevitable, we are told, when emergent power Athens contested Sparta’s supremacy 2,500 years ago. Allison offers only a slightly more optimistic take (“War is more likely than not”) in analyzing China’s growing challenge to America’s dominating position globally.
When was Thucydides history of the Peloponnesian War published?
fourth century BC
History of the Peloponnesian War
| 10th-century minuscule manuscript of Thucydides’s History. | |
|---|---|
| Author | Thucydides |
| Genre | History |
| Publisher | Various |
| Publication date | Early fourth century BC |
What was Thucydides theory?
Thucydides Trap, also referred to as Thucydides’ Trap, is a term popularized by American political scientist Graham T. Allison to describe an apparent tendency towards war when an emerging power threatens to displace an existing great power as a regional or international hegemon.
Where was Thucydides?
Alimos, GreeceThucydides / Place of birth
What was Thucydides impact on the world?
To historians, for example, he is a vital source for ancient Greek history, but has also been seen as a model for history-writing in general; to political theorists, however, he is a pioneering political theorist, and the originator of ‘realist’ approaches to understanding political life.
What are facts about the Peloponnesian War?
Facts about the Second Peloponnesian War The uneasy truce between the Greek city-states after the First Peloponnesian War broke out into warfare in 415 BC when the Athenians attacked the city-state of Syracuse in Sicily . The Second Peloponnesian War is also called the Decelean War or Ionian War. This war went on for 11 years from 415 BC to 404 BC.
What was the timeline of the Peloponnesian War?
Transcript of Peloponnesian War Timeline. The Peloponnesian War. The Pelopennesian War started in 431 BCE. This war started due to the Spartans getting suspicious, afraid of the growth and power of Athens. A Spartan ally ( Thebes ) attacked an Athenian ally ( Plataea ) in the spring of 431 BCE.
When did the Peloponnesian War begin and end?
Peloponnesian War. History >> Ancient Greece. The Peloponnesian War was fought between the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta. It lasted from 431 BC to 404 BC. Athens ended up losing the war, bringing an end to the golden age of Ancient Greece.
What was the First Peloponnesian War?
The First Peloponnesian War (460–445 BC) was fought between Sparta as the leaders of the Peloponnesian League and Sparta’s other allies, most notably Thebes , and the Delian League led by Athens with support from Argos. This war consisted of a series of conflicts and minor wars, such as the Second Sacred War.