Essay On The Clouds And The History Of Peloponnesian War

Essay on The Clouds and the History of Peloponnesian War
Breaking down traditions: The "Clouds" and the "History of Peloponnesian War" Undeniably, the
ancient Greek society places a heavy emphasis on values and traditions. The two texts of the
"Clouds" by Aristophanes and "History of the Peloponnesian war" by Thucydides, although
contextually divergent, are actually conceptually convergent. Both texts are built around the central
theme of the collapse of conventional values. While the breakdown of traditional values in the
"History of the Peloponnesian war" is presented in a more metaphorical and symbolical manner, the
downfall of conventional values in the "Clouds" is on a more direct basis. Although both texts
essentially convey across the same solemn message that the relinquishment of ... Show more content
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Making use of rhetoric devices and compromising the ideals of democracy breach the ideals of
traditions in the Greek society. Unlike that in the "Clouds", Thucydides does not show any sign of
flaws of the traditional values. Although based on different circumstances, the breakdown of
traditional values in "The History of the Peloponnesian war" parallels to that in the "Clouds". The
"Clouds" also utilizes extensive use of rhetoric devices. Strepsiades decides to submit to the
sophist's way of education, so that he would be able to defend himself against his creditors. The first
sign of erosion of traditional value is exposed when Strepsiades decides to enroll himself in the
Thinkery under the guidance of Socrates. The ability to manipulate language and turn everything
into relativism erodes the principles of traditional Athenian beliefs. Indisputably, the new philosophy
wins. Sophistry is the type of linguistic device that, in the face of the weakness of traditional beliefs,
undermines the value of anything. Strepsiades opines, "Holy Earth, what a voice! How divine, how
awesome, how fantastic!" (363) In which Socrates responds, "Yes, you know, these are the only real
divinities, all the rest is bunkum." (365) In the new system of beliefs as advocated by the sophists,
there is a rejection of the traditional religion and a belief in the new "gods". The comical way
through which ideas are portrayed may be witty, but the core issue lies at the heart of the play's
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Thucydides: The History Of The Peloponnesian War
The primary source that I have chosen to read and analyze is The History of the Peloponnesian War
by Thucydides, more specifically the second book. The reason I chose this document is because the
Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta, the two major poleis of Ancient Greece, may not be
as well–known as other conflicts around that age, such as the Persian Wars. I figured it would be
interesting to understand the conflict and wars between the very Greece that shaped the modern
Western World. Regarding the choice of analysis of only second book of the eight books that
comprise History, I believe that it details the actual start of the war much more than the first book,
with the first book providing general context about the subject period. ... Show more content on
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He documented the events of the war from the start in 431 BC up to the events in 410 BC, where he
stops mid–sentence, leaving the last six years of the twenty–seven year war undocumented. It is
presumed that this abrupt stop was caused by him falling ill or his death in 395 BC. Therefore, the
time of writing falls somewhere between 431 BC and 395 BC. Thucydides gives the context and
state of the Hellenic states during that time period as such: After leading the Greek poleis against the
Persians in the Persian Wars and coming out victorious in 480 BC, Athens was becoming more
powerful and ambitious. It conquered many of its fellow Greek city–states, and demanded tributes
from them, greatly increasing its treasury, and in turn its naval fleet. Ultimately, Athens conquered
all of Greece except Sparta and its allies, establishing what came to be known as the Athenian
Empire. Understandably, Sparta and allies, the Peloponnesian League were cautious of its rival polis
gaining so much power and dominating other poleis in its expansion to become an empire. Tensions
were high in the years prior to the war, with the peace between the two major city–states slowly
breaking down with many of either sides' allies' number of conflicts. Finally, a congress of both
sides' delegates was called, which is detailed in Book One of the History, where war was essentially

How Did Thucydides Contribute To The Peloponnesian War
Thucydides, an Athenian who lived during the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), may be one of the
earliest western war theorists thanks to his work, History of the Peloponnesian War. His history
described the conflict between ancient Athens and Sparta. In doing so, he authored one of the most
balanced and powerful explanations of the causes of war.
Thucydides, linked to the Athenian aristocracy, enjoyed a wealthy upbringing and education as a
youth. As an adult, he served as a commander for Athens. He witnessed a number speeches, debates,
and events ––– or heard them second–hand ––– that decided the many courses the war would take.
This all bears out in the articulate, informed narrative of the war from tactical through strategic
levels.
Surprisingly, Thucydides maintained an objective perspective through much of his history. One
assumes that as an Athenian, he would take a pro–Athens approach. However, two reasons provide
balance and significance to his work. First, following the loss ... Show more content on
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Ancient Greece consisted of many competing city–states; the most powerful consisted of democratic
Athens and authoritarian Sparta. Each power made strategic decisions in different ways. The
Athenians set and adjusted the course of the war through open debate and voting while the Spartan
oligarchy under a king cast the final decisions. Additionally, each state's economic nature affected
their military character. The agrarian Sparta formed a dominant landpower while the seafaring
Athenians cultivated a powerful navy. Further, though a small theater of operations compared to
modern standards, time and space affected the course and nature of the war. Wind speed and sea
conditions limited throughput along lines of communication. Rigid Hellenic phalanxes encouraged
set–piece battles. Annual growing seasons restricted when soldiers were able to fight and how far
they could

Thucydides 'Grievances' Research Paper
However, there needs to be a consideration when evaluating this source that Thucydides was a
native and patriotic Athenian. This should be examined as a possible bias in the how the Delian and
Peloponnesian leagues are portrayed in both the long term reason and short term grievances. It could
be argued that because of this bias, Athens was therefore presented in a more favourable light in
being targets of Spartan scheming, forcing their hand in their actions of the four grievances, and
therefore the 'real' reason could in fact be the short term causes presented. However I do not think
that this negates the truth of Thucydides real long term reason of Spartan fear. Spartan had long held
the authority of being the major Greek military power

War and Hardship: Themes in Peloponnesian War byThucydides
Thucydides, one of the greatest historians ever, chronicled decades of war and tension between
Athens and Sparta and, in doing so, became a pioneer in the subject of history. His "History of the
Peloponnesian War" set a standard for scope, concision and accuracy that makes it a defining text of
the historical genre. He depicted the strengths and weaknesses of democracy skillfully, writing
objectively and with great insight. When explaining the events and outcome of the war, he took into
consideration both the positives and negatives that accompany the Athenian way of life during
conflict in comparison to Spartan ideals. Ultimately, in his "History of the Peloponnesian War,"
Thucydides forces the reader to consider the long–term effects of war and hardship on social
institutions. Thucydides begins his history with Pericles' Funeral Oration, in which the leading
Athenian statesman, honored those who died in the war's first campaign and praised Athenian
democracy and culture. In doing so, he invoked a deep sense of sorrow while simultaneously
encouraging feelings of national pride and faith in Athenian society. Pericles used his praise of
Athens to justify the Peloponnesian War because, as a General, he wanted to promote patriotism and
remind the Athenians what exactly they were fighting for: democracy, culture, and freedom.
According to Pericles, the Spartans represented a terrible way of life that would have only been
corrected if Athens prevailed. He said,
"The

Fate 's Punishment For Athens
Fate's Punishment for Athens The Landmark Thucydides is a history book on the Peloponnesian War
written by an Athenian historian and general named Thucydides. Throughout the book, Thucydides
recounts the war and tells of the many actions of his mother land Athens. In several of his
descriptions Athens could be viewed as arrogant especially towards their accomplishments in war.
He also tells of a terrible crime that Athens commits that could be described as genocide.
Thucydides also describes several simpleminded mistakes that were made that crippled Athens in
the end and could have been prevented with more through thinking. Despite being powerful and
dominant on the battlefield the Athenians suffer crippling defeat in the end. The arrogance, cruelty,
and foolishness that Athens displayed brought fate down on Athens and caused their defeat in the
Peloponnesian War. Athens displayed their arrogance multiple times throughout the war. During a
battle at Pylos Sparta attempted to make peace with Athens through a truce. When offered the truce,
Athens rejects it thinking that "The treaty would be ready for them whenever they chose to make it".
(Landmark Thucydides. Book 4; 4.21, Pg.425). Athens had the audacity to think that Sparta would
just wait for them to decide when they were done fighting which made them seem obnoxiously
proud. Another time where Athens shows how arrogant they are occurs before the conference with
the colony of Melos. Thucydides talks of the colony

Essay on An Analysis of Thucydides' Views on the Melian...
An Analysis of Thucydides' Views on the Melian Dialogue
The Melian Dialogue is a debate between Melian and Athenian representatives concerning the
sovereignty of Melos. The debate did not really occur–the arguments given by each side were of
Thucydides own creation. Thus it is reasonable to assume that we can tease out Thucydides' own
beliefs. In this paper, I will first extract Thucydides views from the Melian Dialogue and then
analyze whether or not these views are well founded.
Thucydides believed that the Athenians had the stronger argument. Proof of this lies in the way
Thucydides picked the arguments for each side. For the moment, we will disregard the actual
content of the arguments, and look at argumentation forms and ... Show more content on
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They say for example, "...By a law of nature...if you were as strong as we are, you would do as we
do." Athens arguments are of a higher form than the Melians, because they can be proved or
disproved.
Thucydides wrote the Dialogue in this way, and thus we can infer that his own beliefs were that
Athenians were aware of such higher argumentation forms, and the Melians were not. Thucydides
believed that Athenian arguments could be tested.
The Athenians always had the last word; had this been an actual debate the Athenians would have
won by showmanship and persuasion alone. The Melians managed to question their rivals, but once
the Athenians responded, there was no Melian rebuttal. To the question of how other neutral Greek
city–states might have reacted to Athenian aggression, Athens responded that any neutral sites that
might have become hostile did not concern them. They argued that neutral city–states either posed
little threat, or were already under pressure to join the alliance. To this the Melians had nothing to
say. They instead moved on to say that they would be thought of as "base and cowardly" should they
have submitted. Athens answered that there is only disgrace in submission to an equal power, not a
greater one like Athens. No Melian concern was left unanswered by the Athenians, yet the Melians
were often at a loss for words. The only explanation for this phenomenon

Herodotus And Thucydides Similarities
In this essay I will be addressing comparatives of two ancient Greek historians, Thucydides and
Herodotus. These first historians gave us a prospective of ancient Greece during the 5th century, In
order to compare and contrast historical methods and objectives of Herodotus and Thucydides I will
examine the characteristics of their method, and also in their historical objectives in writing history,
how do Herodotus and Thucydides differ in their aims and methods of writing history? The context
in which history is written is very important because a circumstance of time and place can reflected
in the writer's message and how it's interpreted by the reader. I will start with Thucydides who was
Athenian, not only being an historian, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
While the difference between history and myth is not simply fact and fiction, it is in some ways
sensible to make other distinctions between oral and written sources. History should be interpreted
with an objective mind, without a clear bias approach you can easily be manipulate to a false
understanding. Herodotus and Thucydides, gave us understanding of ancient Greece and its
ideology, but we are also fortunate enough today to have two sources of historical works that we can
study for generations to come. Having two sources to draw up conclusions is a gift, I believe that
both historians offer us a different perspective. Herodotus' method consisted of relying on other
peoples' testimony, to speculate about the sincerity and motives of the sources upon which he
compiled the accounts of his own perspective of ancient Greece would be for debate. Herodotus has
more of a positive outlook to his writings, while Thucydides wrote on the war between the
Peloponnesians and the Athenians, "beginning the account at the very outbreak of the war, in the
belief that it was going to be a great war and more worth writing about than any of those which had
taken place in the past."–Thucydides 1.1 Thucydides tends to have more of the negative outlook,
believing that it has become man's nature to start wars for own personal gain, and also, war could be
avoided if man chose reason over brute

The History Of The Peloponnesian War
The "The History of the Peloponnesian War" authored by Thucydides in 431 B.C.E and translated
by Richard Crawley expressively illustrates the plague of Athens and its impact on the population.
The work provides a vivid account as to the amount of suffering and disorder consuming the
Athenians during the second year of the Peloponnesian war. Furthermore, Thucydides wrote the
piece in hopes of broadening the scope of current events at the time which affected the citizens.
Additionally, he sought to inform future generations of the plague so that they could recognize it or
conduct further studies should it make an appearance again. From this translation, Thucydides
demonstrates a notable interest and most importantly provides sufficient detail in presenting the
symptoms he observed or experienced himself through this plague. However, while the detailed
account appears thorough at a first glance, I would consider this a subjective and an inadequate
testimony of the Athens plague with some loose ends.
According to this work, Thucydides wrote a few statements that he possibly acquired from unknown
sources. For instance, Thucydides wrote, "it was said that it had broken out in many places", which
begs the simple question who said? In another instance, he wrote "it first began, it is said, in the
parts of Ethiopia above Egypt". From this statement, what stands out again is who said. When
Thucydides included "it is said", who is he referring to? Thucydides makes no reference to his

Livy And Thucydides: The Early History Of Rome
"Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it." – Edmund Burke. Throughout time,
various men have found it worthwhile to study the events of the past and to share their findings with
people of both the present and the future. Livy and Thucydides were two of these men. They both
viewed history as a beneficial study, but believed this for different reasons. Asserting that "the study
of history is the best medicine for a sick mind" (The Early History of Rome 30), Livy believed that
history was beneficial to instruct future readers in the practice of morality. He believed that by
studying past moral successes and failures, people would be warned against repeating mistakes and
more likely to make moral decisions in the future. On the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
In his histories, Livy reported on the entirety of Rome's history until the point at which he lived. As
a Roman, he thought that it was important to trace the course of his country's past as it would show
him which successes to emulate and which failures to avoid (cf. The Early History of Rome 30).
Because he was a Roman writing to other Romans, Livy kept his history within the context of his
own nation, relating observations specifically to Rome and the Roman people, revealing both how
Rome had arrived at her present state and warning Romans against repeating her mistakes. In
contrast to this approach, Thucydides reported solely on the Peloponnesian War, in which he fought.
As he had been exiled partway through the war, Thucydides wrote with a unique perspective on both
sides of the war, showing how the same principles had guided multiple countries, even though the
countries were enemies. Thus removed from personal bias or national affiliations, Thucydides was
able to write a history that was both directed and applicable to people of all nationalities. Stemming
from his interest in the commonalities between international politics, Thucydides wrote about events
common to all people, whereas Livy wrote solely about Roman history to instruct the Roman

The Great Civilization Of Athens
The plague of Athens led to the death and destruction of not only a mass of people, but the entire
civilization. This cataclysmic event that ended the great civilization of Athens has inspired countless
authors to write about it. Starting at the beginning of 431 BCE, historian Thucydides wrote his take
on it. In his work, "The History of the Peloponnesian War," Thucydides discussed the social and
political consequences of the plague; a personal account on the experiences he lived through.
Anywhere during 99–55 BCE, poet Lucretius had his work, "On the Nature of the Universe," end
with an account of the Athenian plague. Lucretius's account was nearly an exact translation of
Thucydides' account, but whereas Thucydides wrote historically and genuinely on his experiences
on the plague, Lucretius left certain things out and elaborated on others as he wrote it as part of
natural phenomenon and laid out his writing to tell, in a didactic poem, the mental experience of the
Athenian people.
Thucydides was a historical writer who wrote his recollections on "The History of the
Peloponnesian War." He began to write at the beginning of the war at 431, as he felt it deserved to
be recorded and was "composed to be a lasting possession" for all time. His writing was meant to
help and show the future; he wrote regarding the Athenian plague, so if another plague breaks out
"people may know in advance and not be ignorant."
In Thucydides' report, he talks about the plague, event by event.

Compare And Contrast Heroidotus And Herodotus
Are those who do not learn from history truly doomed to repeat it? Many an old adage, as well as
prevalent historical figures – such as Winston Churchill, definitely say so. After all, as the inevitable
progression of time and technology pushes forward, the needs and wants of mankind remain the
same. For the most part, the human mind is a constant variable, and there are invaluable lessons to
be learned from our predecessors – ancients and pioneers alike. The fortunate news is, there exists,
and will continue to be (at least for the near future) a vast collection of historical resources. A new
question is posed however; what defines the potency of a source? In many ways, two ancient
historians named Herodotus and Thucydides helped define and set the ground–work for what
historical writing consists of. Herodotus, being the older of the two, is flatteringly renowned as the
father of history, as he provided the world with its first account of a true historical narrative – The
Histories. Both men lived roughly from the early portion of the 4th Century b.c up until the latter
end of the century, and the purposes of their works agreed in principal, but in principal only. For
instance, Thucydides authored History of the Peloponnesian War, in which he chronicles the friction
between Sparta and Athens. On the other hand, The Histories documents the Greco–Persian wars –
in its own unique way, of course. Certainly, the congruency between these two texts ends with the
fact that they

Thucydides On The Peloponnesian War
The plague of Athens was an event in history that countless authors went on to write about.
Recounting the death and destruction of not only the people, but their civilization as well. Starting at
the beginning of 431 BCE, historian Thucydides wrote his take on it. In his work "The History of
the Peloponnesian War" Thucydides talks about the social and political consequences of the plague,
a personal account on the experiences he lived through. Anywhere during 99–55 BCE poet
Lucretius had his work "On the Nature of the Universe" end with an account of the Athenian plague.
Lucretius's account was nearly an exact translation of Thucydides' description of the plague. But
whereas Thucydides wrote historically and real on his experiences on ... Show more content on
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It ends with the destruction of a civilization as if it were part of a natural order. Lucretius's edition
removed any mention of location or the Peloponnesian War. No mention of where it began or the
possible causes of it, and gives his own thoughts on it. He thinks of it a natural occurrence in life.
"Now I'll explain the nature of diseases... I have shown above that there are atoms of many things
needful to support our life, and, in contrast, many must fly around that bring disease and death". His
thoughts on the disease are an actuality of disease, contrasting Thucydides' claims that this plague
was "was too severe for human nature". Lucretius removing the setting, the unnecessary and the idea
of cruelness, tells a story purer and more personal. In–between the symptoms Lucretius made sure to
add the mental state of the victims where "all the power of mind and all the body began to faint,
being on death's very threshold. Constant companion of these intolerable woes was torment of
anxiety, and laments were mixed with groans as mind and body suffered". Bring the psychological
condition of the victims allows people to feel more deeply about what the situation when reading his
account. Lucretius writes poetically the plague, and brings an emotional side to it, showing the
suffering inside the mind and outside in the

Essay Is Thucydides a Realist
The human condition and its significance to International Relations have been in debate for
centuries. Classical Realist thought has focused on the inherently aggressive and selfish nature of
man and assumed that it is these qualities that ensure war and conflict are inevitable aspects of
human society. Alternatively, neo–realism emphasises the system structure of international politics.
R.J. McShea discusses the significance of the human nature tradition throughout the study of
international relations. The endeavour to rid the world of the evil of war and the advancement of the
conditions for peace have been developed from the assumption that the interaction of the states, and
the way they ought to conduct relations among themselves, ... Show more content on
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I will include a discussion on man's desire for glory, divine favour and immortality, and its relevance
to modern international relations theory. Finally, I will conclude that, although the "History"
discusses many realist assumptions and politics, Thucydides himself was not a realist. It is my
theory that Thucydides intended his "History" to be the prescription for man to drag himself from
the miserable condition of war. The "History" is a model of idealist ideology encompassing the three
components: description, prescription and objective.
I
Thucydides intended his "History" as a source for all time, a general insight into conflicts that
answer future questions on all conflict because "events which happen in the past and which (human
nature being what it is) will, at some time or other and in much the same ways, be repeated in the
future." Thucydides opened with the claim that, "as many wish to consider, clearly, both the things
that have happened and the things that will happen in the same or similar way, in accordance with
that which is human," will consider his work on the Peloponnesian war as a valuable "possession for
all time."
Human nature, according to Thucydides, is the same wherever it is to be found and it explains and
justifies human conduct. It is an appeal to human nature that is invoked throughout many of the
debates in the "History," in order to justify Athenian imperialism on the grounds of expediency,
ambition, security and man's

Pericles The Politician By Plutarch
Plutarch – "Pericles the Politician" Plutarch was a well–known and respected historian, biographer,
and philosopher. He held a very high status in society. He taught philosophy in Rome for some time
and was granted high office by the royal family. When he returned to his native town in Greece, he
was appointed as the Priest of Apollo. He wrote many philosophical essays as well as biographies of
influential people during the times. This particular document was written by Plutarch as a
biographical text about Pericles' political influence in society during his time as a politician. He
wrote this selection to thoroughly describe how Pericles used his platform to manipulate the people
into giving him the opportunity to gain ultimate power. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Pericles shaped his campaigning around pleasing the masses. Thucydides' political strategy was to
get all of his supporters to sit together in the assembly. Unfortunately for him, there were not many
to support him against Pericles. Strategically, Pericles gave nearly all of the political power to the
people. This was the reason he was known as the 'first citizen of democratic Athens by the historian
Thucydides. Purposefully, he was constantly 'beautifying' Athens. As stated by Plutarch, Pericles
"constantly provided public pageants, banquets, and processions in the city, entertaining the people
like children with elegant pleasures." He made sure he kept the public happy. Along with elaborate
public displays, Pericles, expanded territories. According to Plutarch, "he dispatched 1,000 settlers
to the Chersonese, 500 to Naxos, 250 to Andros, 1,000 to Thrace to make their homes with the
Bisaltae, and others to the new colony named Thurii." This expansion allowed the city to rid itself of
'idlers' and 'agitators' and "raise the standards of the poorest classes". In addition to his great political
strategies, one of the main ways that Pericles gained the adornment of Athenians, and also the
greatest criticism from his adversaries was through the building of several temples and public
buildings. His enemies proposed in the Assembly that other Greeks should have been outraged that
the funding

Thucydides During The Peloponnesian War
This is part of a larger work, History of the Peloponnesian War, where Thucydides records his
during the Peloponnesian War from his perspective and sources he has used. The extract is set
during the first Battle of Mantinea (418 BC) during the Peloponnesian War with Sparta and her
allies against Athens, Argos, and Mantinea. What Thucydides is saying in this extract is that the
Spartan King Agis knew that the opposing army would extend their right wing out of fear to shield
themselves and so he planned to combat this by reinforcing his left wing so then they wouldn't get
overwhelmed . He uses this as part of an explanation as to how Agis' left wing was put under
pressure during the battle due to this tendency. As a former Athenian general , ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
This extract is set during Xerxes invasion and how he captured Athens with little resistance due to
very few people remaining after most Athenians had evacuated. Here it details why some Athenians
stayed behind instead of fleeing to Salamis with everyone else. Herodotus is the earliest known
historian but his work is not infallible. Herodotus himself mentions that he merely records what he
learns and it is not his business to decide if it is true or not . This indicates that not everything he has
written is necessarily correct and is up to discussion by readers. This can lead to both truthful
accounts and biased stories with little accuracies. Many have accused Herodotus of telling stories
which J. A. S. Evans mentions Cicero, saying that the oracle told to Croesus of Lydia was just
invented for storytelling . However despite this there are still many truths to Herodotus' work.
According to Barry Strauss, the evacuation of Athens being prompted by Themistocles is backed by
a stone document from ca. 300 BC which "may indeed be based upon the original document passed
by the Athenian assembly ." Herodotus is fair when dealing with non–Greeks. While many would
call the Persians barbarians and sneer upon them, Evans mentions that Herodotus believed "the
Persians to be no less brave than the Greeks, but their inferior weaponry put them at a disadvantage"
. This extract is much

Thucydides And The Peloponnesian War
Thucydides was born in 460 B.C.E in a noble family, which was linked to Athens and its leaders. He
was one of the greatest ancient Greek historians and author of the History of the Peloponnesian War,
in which he describes the struggle between Athens and Sparta. Thucydides was also interested in the
technical part of the war. He focused on the difficulties and possibilities in a war between the
powerful land force of Sparta along its allies and the powerful naval force of Athens. He observed
that the strategic interaction of states followed a visible and repeated pattern.
According to him the relationship of states in a system is dependent on the hierarchal system they
have. Therefore he concluded that any alteration in the hierarchy of the powerful states would
extremely shake the structure of their system while any alteration in the status of the weak states
would make no difference to the system. Thucydides relates this conclusion to the Peloponnesian
War because he believed that the outbreak of war was a result of the change in their system as the
power of the Athenian state was growing and attempting to ... Show more content on
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For him international relation is simply a tool used to allow the powerful states to exploit their
power while the weak states suffer.
In my opinion this image of international relations Thucydides draws seems a bit two–faced since it
is the lack of international relations that leads to a lack of central government, which then creates an
anarchic world. Thucydides focuses way too much on competitiveness over power and strength and
how it can cause conflict and war between to parties. He ignores the possibility that opposing party's
can learn to coexist by creating relations with each in order to gain interest from one another which
would also create interdependence leaving less room for

Essay on Thycydides and The Peloponnesian War
The perspective that Thucydides took to write History of the Peloponnesian War gave his work, on a
first read, the impression that his opinion was removed to provide an objective analysis of the
destruction of the greatness of Athens over the period of the war. He began with a "medical history"
of how humanity structured the first societies based on the interplay between fear, interest, and
honor. Then, progressed to how war devolved the great Athenian society. Which took Thucydides
from revisiting eloquent speeches over strategy to simpler retellings of brash disputes. Thoughtful
placement displayed Thucydides' opinion of Athens' actions, how he viewed the other city–states'
positions on various issues in the book, and emphasized ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Pericles' words, "the man who can most truly be accounted brave is he who best knows the meaning
of what is sweet in life and of what is terrible, and then goes out undeterred to meet what is to
come."(Thucydides Pg. 147) addressed fear through the common countermeasure of bravery. What
he wants to get across is the fact fear should not be ignored but calculated and met in an intellectual
manner. In Pericles' mind this effective method showed the acknowledgement of the resolution to
move past this and on to the other society structures levels of interest and honor. Pericles' rational
reasoning of the society structure addressed fear through countermeasures then progressed to
interest and emphasized honor. In the case of the funeral oration the fear of bodily injury is
addressed and overcome due to the rationalization that it promotes the interest of the general people
and bestows honor on the individual through successfully fulfilling relationships of fear, interest,
and honor, in service to Athens.
The service to Athens was expected not only on the battlefield but in the political realm as well. The
firm stance taken by Pericles about the political interests of the citizens' of Athens was, "we do not
say that a man who takes no interest in politics is a man who minds his own business; we say that he

Thucydides And Thucydides ' Writing
Herodotus and Thucydides didn 't agree often on how history should be recorded, taught, and
observed. Herodotus, in his account of the War for Greek Freedom, takes great care to include the
most seemingly insignificant details of Persian, Lydian, and Greek culture––from their practices
regarding death to their sexual habits to how they eat at mealtimes. Thucydides, on the other hand,
tells The History of the Peloponnesian War from a bias against the clutter of religion, prophecy,
culture, and humanity. As the two tell their historical accounts of two closely–connected events,
their interpretations remain divided on the historical significance of the Greek oracles. However,
Thucydides and Herodotus ' writing is similar in that they both ... Show more content on
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105) Herodotus, on the other hand, demonstrates a decidedly less firm stance on the reliability of
oracles and prophecies. Granted, Herodotus––writing from the perspective of great respect and
curiosity for the culture and history of the Greeks––is forced more often to examine oracles as they
were treated by those subjects of his history: that is, as reputable sources of wisdom that can be
taken multiple ways, and are often interpreted incorrectly. When referencing the decision made by
the final king of Lydia, Cyrus, based upon a prophetic dream that encouraged him to go to war
against the Persians, "...the true meaning of the dream had escaped him. The god was forewarning
Cyrus that he was about to meet his death, and Darius would thereby come to the throne."
(Herodotus, P. 48) Rather than criticizing the reliability of divination, Herodotus views it from a
perspective of impartiality––the dream wasn 't a false sign, merely interpreted incorrectly.
Despite the aforementioned differences in their perspectives, they both share the understanding that
oracles provide––rather than a foolproof account of the future––the incentive for men to make
whatever decision they please. In simpler terms, they hear what they want to hear. Thucydides
recalls the time of a great Plague in ancient Athens,

International Relations By Jack Donnelly: Realism And...
Realism and International Relations, by Jack Donnelly, Cambridge University Press, United
Kingdom, 2000. 231 pages.
Jack Donelly is Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Graduate School of International Studies at the
University of Denver. He is also the author of The Concept of Human Rights, Universal Human
Rights in Theory and Practice and International Human Rights.
Realism and International Relations by Jack Donnelly provides a critical yet sympathetic survey of
political realism in International Theory. Using the six paradigmatic theories – Hans Morgenthau,
Kenneth Waltz, the Prisoners' Dilemma, Thucydides, Machiavelli and Hobbes – the book examines
realist accounts of human nature and state motivation, international anarchy, balance of power,
international institutions and morality in foreign policy.
The reason for choosing this book is to assess Donnellys' argument that common realist propositions
not only fail to stand up to scrutiny but are rejected by many leading realists as well.
Theoretical Premise
Donnelly defines and summarizes Realism according to six paradigmatic models.(Donnelly, 2000,
p. 13) First paradigm begins with Thomas Hobbes who was an English polymath in the
seventeenth–century. Hobbes assumes that people are naturally equal but driven by competition,
diffidence, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"The expectation is not that a balance, once achieved, will be maintained, but that a balance once
disrupted, will be restored in one way or another. Balances of power recurrently form." (Waltz,
1979, p. 128) Donnelly successfully critices Waltz conclusion by identifying that in a multipolar
world, the existence of at least two potential threats dramatically attenuates the link between
external capabilities and threat. Therefore, Waltz balancing concept is primarily a logic of bipolar
orders not of international relations in

The Melian Dialogue, Written By Thucydides
"The Melian Dialogue", written by Thucydides, is a classic argument mainly over power and realism
taken place under international politics. In this dialogue, consisting of the Athenians and the
Melians, the Athenians arrive on the island where the Melians had resided in attempt to conquer it.
At this time, the Athenians are at war with the Spartans and see that the island can only benefit them
in the war. Now, the Melians are kinsman of the Spartans, but they are a neutral state. The
Athenians, however, cannot accept the Melian's neutrality and offer them a kind ultimatum: pay
tribute to state of Athens or be destroyed. Later, the Athenians congregate with Melian
representatives in order to reason with them so they can accept their ultimatum. The Melians try to
convince the Athenians one ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Athenians also believe the Melians should carefully choose their fate and consider all the
possibilities rather than deliberately involving themselves in a war that they cannot fight. Yet the
Melians still believe that there is hope, and that the outcome of a war is not predictable nor
guaranteed. They also explain to the Athenians that if they attack their country, many awful
repercussions would ensue. As the Melians go on to list these repercussions, the Athenians oppose
each of their premises with their own reasoning. Ultimately, the Melian representatives conclude
that they would not surrender to the Athenians. Moreover, the Melian decision meant that they
would indeed go to war with the Athenians. As expected, the Melians were outnumbered and
overpowered, which forced them to do nothing but surrender to Athenians. Unfortunately, the
Athenians "put to death all who were of military age, and made slaves of the women and

Summary Of Thucydides: The Peloponnesian War
Historical Patterns Presented in Thucydides: The Peloponnesian War
Thucydides is known as one of the first historians to portray events that took place in his own words
and thoughts during the ancient Greek period. His writing focuses on Greek history that captures
events that happened in this age. Thucydides main focus in his writing was on the military, this
includes famous battles such as the Peloponnesian war, as well as the political events that had
occurred during his era of journalism. The war between Sparta and Athens was also another war that
Thucydides tells us about at his point of view. But the main war that he shows us where the most
political and physical battles took place was the Peloponnesian war (Morris). The events that ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
His work was not made to entertain his audience, but it was made to tell the story to the future
generations so they could see how these infamous events actually took place. This is a big reason on
why his writing was so distinctive. Thucydides did not really include events that were religious
based in his work. If religion was used, people could decide that the information that he is providing
may show judgment towards their religion. This is because there are a large amount of religions
present in this time, and if the incorrect word were said then many people would stop reading his
work. Thucydides thought that god was only in people's imagination to comfort them everyday life.
So Thucydides thought that the style of writing should not be dictated by an outside influence

Comparing The Iliad And The Odyssey
Greek historians saw themselves as a part of a long tradition that went back to Homer and Hesiod,
and became fully defined by the time of Herodotus and Thucydides. To the Greeks themselves, the
concept of their history came down from the epics, and this would shape the tradition from which
later Greek historians would draw. Homer's Trojan War, and the heroes that populated the narrative
were considered to be true events and historical figures. The Iliad and The Odyssey, recorded long
after the events supposedly occurred, also gave rise to the perception that the past was divided into
two parts: a heroic age of the gods and heroes and a post–heroic age of men. Because the age of
heroes was defined by the writers of epic and thus considered fixed, in the very early stages of
Greek historiography, attempts were made to bridge the gap between the two ages with genealogies,
linking Greek families with the heroes of the epics. In a similar fashion, the Myth of the Races in
Hesiod's Works and Days is considered by some scholars to be a proto–historical account, similar to
the myth of Prometheus and Pandora, because it is an attempt to create an origin for the human race,
whether or not it was believed to be true by the author.
The ancients made attempts at mapping the development of historiography as well. Dionysius of
Halicarnassus treated this subject in his work On Thucydides. He claimed that Greek historical
writing began with "local" historians who wrote about their

Essay Thucydides' Historical Method
Thucydides indicates that people are indiscriminate about the stories or accounts they are told. They
do not put them to the test. This is the case even with accounts that deal with their own country.
Thucydides uses the example of the murder of Hipparchus. The Athenians believe that Hipparchus
was a tyrant and was the ruler when he was killed by Harmodius and Aristogeiton. The fact of the
matter is, Thucydides says, that it was Hipparchus older brother Hippias who was in power, not
Hipparchus. Hippias was the eldest son of Pisistratus, so he was the ruler of Athens, not Hippias,
who was younger, and not Thessalus, the third son of Pisistratus, who was also younger than
Hippias. As for Harmodius and Aristogeiton, they originally ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
He uses two examples to illustrate this, both of which deal with the Lacedaemonian kings. When
Thucydides uses the phrase "Other Greeks", it is possible that he is referring to Greeks in general
and to the popular beliefs of the time, or he could be referring to Herodotus, who provided
erroneous information about Lacedaemonian kings. The misconceptions that Thucydides refers to
concerning the Lacedaemonian kings are, first, that the Lacedaemonian kings have two votes each,
and that they have a military unit called `Pitante' never existed. Herodotus, in his account, said that
the Spartan kings had two votes each and he also referred to the Pitante unit. So Herodotus spread
false information, and could very well be the "Other Greeks" who have wrong opinions that
Thucydides refers to. The fact that these false beliefs are accepted as truth shows, according to
Thucydides, how ready people are to believe the first things that come to hand. Thucydides next
attacks the poets for spreading these false beliefs in their songs, and the prose–writers, who have
also spread these false beliefs in their works. In their songs, the poets have embellished much,
Thucydides says, and what the prose–writers have hammered together "aims more to delight the ear
than to be true" (Thucydides, 12). Thucydides notes that it is not possible to test the accounts of the
poets

Thucydides at His Best Essays
The true essence of human nature is seen during times of great hardships as can be seen comparing
Pericles' Funeral Oration and the plague in Thucydides', The History of the Peloponnesian War.
Thucydides accounts for many different aspects of justice, power, and human nature through his
text. The order, the style of his writing, choice of words, and relations of what he believes actually
happened, allows the reader to make different inferences about the message he's trying to convey.
The juxtaposition of the two stories portrays many different characteristics to investigate and
analyze.
The question can be raised, why compare the funeral oration and the plague with each other, the
answer simply lies in its order. Thucydides shows ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It also shows that when powerful speakers used rhetoric, they would exaggerate. Pericles allowed
the people to feel their city wouldn't be able to be destroyed, but the conceit he had for the city didn't
turn out to be true.
In the funeral oration there is a visual of continuous strength, courage, unity, fighting, and power
that is building this great city called Athens, but then when looking at the plague, you see it break
apart. Thucydides mentions the steps and characteristics of the symptoms the plague had on the
human body. He describes it so that the reader sees how the plague affected the body, breaking it
down organ by organ. This can relate to the breakdown of Athens due to the plague. It takes this one
disease to take one human life as well as a strongly built city. He also shows the breakdown of the
city by describing the setting, instead of seeing an orderly city with its beautifully established
buildings, you'd find dead people lying one on top of the other in the streets, sick people at the
fountains, mostly signs of death around every corner.
The plague began with a high fever to the head and made its way down to the different parts of the
body, destroying it along the way, leaving its mark wherever possible. The same can be said for the
city. The plague hit the structure of the city, and destroyed it little by little, just as it destroyed the
different parts of the body, eventually causing a break down of the empire, the same empire that

'Story of an Hour' by Kate Chopin
A dynamic character is a major character in a work of fiction that encounters conflict and is changed
by it. In "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin, the emotional pattern and thought process of
Louise Mallard after she is informed of her husband's death are explored. Over the course of the
hour in which the story takes place Louise has a realization about the constraints she feels in her life
and in her marriage. By delineating Louise as a flat and dynamic character, Chopin is able to convey
her theme that real freedom is found in death. Over the course of the story, all the characters are left
as fairly flat and undeveloped. Louise is simply described as a young woman with "a fair, clam face
whose lines bespoke repression and even a ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
With the "breath of rain in the air" and the tree tops bursting with life (paragraph four), Louise
begins her journey to her conclusion. Even though the visualization of nature, Louise is competent
enough to grasp that her love for Brently could not compare to the "possession of self–assertion
which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being" (paragraph fifteen). Soon
enough she had nearly forgotten her departed lover and was "drinking in an elixir of life through that
open window" (paragraph eighteen). After the inhalation of submission, Louise "carried herself
unwittingly like a goddess of Victory" (paragraph twenty) down the stairs. In doing so, the once
emotionally unstable and physically ailed woman with "white slender hands" (paragraph ten) was
able to prepare for a life without discretion or restrictions. The development of Louise only seized
due to her preexisting medical condition claiming her life. However this motivation is what caused
Louise to act in the ways she did and refined the theme. The development of character in "The Story
of an Hour" is left stagnant. Having a flat main character allows the reader to identify with the story
on a level of understanding separate from that of any round character. Although the reader is
inserted into Louise's mind, an entirely understood background for her is missing. In doing so a void
is made in which the reader can

The Thucydides Trap Summary
Mr. Allison first coined the phrase The Thucydides Trap, a trap where a rising power will inevitably
challenge the ruling power that could most likely end in war. The Thucydides Trap is occurring in
the 21st century between the US, the ruling power, and China, the rising power, who are getting
increasingly more powerful on the international stage. War is most likely possible between the two
powers, but past history shows that the US and China can get out of the trap through peaceful
means.
The first evidence that the author uses to support his thesis is previous examples of the ruling power
being challenged by the rising power. The first example that author uses is the rivalry between
Athens and Sparta, which ended with the Peloponnesian war and with Sparta the victor. The war
happened because Sparta and Athens had entangling alliances with other city states who went to war
with each other and called the superpowers into the war. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Even though previously they were on friendly terms, the UK felt threatened by Germany goal of
having a powerful navy and sought allies in Europe to counteract Germany. The entangling alliances
that UK and Germany made brought the whole world into WW1, which ended as the UK and its
allies as the victors. Although 12 out of 16 examples of the Thucydides Trap ended in war, the chart
in the article shows that it is possible to get out through peaceful means.
The second evidence to support his thesis is that the Chinese economy will overtake the US
economy. The Chinese economy is rising significantly, its economy in 1980 was smaller than the
Netherlands, while in 2014 the Chinese increment of growth of its GDP is equal to the entire Dutch
economy. As shown in the GDP chart in the article, the Chinese GDP is growing significantly
compared to the rest of the world and didn't even stopped during the 2008 financial crisis and the
Great

Thucydides Summary
There is little doubt that Thucydides is regarded as one of the best historical writers for coming up
with his book, presenting facts and truth about the war even though he was a general in the Athens
army. By using a unique style of writing, the author was attempting a unique style which involved
being aggressively rational and giving an impersonal analysis of the history of his times being free
from religious influence.
The style used in writing the book is different because the author makes the war to be understood in
respect to human politics and power struggles that were taking place between the two warring
factions; Athens and Sparta. The style of writing is different from how Herodotus had explained the
Greek war against the Persians, putting too much emphasis on the religious side of the war.
Thucydides tries to be different by describing the human factors which made the Athens side to lose
the war. He points that Athens was more concerned about expanding than winning the war and that
most of its generals defected after ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The author advocated the theme of realism by illustrating how small cities such as Melian would
have benefited had they joined the Athenians. He notes that the cities were destroyed because they
were not realistic about their situation hence they would not have stood against the Athenians.
Throughout the book, Thucydides shows the difference in his works by using economics and politics
as the two main factors which used to determine wars at that time. Such a move was sin contrast
with how historians used to portray wars at that time. Historians usually used gods and their
influence to explain army victories but Thucydides explains that the cities with the most money and
a centralized system of government used to win such wars. For instance, the author explains that
Athens had many armies and was powerful in the sea, thus having an advantage over its

Of ThucydidesBiases And Their Consistencies In Greek History
Biases and Their Consistencies in Greek History Humans have made notable accomplishes for many
centuries. Only recently in human history have these events been recorded by other humans. As a
species we naturally have bias, be that toward our culture or an ideology. Thucydides and Herodotus
both had distinct source types as well as biases, but conform to them in different ways reflective of
their different writing styles. First we will examine the sources that Thucydides used and why he
uses speeches. Thucydides was the main source of the information as he lived and held command as
a general during the Peloponnesian War up until his exile to Peloponnesian territory (Thucydides p.
102). His position as a general makes Thucydides an excellent eye witness to many of these
instances. Thucydides spending time with the Peloponnesians gained him insight into those people
and how they would have operated. Thucydides uses himself as his main source as he held a high
position in society and would have access to the events of the war. Thucydides also used other's
speeches as resources to show insight into the events occurring. He used the Melian dialogue to
show the wit of the Athenians and illustrate their impulsive desire to conquer independent cities
(Thucydides p. 102–108). This passage illustrates the beginning of the end for the Athenians. The
Melians were a colony of the Lacedaemonians and did not take a side in the ongoing war, but
Athens eventually probed them to war (Thucydides 102). This foreshadows the battle at Syracuse in
which Athens went blindly into out of desire to simply slight the Spartans. Thucydides uses
speeches to show insight to the people's thoughts and to add foreshadowing to future events.
Herodotus used the account of people and their own traditions as his references in his works. During
the beginnings of the war between the Persians and the Greeks Herodotus speaks of the Persian
invasion of the Delians. During the Persians departure Herodotus uses the Delians as the reference
for the events that unfolded next (Herodotus p. 108). Aside from the mentions of how the stories are
sourced from the people Herodotus does not mention where else his sources came from. Herodotus
relied heavily on

The Melian Dialogue Analysis
The Melian Dialogue has maintained significance for millennia because of its clarity, its honesty,
and its continued relevance, up to the modern day. When the Athenians did away with "specious
pretences" (Betts, 2017), they opened up a number of salient issues that have troubled decision
makers from time immemorial. Among these timeless questions, the Melian situation hinges on one:
whether the Lacedaemonians would come to their aid. In the general form, the Athenians phrase it as
"expediency goes with security, while justice and honour cannot be followed without danger"
(Betts). For contemporary purposes: a rational, international actor will not risk their own state
security for an ally's without a controlling, practical interest. As a corollary, the Athenians add that
"what an intending ally trusts to, is not the goodwill of those who ask his aid, but a dedicated
superiority of power for action" (Betts). In language less burdened by 2,500 years of translation: the
ideological or moral justifications for an alliance are superseded by the ability for the intervening
partner to win the conflict. This paper will examine relevant, contemporary theories and case studies
to determine if the Athenians' warnings still hold true – do allies only intervene in the interests of
their own security? Or can other factors (e.g. shared identities, common ideologies) overcome an
actor's international inertia? Before applying Thucydides' questions to modern statecraft, it's
necessary

Greek Mythologies: Gods and Mortals in Greek Literature
Greek mythologies arise from various cultural aspects of the Greek society; however, the role of the
divinities in human affairs is particularly accentuated in most, if not all, Greek mythologies.
Nevertheless, each author displays the role of divinities and supernatural differently, as Homer in
The Odyssey and The Iliad displays direct interaction between the supernatural divinities and the
mortals. On the other hand, Sophocles' Antigone lessens such interactions and emphasizes the
human role, while Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War completely ignores the notion of
divine power, but focuses impartially on the actions of men and their consequences. Therefore, such
difference of perspectives gives rise to the conflict between ... Show more content on
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The prophecy of Tiresias serves the role of warning Creon, who violated the divine law, of the
upcoming consequences if his actions. Homer's presentation of the gods and their roles has been
criticized directly, as in Thucydides' historical recount ridiculing Homer's exaggeration of what is
mythological, and indirectly, through Sophocles' Antigone lack of immediate interference of the
gods in human affairs. However, Homer shares the Sophocles opinion on the priority of obeying the
divine law and providing proper burial, for this is displayed in Thetis message "gods frown upon
you...you hold Hektor beside the curved ships and did not redeem him. Come, then, give him up and
accept ransom for the body." (Iliad 24.132–140), Since Achilles has been torturing Hektor's body
and refusing to give him a proper burial, and the gods had to bribe him with ransom to release the
body. Within the First chapter of Homer's Iliad the influence and role of the gods is emphasized in
the progression of the events, "Zeus' son and Leto's, Apollo, who in anger at the king drove the foul
pestilence along the host, and the people perished, since Atreus' son had dishonoured Chryses, priest
of Apollo"(Iliad 1.9–1.11). This quote indicates the major difference between Homer and
Thucydides' approach to recounting historical events, as Homer associated the

Thucydides' Accounts of the Degradation of Athenian Honor
Thucydides' account of the Peloponnesian war served as a window into Athenian societal culture.
Carrying the reader from Pericles' moving speech to the assembly, through Cleon and Diodotus'
oratory battle over the fate of Mytilene, and finally to the Athenian proposal to the Melians,
Thucydides detailed the transformation of Athens from a state based on justice and freedom to a
empire with a corrupted soul. This corruption did not occur over night, but was the result of
increasing tyrannical behavior by the part of Athens in its interactions with other Greek city states.
The stages of this development can be analyzed into three parts: Pericles' war speech, the dialogue
on Mytilene, and the Melian debate. Pericles' speech was propagated by the horn of war against the
Lacedaemonians. In the midst of the conflict, the Athenians called an assembly to determine their
course of action. Their choices were to either agree to Sparta's demands, which included dismantling
the siege of Potidaea, freeing Aegina from their rule, and cancelling their embargo of Megara, or
war. At this juncture, the prime Athenian statesman, Pericles, presented his advice: never give in.
For Pericles, Athens can never subjugate itself to any power and must fight for its autonomy. In
order to win the war, Athens must focus on its people and avoid mistakes. They cannot base their
campaign on saving their property, but keeping the integrity of their forces. This stance is
exemplified as Pericles said,

Pericles Funeral Oration
Nationalism's Hero
Historical Analysis of Pericles " Funeral Oration" Pericles' Funeral Oration is a famous speech given
during the time of the Peloponnesian War. Though the exact words of Pericles famous Funeral
Oration made around 430 B.C are unknown, the speech's purpose and meaning was recorded by
Thucydides. Thucydides was a notable Greek historian, who often reported what was said as he
would have said it. The speech was delivered by Pericles around the end of the first year of the
Peloponnesian War. He was a prominent political and military leader in Athens during this time.
Though a high level of education was normal for Athenian political figures during this time, Pericles
was said to have excelled above most others. He was so ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Pericles continues even further, explaining that this sacrifice was an example of Athenian greatness.
His speech discusses further that Athenians would rather die resisting than to live submitting. They
fled only from dishonour but never from their enemies intent on destroying them. Pericles words
further praise there brave soldiers who perished in battle. Pericles goes on to say that Athenians
vengeance upon their enemies was to be desired more than any personal blessings. He says that war
with Athens' enemies was to be the most glorious of hazards. They had accepted the honorable risk
again and died a glorious death. He conveys again to the Athenians citizens that destroying their
enemies was the highest honor an Athenians could hope to obtain. Pericles encourages the audience
to live up to the standards set by their fallen Athenians. Pericles offered his comfort but didn't
express condolences to the families of the fallen who were present in the crowds. Pericles towards
the end of his speech does something unusual. He simply honors the fallen soldiers that died in
battle. He does not mourn any of the soldiers, nor does he offer condolences to families in
mourning. Pericles explains that the soldiers had chosen to die as heroes and should be honored not
mourned over. Their sacrifice for Athens was a great accomplishment that was to be honored by all.
He further assures the families of the dead soldiers will be compensated for their

The Thucydides Trap: The Rise Of China
The "Thucydides Trap" is a concept that was relevant 2500 years ago, and is still relevant today.
2500 years ago, the Thucydides Trap was the Spartan security dilemma that stemmed from the rise
of Athens. The massive growth of power of Athens alarmed Lacedaemon so much that it made war
inevitable. To put it simply, according to the Thucydides Trap, you must seek to destroy the rising
power in order to sustain your own! The trap today concerns the implications of the rise of China for
the United States. China is rising in many ways– specifically in terms of their economy, their
military, and global and cultural diplomacy.
For the past 20 years, China has been utilizing a careful strategy for their global economy in various
ways. First of all, they have secured enough raw materials so that they have a long–term supply.
Chinese firms began to secure shares in Europe, the United States, and Canada. In fact, there was so
much economic activity driven by China that they experienced a shortage of shipping containers for
transporting goods. An important factor that has contributed to their economic rise was a
conservative management of their relationship with the United States– this is important, considering
that the United States is ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Some scholars (White) claim that the United States should encourage China to share their power,
whereas others (Friedburg) claim that sharing is a dead–end and that the Untied States needs to push
back against their rise. Whereas some stress the fact that no one should be alarmed, not everyone
agrees– such as Graham Allison. According to him, the rise of China will inevitably be confronted
by the United States as they will be alarmed– just like Sparta was by the rise of Athens. He argues
that more often than not, these situations result in conflict and that this one will be no different.
Unless the two countries make active attempts to avoid it, there are destined for

Athenian Democracy and Divination Essay
Athenian Democracy and Divination
Divination was a prevalent feature in Archaic Greece, as it provided objective advice, to assist
people in making appropriate decisions in problematic predicaments. In certain situations its
ambiguity allowed decisions to be postponed, or blame to be assigned to others. Divination was also
used to explain matters that seemed unexplainable, such as crop failure or drought. This is illustrated
in the Homeric epics, which depicts numerous oracle interpreters, such as Calchas, consulting
oracles on domestic, as well as, military decisions. Divination was a guiding authority in ancient
society. However, during the fifth and fourth century BC, the democratic ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Furthermore, when the Athenians suggest to the Melians that they should become allies with them,
against the Spartans, the Melians state:
'â€¦We trust that the gods will give us fortune as good as yoursâ€¦'[3]
In contrast, the Athenians dismiss the protection of the gods, and state:
'This kind of attitude is not going to be of much help to you in your absurd conquest for safety at the
moment'.[4]
Thucydides portrays the Athenians in an arrogant light, which suggests that they will get their
comeuppance for such sacrilegious opinions. Furthermore, Thucydides also highlights the scientific
approach that the Athenians have towards their domination of the Peloponnese, suggesting that it is
the 'law of nature', that they should conquer as much as they can. The rise of freethinking, that the
democracy had established, had lead to the neglect of the gods. In comparison, Xerxes, in his
conquest to dominate Greece, complies with a dream that is sent from the gods, which indicates to
him and Artabanus that he should continue with the Persian wars.[5] Herodotus, writing in the early
fifth century, highlights the importance of following divination, whereas, Thucydides, writing in the
later fifth century, focuses on decisions made by the people.
The Sicilian expedition, from 415BC,

Why Study Thucydides
It is important to study Thucydides because Thucydides can help us to understand the way politics
work in the world today.This should come later – it is not an introduction to a whole paper – always
assume your reader is not familiar with your topic In his book titled, The History of the
Peloponnesian War, Thucydides brings to light, some of the causes of the war, as well as some of the
consequences of the war. (This is a good opening sentence. It introduces the reader to the topic)
Thucydides analyzed the Peloponnesian War on a deeper level (what do you mean?) to help us
understand why and how things occur in the world. The world has a better understanding of war and
politics in general because of Thucydides. Thucydides' account of The ... Show more content on
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Good!! Empires can fall at any point. It has happened before, and it can happen again. Athens was a
very wealthy and powerful state in Greece, but after their defeat in the war at Syracuse, Athens was
completely destroyed (Thucydides Book VI, p.26). After the defeat of Athens by Syracuse,
Thucydides stated, " They were beaten at all points and all together; all they suffered was great; they
were destroyed , as the saying is, with a total destruction, their fleet, their army, everything was
destroyed, and few of many returned home..."(Thucydides Book VI, p. 26). Excellent quote. So,
essentially what we learn from the defeat of Athens is that countries are not inevitable to destruction.
(I do not understand this phrase) No matter how strong a country is, it can still collapse. Yes – very
good!!
History tends to repeat itself throughout the years, and Looking back on at past events can help us
understand why some things occur and how we can resolve certain issues. The Peloponnesian War
was a significant event that occurred in history, and a lot of the events that occurred throughout the
war have helped us to understand politics better. Thucydides' documentation and interpretation of
some of the events of the war have helped us to understand why states make the decisions they do,
and some of the implications of those decisions. It is useful to know why states make the decisions
that they do because their decisions can impact the actions of other

Thucydides And Thucydides History And Warfare
Herodotus and Thucydides were historians who dramatically influenced the way we look at Greek
history and warfare. The two historians approach their stories in completely different ways, which
ultimately leads to different explanations of the origins of conflict. Herodotus focuses on recalling
the origins of the Ionian Revolt, the rise of the Persian Empire, and the Persian Wars with Greece,
while Thucydides writes about the Peloponnesian War. M.I. Finely suggests, in the introduction of
Thucydides' book that Thucydides is complementing Herodotus by beginning where Herodotus left
off (Finley, History of the Peloponnesian War p.16). Although these two historians approach the
start of conflicts in different ways, it seems that Thucydides is not suggesting that Herodotus'
explanations are wrong. While evaluating conflicts of warfare, Herodotus provides a less bias
perspective than Thucydides, but Thucydides is able to understand the underlying causes of wars
better due to the fact that he is writing about warfare that he was alive for. Thucydides conveniently
opens up his book by explaining his methodology. The Athenian tells the readers that his motivation
for writing the book was ignited by a sense that the war fought between Athens and Sparta would be
important (Thuc. 1.1). The reader should be aware of the biases that Thucydides includes in his
writing, due to the fact that he is an Athenian writing about an Athenian war. Thucydides portrays
Greece as the most important

Thucydides' Historical Technique Essay
Thucydides' Historical Technique
Thucydides has often been described as one of the fathers of history, and possibly the first historian
that can be used with any real historical accuracy. His objectivity and lack of digressive storytelling
mark him out from previous historians such as Herodotus, and Thucydides began a new era of
historical writing. Although named the father of history, Herodotus wrote in a literary style, rather
than the accurate telling of the facts and objective analysis that Thucydides offers us in his History
of the Peloponnesian War. Herodotus tended to digress with irrelevant storytelling, whereas
Thucydides abandoned this technique, and adopted a method that greatly ... Show more content on
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His exile may also have been a blessing in disguise, for it allowed him to become somewhat
detached from the Athenian side, and allowed him to write a more useful and balanced history. I
think that this can be seen when he is describing the opening stages of the war. Corinth and Corcyra
are the two countries who appear to spark off the war. Once war broke out, Corinth became allied
with Sparta, and Corcyra became an ally of Athens following a debate over Corcyra[3]. As well as
being an Athenian Thucydides clearly sees Corcyra as being the aggressor, and describes the way
that Corcyra disrespected its mother city–state. (Apparently, Corcyra did not give Corinth the usual
respect and rights due to a founding city, and in fact Corcyra claimed that it was superior to Corinth
in a number of ways.)
"â€¦and at the same time they [the Corinthians] hated the Corcyraeans because they failed to show to
Corinth the respect due from a colony to the mother city."
Thucydides shows from the opening lines of his history that it was his vocation to records the
events, and therefore remained unbiased by events throughout the war, and concentrates rather on
recording the events, and including some of his own analysis.
Thucydides later became a general for the Athenians, and was unfortunate to be

Herodotus And Thucydides Use Of Greek Gods And Goddesses
1. Although Herodotus and Thucydides did not use poetry in their writing, they still found other
ways to engage their audiences. Breisach stated that Herodotus engaged his audience by, "relying on
human curiosity and on the internal tensions of stories." (17) On the other hand, Breisach declares
that Thucydides engaged his audience by, "searching for the essence of history" and "finding
history's stylistic counterpart in a sparse." (17)
2. People might deem Thucydides' history to be elitist history due to him unknowingly limiting it to
only the elite part of the public. According to Breisach,"Thucydides' "new" history, precious to those
who searched for sophisticated and complex answers, became slowly separated from the
consciousness of the broad masses." (18) ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The role of Greek gods and goddesses decreases importance from Homer through to Thucydides.
Breisach proclaimed that Homer believed gods and goddesses "participated lustily in the affairs of
mortals", (14) which means he believed they were very important and apparent in human life.
Herodotus believed gods and goddesses influenced human life also, although not as strongly as
Homer did. Breisach stated, "Herodotus spoke of the still important intervention of gods and
goddesses on fewer occasions and in subtler ways." (14) Opposite of Homer and Herodotus' beliefs,
Thucydides did not believe gods and goddesses directly influenced human life. Breisach declared
that Thucydides believed "the gods never directly influenced the course of human events."

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