Neil LaBute
American writer and director
Thucydides
5th-century BC Athenian historian and general
Thucydides was an Athenian historian and general who wrote about the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens. He is considered the father of ‘scientific history’ and political realism, with his work still studied today for its insights into human nature and international relations.
Table of Contents
About the Thucydides
Thucydideswas 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. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of “scientific history” by those who accept his claims to have applied strict standards of impartiality and evidence-gathering and analysis of cause and effect, without reference to intervention by the gods, as outlined in his introduction to his work.
Thucydides has been called the father of the school of political realism, which views the political behavior of individuals and the subsequent outcomes of relations between states as ultimately mediated by, and constructed upon, fear and self-interest. His text is still studied at universities and military colleges worldwide. The Melian dialogue is regarded as a seminal text of international relations theory, while his version of Pericles’s Funeral Oration is widely studied by political theorists, historians, and students of the classics. More generally, Thucydides developed an understanding of human nature to explain behavior in such crises as plagues, massacres, and wars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Thucydides was an Athenian historian and general who lived in the 5th century BC. He is known for his comprehensive history of the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens.
Thucydides’ most famous work is his ‘History of the Peloponnesian War’, which recounts the war between Sparta and Athens until 411 BC.
Thucydides is considered the father of ‘scientific history’ because he applied strict standards of impartiality, evidence-gathering, and analysis of cause and effect in his writing, without reference to intervention by the gods.
Thucydides has been called the father of the school of political realism, which views political behavior and relations between states as ultimately driven by fear and self-interest.
Thucydides’ work, including the ‘Melian Dialogue’ and his version of Pericles’ Funeral Oration, is still studied at universities and military colleges worldwide for its insights into human nature, international relations, and political theory.
Thucydides developed an understanding of human nature and how it shapes behavior in crises such as plagues, massacres, and wars, which he applied in his ‘History of the Peloponnesian War’.
Thucydides’ focus on impartiality, evidence-based analysis, and the role of fear and self-interest in political behavior influenced later historians and the development of the field of political realism.
14 Quotes by Thucydides
- 1.
Justice will not come to Athens until those who are not injured are as indignant as those who are injured.
Thucydides5th-century BC Athenian historian and general
- 2.
Ignorance is bold and knowledge reserved.
Thucydides5th-century BC Athenian historian and general
- 3.
It is frequently a misfortune to have very brilliant men in charge of affairs. They expect too much of ordinary men.
Thucydides5th-century BC Athenian historian and general
- 4.
Wars spring from unseen and generally insignificant causes, the first outbreak being often but an explosion of anger.
Thucydides5th-century BC Athenian historian and general
- 5.
The secret to happiness is freedom… And the secret to freedom is courage.
Thucydides5th-century BC Athenian historian and general
- 6.
The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.
Thucydides5th-century BC Athenian historian and general
- 7.
Be convinced that to be happy means to be free and that to be free means to be brave. Therefore do not take lightly the perils of war.
Thucydides5th-century BC Athenian historian and general
- 8.
We secure our friends not by accepting favors but by doing them.
Thucydides5th-century BC Athenian historian and general
- 9.
History is Philosophy teaching by examples.
Thucydides5th-century BC Athenian historian and general
- 10.
The strong do what they have to do and the weak accept what they have to accept.
Thucydides5th-century BC Athenian historian and general
- 11.
Men naturally despise those who court them, but respect those who do not give way to them.
Thucydides5th-century BC Athenian historian and general
- 12.
Few things are brought to a successful issue by impetuous desire, but most by calm and prudent forethought.
Thucydides5th-century BC Athenian historian and general
- 13.
Men’s indignation, it seems, is more excited by legal wrong than by violent wrong; the first looks like being cheated by an equal, the second like being compelled by a superior.
Thucydides5th-century BC Athenian historian and general
- 14.
We Greeks are lovers of the beautiful, yet simple in our tastes, and we cultivate the mind without loss of manliness.
Thucydides5th-century BC Athenian historian and general