Thucydides
Early Life and Education
Thucydides was born in the Athenian suburb of Halimous around 460 BC, the son of Olorus, a man of Thracian royal lineage. Thucydides' family had considerable wealth and influence in Athens, which allowed him to receive a comprehensive education. His early education likely included the study of rhetoric, philosophy, and military strategy, all of which would later influence his historical writings.
Military Career
Thucydides had a brief military career. In 424 BC, he was elected as one of the strategoi, or military generals, of Athens. He was given command of a fleet and was stationed in Thasos, a strategic location in the north Aegean. However, his military career ended abruptly when he failed to prevent the capture of the city of Amphipolis by the Spartan general Brasidas. As a result of this failure, Thucydides was exiled from Athens.
Historical Writings
During his exile, Thucydides began writing his history of the Peloponnesian War, a conflict between Athens and Sparta that lasted from 431 to 404 BC. His work, known simply as "The History," is considered one of the earliest scholarly works of history. Thucydides is often credited with being one of the first historians to use a strict standard of evidence-gathering and analysis of cause and effect.
Thucydides' history is divided into eight books. It begins with a review of early Greek history and an analysis of the political and cultural differences between Athens and Sparta, which he saw as the root causes of the war. He then chronicles the course of the war, year by year, until 411 BC. The work is unfinished, ending abruptly in the middle of a sentence.
Thucydides' historical methodology was strict and rigorous. He relied on eyewitness accounts and documents, and he was careful to separate fact from rumor. He also sought to understand the underlying causes of events, rather than attributing them to the will of the gods, as was common in Greek thought at the time.
Death and Legacy
The circumstances of Thucydides' death are unclear. It is generally believed that he died around 400 BC, possibly while working on his history. His work was continued by other historians, notably Xenophon, who wrote "Hellenica," which picks up where Thucydides left off.
Thucydides' historical writings have had a lasting impact on the field of history. His rigorous methodology and his focus on political and military history set a standard for historical scholarship. His work is still studied in military academies for its detailed analysis of military strategy.
See Also
- Herodotus - Another ancient Greek historian.
- Sparta - The city-state that was Athens' main rival in the Peloponnesian War.
- Athenian Democracy - The political system in Athens during the time of Thucydides.