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Why did Thucydides write his history?

Why did Thucydides write his history?

In the first sentence of his History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides wrote that he began writing about the war because he believed “it would be a great war, and more worthy of relation than any other that had preceded it.” He went on to identify what he believed to be the “real cause” of the war.

What are Thucydides accomplishments?

Thucydides Significant Accomplishments Wrote History of the Peloponnesian War which documents the war between Athens and Sparta in the 5th century BCE as he personally lived through it. Was elected a strategos – military general – and given command of seven ships to defend Amphipolis.

Is Thucydides a famous historian?

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.

What is Thucydides theory?

The term is based on a quote by ancient Athenian historian and military general Thucydides, which posited that the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta had been inevitable because of Spartan fears of the growth of Athenian power. …

Where was Thucydides?

Alimos, Greece
Thucydides/Place of birth

What did Thucydides think was the reason for war between Athens and Sparta?

According to Thucydides, the growth of Athens’s ‘power and the alarm which this inspired in Lacedaemon (Sparta) made war inevitable.” Thucydides believed that the Peloponnesian War was inevitable because when a rising power confronted another power, they would inevitably wage war against each other to further or …

Who was Thucydides for kids?

From Academic Kids Thucydides (between 460 and 455 BC–circa 400 BC) was an ancient Greek historian, and the author of the History of the Peloponnesian War, which recounts the 5th century BC war between Sparta and Athens. This work is widely regarded a classic, and represents the first work of its kind.

Where is Thucydides from?

Which characteristics describe Thucydides?

Besides the political causes of the war, Thucydides was interested in and emphasized the conflict between two types of character: the ever-active, innovating, revolutionary, disturbing Athenians and the slower-moving, more cautious Peloponnesians, especially the Spartans, “not excited by success nor despairing in …

Does Thucydides believe in democracy?

He did not approve of the democratic commoners nor of the radical democracy that Pericles ushered in, but considered democracy acceptable when guided by a good leader. Thucydides’ presentation of events is generally even-handed; for example, he does not minimize the negative effect of his own failure at Amphipolis.

When was Thucydides a general?

460 – c. 400 BC) was 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
Occupation Historian, general
Notable work History of the Peloponnesian War
Relatives Oloros (father)

What role did geography play in the development of Athens as a dominant power?

What role did geography play in the development of Athens as a dominant power among the city-states of ancient Greece? The mountainous terrain helped the Athenians defend their city from foreign invasion. Its location along the Mediterranean Sea helped Athens develop a prosperous economy based on agriculture.