Thucydides Influence On Athenian Democracy

How does fear influence a person’s individual actions and decisions? In most cases, extreme fear makes people act in an emotional way, whether that be good or bad. Thucydides takes this human nature characteristic one step further and argues that humans act out of self-interest. This human nature plays an imperative role in the function of a Democracy. The unique aspect of democracy is that power lies with the people. How people, as individuals and as a whole, react to fear and respond to threats in a time of crisis is the ultimate defining factor of a successful democracy. Through Thucydides depiction of human nature, he portrays that humans are confounded under fearful situations, and therefore fear causes the dissent of Athenian democracy.

Nicias was not fit to be a leader, since as soon as things were not in his favor he was filled with fear. He feared the Athenians and also Syracuse. Nicias “fearing that the Athenians would not believe a messenger, he sent the bad news to Athens in the form if a letter… at the end of the letter he asked to be relieved of the command” (130). Nicias is described in this passage as fearing; he even feared his own country for whom he is fighting for in the war. He was so filled with fear that he wished to no longer take part in the war so no blame could be put on him for any future losses. Nicias’ first battle against the Syracusans was successful, however this quickly reversed. “The fear Nicias inspired on his first arrival had turned to contempt when, instead of attacking Syracuse at once he had spent the winter at Catana (131). Nicias did not want to fight in fear of loss, so he delays. Although Nicias was feared during his arrival at Syracuse, he is now despised by the Syracusans. The fear Nicias instilled would only trigger panic within the Syracusans if he attacked at once, since he delayed the fear dissolved and was replaced with