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Thucydides The Peloponnesian War

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Public versus Private, and the impact to the war Thucydides, the author of The Peloponnesian War, differentiates itself from any of the former literature to not give heroic contents, but to analyze the content of the war between the Hellas. One of the greatest morale that he gives through the analysis is the separation of the public and private interests during a political project: in order to achieve the good of the city, the priorities must be set on the what is best for the many, rather than on private interests that benefits only a few, such as, but not limited to, preeminence, popularity, vengeance, and greed. The separation of public matters and private matters are exemplified by Pericles, who led the earlier part of the war, and destroyed …show more content…

All of those advices taken together, he suggests to put great emphasis on the strong spots of the city, rather than the weak spots, in order to maximize the efficiency during the biggest war Athenians are to go through. In order to follow his principles, he sometimes compromise democracy, shown in the inaction to call neither an assembly nor military discussions during the first invasion by the Spartans (Thuc., 2.22). Through such inaction, however, he prohibits the passion and emotions to take over. Through sticking to his principles, Pericles stopped the private interest from allowing the citizens and ancestors of the city to lose everything they built as a …show more content…

Alcibiades is restrained from participating in the Sicilian conquest from the beginning (6.89), and exiles to Sparta. He furiously expresses his desire to take revenge against the Athenians because the people unjustly treated him (Thuc., 6.92). He leaks any available information to the Spartans, in exchange of his personal interest of making the city suffer (fury; Thuc., 6.89-92)). He made his passion to overtake him, since passions of his enemies mistreated him. Spartans, despite not fully believing Alcibiades, take the opportunity to significantly weaken the

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Interestingly, this war against Sparta, also known as the First Peloponnesian War, was due to the Athenians trying to unify all of Greece under a democracy. Pericles informs the people that they deomcratically voted to go war under his leadership and that if they keep fighting and directing rage to him and each other, that they would be their own undoing. He unifies the people to remember who their real enemy is and that they must all stay strong together and help each other stay

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Pericles, who was Greek, can be biased in his statement because as a leader, he needs to win the people’s support. Therefore, he can only say the glories of Athens. Document 5 supports Document 4’s statement. Document 5 talks about the details of the Athenian government. It tells the reader “No one remained in power long enough to entrench himself”

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The historian Thucydides described himself as a wealthy Athenian general whose exile to the Peloponnese allowed him to personally observe, from both the sides of the conflict, a comprehensive account of the Peloponnesian War. Book 1 in Thucydides’ “History of the Peloponnesian War” is dedicated to explaining over fifty years of the events and proceedings that led to the abandonment of the Thirty Year’s Peace and subsequent war. In Book 1 he identifies four main incidents, which I shall refer to as ‘grievances’, regarding the conduct of Athens towards both their Delian members and the Peloponnesian allies. Yet he also mentions what he deems to be a more ‘real’ truth than these four grievances that led to Sparta and the Peloponnese going to

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His statements were backed up with proof and he added pathos in his statements to also find the empathy in the audience. While those which were against the Periclean Building Program backed up their arguments that Pericles was keeping the money for himself with facts. Overall the debate groups used logical facts and organization of their speeches to defend their arguments which causes the audience to trust the

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It is only after he states all this that he offers any comfort to the mourning, telling them that the fallen warriors are heroes and “for heroes have the whole earth for their tomb” (Book 2 Funeral Oration of Pericles 34). Likewise, in “The Melian Conference” the Athenians attempt to use rhetoric - not as graceful as Pericles’ but still rhetoric - in order to persuade the people of Melos to join their empire. Throughout the conference, the Athenian asserts their advantage in power in an attempt to have the Melian forget about what is just or right (Book 5 The Melian Conference 87). The Athenian tells the Melian that it would not be “dishonourable to submit to the greatest city” and that they would be given the opportunity to enjoy their land (Book 5 The Melian Conference 111).

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Pericles was the continuation of Cleisthenes. Pericles was during the Golden Age. He wanted to continue where Cleisthenes left of with Greek Democracy. Pericles was a statesman and was damn good at his job to. He had outspoken all of his rivals and became very popular.

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Intro Pericles meaning ‘Surrounded by Glory’, was an influential member and a credit to the society that he lived in during the classical period within ancient Athens. Pericles affected his society in a number of ways, politically, socially and economically. Pericles’ actions and motives were also shaped by the society that he lived in as Athens at the time of Pericles was a place of “aggressive, self-assertive competition” where “Greeks made a clear distinction between friends and enemies”. Pericles’ impact on his society can be seen through works and moments such as the pantheon and the democratic reforms of Athens.. Paragraph 1 (How did the individual's actions shape their society?)

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Pericles the powerful, was the best leader of Athens. He was a mighty general, a brilliant orator, a good politician, and he was a patron of the arts. Under his great leadership came Athens golden age. Pericles is often credited for transforming the allied city-states into the Athenian empire, which there is some truth to. His military conquests include a successful military campaign in 454, which created many Athenian colonies in Thrace, and on the Black Sea coast.

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Regardless of the exclusivity of ancient Athenian democracy (excluding women and those of non-Hellenic descent), Pericles’ influence and actions of his time laid the

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Pericles argues that Athens has become a model for others, and articulates what it is to be a good citizen. This can be seen when he says, “although the eyes of an enemy may occasionally profit by our liberality; trusting less in system and policy than to the native spirit of our citizens; while in education, where our rivals from their very cradles by a painful discipline seek after manliness, at Athens we live exactly as we please, and yet are just as ready to encounter every legitimate danger.” (Thucydides, 2.39) It proves that Ancient Athens’ valued greatness and worked in order to achieve the excellence of the state, by focusing on rebuilding themselves back up after the Persian war. Pericles played a big role in this because he showed his ambitions to rebuild Athens, which lead to the thriving of other subjects such as literature, philosophy, science, art, and religion.

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In Athens a war is about to start against the Spartans. And pericles made the decision to take action against them. Pericles recently said to the Athenian people that “if we go to war, as I think we must, be determined that we are not going to climb down, for it is from the greatest dangers that the greatest glories are to be won. “, which in his words meant that they should win because of the planning. Athenian’s are expected to abandon the surrounding land and move to the city walls.

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 Pericles was respected and liked in Athenian society, and Socrates was neither respected nor liked. Socrates questioned everything about the way people lived their lives and their beliefs. Pericles believed that Athens was the best and the way that they lived was the right way and there should be no other way of life. With the way that Pericles and Socrates lived they would clearly have different views of life. Pericles believed that Athens was superior to any other Greek city- state.

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While some, like Plato in his The Republic, thought it weak to give government into the hands of the common people, Pericles countered this argument with a compelling argument of greatness. By putting government into the hands of the people, the people are united and more devoted to their country. Democracy bonds the people together in a way that no other government can understand. Pericles confidently states, “Athenians advance unsupported into the territory of a neighbor, and fighting upon a foreign soil usually vanquish with ease men who are defending their homes.”

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