Thucydides,HistoryofthePeloponnesianwar

SandrineBertauxAssistantProfessorofHumanities

ThePeloponnesianWar431-404

430

Pericles’funeralOration

411

ThucydidesendshisHistoryoftheP.WarLysistrataisfirstperformedinAthens

OutlineoftheLecture1-TheRiseofthePolis,GreekColonization,andAthenianDemocracy2-GreekHistoriography:Twowars,twohistorians,one“fatherofhistory”?3-ADemocracyatWar:Pericles’FuneralOration

u ArchaicPeriod(750-500BCE)Homer,Hesiod,SapphoRiseofthecity-state(polis)u ClassicalPeriod(500-336BCE)5thcenturyBCE:GoldenAgeofAthens

Greekcolonization

TheRiseofthePolis

•  Thepolisvs.empire•  Acropolis,agora•  Polis:common;•  Citizenship:ruleoflaw,politicalparticipation,citizenship;

•  Slavery;

Sparta

Sparta

•  Helots:GreekslavesfromneighboringterritoriesinthePeloponnese;

•  Spartaneducation.

AthenianDemocracy

Equalprotectionunderthelawforallcitizensregardlessofwealth;directandwidespreadparticipation,majorityrule;randomselectionandrotationofjurors;punitiverulesagainstcorruption.Competence:tengenerals:militaryandfinancialaffairs:notbylotterybutbyelection(oneyearterm);ostracism;

DelianLeagueandPericles’Leadership(461-445)

•  478/77:DelianLeagueasopposedtothePeloponnesianleagueledbySpartaturnsAthensintoanempire;

•  AssemblyandtreasurylocatedontheislandofDelos;

•  454:PericlesmovesDelianleaguetreasurytoAthens:usedtobuildtheParthenonontheacropolis

TheParthenontoday

Athens’Empire

GoldenAgeofAthens

5thcenturyBCEGoldenAgeofAthensü PoliticalandculturalhegemonyofAthens•  ConsolidationofdemocraticruleunderPericles•  Birthofnewformsofknowledgeandnewformsofculturalexpression:

History:HerodotusandThucydidesPoliticalphilosophy:SocratesTheatre:Euripides(tragedy),Aristophanes(comedy)

WarsandBirthofHistory

499-479PersianWarsGreekcity-statesversusPersianEmpireRecountedbyHerodotusinhisHistories431-404PeloponnesianWarAthensandtheDelianLeagueversusSpartaandthePeloponnesianLeagueRecountedbyThucydidesinhisHistoryofthePeloponnesianWartill411.

BeforeHistory

•  thewordhistor,theancestorofhistorian,isfoundinTheIliad.Thehistorwasakindofjudgeorrefereeindisputesbetweentwocontendingpartiesandhewaspaidforhiswork.Unrelatedtonarrationofthepast.

•  Mythicalpast:ex.Hesiod,fiveracesofmen,asthewillofgods.

Herodotus,Histories=Inquiries

•  Historymeansinquiry:newformofknowledgeandanewliteraryprosegenre.

2wars,2historians,1“fatherofhistory”?499-479PersianWarsHerodotus,Histories

432-404PeloponnesianWarThucydides,HistoryofthePelop.War

HerodotusandThucydides

HerodotusandThucydides•  Herodotus(485-425?)-:borninHalicarnassus(modern-dayBodrum):Greekfamily,underPersianrule,travels.

•  Notadirectwitnessofthewar;collectedtestimonies

•  GreekversusBarbarians•  mythologyanddreams•  remembrance

•  Thucydides(465-399?)AnAthenian,actorinthewar:ageneralinthePeloponnesianwar•  FightamongGreekpowers

•  nogods,nomyths:directwitness

•  The“greatestwar”:remembrance

Thucydidesvs.Herodotus“Exposition”(Herodotus)vs.“writing”(Thucydides)“Itisbetterevidencethanthatofthepoets,whoexaggeratetheimportanceoftheirthemes,orofthoseoftheprosechroniclers.”(22)Writing:breakwiththerulesgoverningoral

composition:“Myworkisnotapieceofwritingdesignedtomeetthetasteofanimmediatepublic,butwasdonetolastforever.”(22)Notpleasant,no“romanticelement”,butitwilllastforeverbecauseofitstimelesstruth.

Useful;didactic

•  “…judgedusefulbythosewhowanttounderstandclearlytheeventswhichhappenedinthepastandwhich(humannaturebeingwhatitis)will,atsometimeorotherandinmuchthesameways,berepeatedinthefuture.”(22)

Thucydides:Ishistoryaboutthepast?

“Imadeitaprinciplenottowritedownthefirststorythatcamemyway,andnoteventobeguidedbymyowngeneralimpressions;eitherIwaspresentmyselfattheeventswhichIhavedescribedorelseIheardofthemfromeye-witnesseswhosereportsIhavecheckedwithasmuchthoroughnessaspossible.”(22)

ADemocracyatWar:PericlesandAthenianDemocracy

•  Democracy:thepowerofthepeople(Dêmoskratos).

“Letmesaythatoursystemofgovernmentdoesnotcopytheinstitutionsofourneighbours.Itismorethecaseofourbeingamodeltoothers,thanofourimitatinganyoneelse.”(37)“Ourconstitutioniscalledademocracybecausepowerisinthehandsnotoftheminoritybutthewholepeople”(37)

Participativeandexclusive

•  Participative(citizens):“Noone,solongashehasitinhimtobeofservicetothestate,iskeptinpoliticalobscurity.”“Wedonotsaythatamanwhotakesnointerestinpoliticsisamanwhomindshisownbusiness;wesayhehasnobusinessatall.”(40)•  andexclusive:women,foreigners,slaves.

“Fallinlove”(43)withAthens:•  Autochthony:“Inthislandofourstherehavealwaysbeenthesamepeoplelivingfromgenerationtogenerationuptillnow,andthey…havehandeditontous,afreecountry.”(36)•  …andempire:“Ourfathers…addedalltheempirewehavenow.”(36)

Athensvs.Sparta

•  Opentoforeigners(asopposedtoSparta):“Wholeassembly,citizensandforeigners…”(36)“Ourcityisopentotheworld,andwehavenoperiodicaldeportationinordertopreventpeopleobservingorfindingoursecrets…”(39)•  AthenianeducationvsSpartaneducation(39)

Pericles,Aspasiaandthe“dutiesofwomen”(46)

•  “Thegreatestgloryofawomanistobeleasttalkedaboutbymen,whethertheyarepraisingyouorcriticizingyou.”(46)

•  Pericles’reformofcitizenship(451)•  PericlesandAspasiaofMiletus.•  “manliness”(35)andPericles’militarypolicy.

Questions

•  Whatarethereasons,accordingtoPericles,oneshouldgotowarandbereadytodie?HowdoesitcompareandcontrastwithHomer’sIliad?

•  HowdoesPericlescontrastAthensandSparta?

•  Whydowomenneedtoremaininvisibleandsilent?