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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?