Peloponnesian War: Thucydides vs Herodotus
Peloponnesian War by Thucydides
Thucydides wrote the history of the Peloponnesian War, a profound shock for the Greeks. Greece was inhabited by stable clusters of villages without a modern state, sharing only a common language. They lacked wealth and cultivated land, with insecure trade and communication. Each tribe worked its land for sustenance, not accumulating riches or planting extensively.
The Spartans claimed the war’s cause was the breaking of the Euboea covenant, but it was actually their fear of Athens’ stronger fleet, money, and allies. Thucydides states the real cause was Athens’ growth and Spartan envy.
Herodotus’ Histories
Herodotus wrote to prevent the great deeds of Greeks and barbarians from being forgotten, especially to understand the causes of wars. He blends history and myth, mentioning Medea and Troy. Croesus, son of Alyattes, made some Greeks pay taxes while befriending others, including the Lacedaemonians (Spartans). He subjected the Ionians (intellectuals of Asia Minor’s coast). Important Persian kings include Cyrus, Cambyses II, Darius I, Xerxes I, and Artaxerxes I. Before Croesus, all Greeks were independent.
Herodotus was the first to use prose, starting a new literary genre. His Logos is pedestrian, inspired by human affairs, not muses. He covers the Medical War, Marathon (490 BC), Salamis (480 BC), and Thermopylae (lost). The primary motivation is revenge, though war causes are complex. He blends divine and human elements, questioning the gods and seeking scientific explanations.
Herodotus’ Style
- Ionian variety, simple style without rhetorical devices.
- Simple vocabulary.
- Introduces speeches for vividness.
Thucydides: Life and Work
Thucydides’ childhood coincided with Athens’ peak. His History of the Peloponnesian War is divided into eight books. He believes history is driven by intelligence, with decisions based on political, economic, and military factors, excluding religious norms. He dismisses fortune, dreams, and oracles. Intelligence rules, though actions can be driven by passion or recklessness.
He praises Pericles’ political actions, suitable for war, maintaining the Athenian empire, and seeking the city’s good. Thucydides emphasizes patriotism, justice, and the common good. His aim is to expose the truth, recounting contemporary events and critically reviewing sources.
Thucydides’ Style
- Concise and direct, focusing on ideas.
- Difficult to understand and translate due to complex participles.
- Creator of Attic prose, with traces of Ionian influence.
- Features include nominal expressions, abstract nouns, and accumulation of participles.