Thucydides and the Perfection of Historical Writing

 

Thucydides (460-400 BCE) was the greatest historian of ancient Greece. He was an Athenian and served as a general during the Peloponnesian War, a conflict between Athens and Sparta that lasted for about thirty years. After his failure as a general, Thucydides was exiled and spent several years in exile. His work reflects his rich experience in a variety of ways.

History of the Peloponnesian War

Thucydides was the author of the History of the Peloponnesian War, which records the struggle between Athens and Sparta in the 5th century BC. His work was the first recorded political and moral analysis of a nation’s war policies. The book was later divided into eight books according to the narration of the events.

Sources and Method

Thucydides used oral evidence, visual testimony, archaeological or material remains, inscriptions, and earlier accounts by Herodotus and Homer as his sources. Apart from these, he used speeches of his contemporaries like the originals in his work. Further, as a military general, he was able to collect all the primary military documents. This helped him to write an authentic history of the war.

Thucydides confined himself to relating events that he was able to observe from beginning to end during his lifetime. He used critical analysis of the sources to separate truth from fiction. He claims that he has achieved such accuracy because he includes facts ‘only after investigating with the greatest possible accuracy each detail’. He also framed his conclusions after analysing the events. He denied rumours, traditions, and myths in his accounts. He even tried to make certain generalisations. He avoided the storytelling method of Herodotus.

Merits of his work

ü  Thucydides used an analytical method to reach possible objectivity.

ü  He kept a strict chronological scheme and tried to present a truthful description.

ü  Thucydides gives priority to primary documents and frames possible conclusions and generalisations.

ü  Thucydides was not only concerned with individuals but also with the actions, sufferings, and the characters of states.

ü He also studied the technical aspects of war. He detailed the strategies of war, the equipment, and naval warfare.

Conclusion

Thucydides brought history to its full perfection. He pioneered the scientific method in historical writing with the strict evaluation of sources. R.G. Collingwood considered him the “Father of scientific history”. It can be said that Thucydides with Herodotus founded the writing of history.