?In Thucydides’, The History of The Peloponnesian War, there are many themes that are illustrated throughout various passages. One major theme can be found in book 2, chapter 53, where Thucydides describes the situation in Athens after it had been stricken with plague during the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides uses his account of the plague to suggest that war is a violent teacher. Among other passages in his work he also suggests that in war, no matter how wealthy and prepared the participants may be there is always the chance for the unforeseen, such as, the teaching and breeding of violence.
In chapter 53 of book 2, Thucydides describes the surrounding circumstances of a plague that had struck Athens during the Peloponnesian War. The situation he presents is of utter despair and chaos. People began to become completely careless of everything because death was rampant throughout their lands (2. 52. 2).
Sacred temples were desecrated with dead bodies and traditional burial rites were abandoned due to the excess of corpses (2. 52. 3).
Believing that their lives would not last long, people began to openly engage in activities that were previously kept hidden and quick and easy satisfactions became the only thing that people sought after (2. 53).
According to Thucydides, honor had lost all meaning and fear of god or any man was no longer a restraint (2. 53. 2).
This is clearly indicative of the idea that war is a violent teacher. In other words, the plague that was brought on during the Peloponnesian War had reduced the Athenians to sheer necessity and as a result, people began to act on baser impulses.
The Essay on United States War Country People
Snap! In an instant a disagreement has gotten out of hand. In one second beliefs have clashed. In a flash an argument has boiled over... In a single moment, your country has gone to war. Since the dawn of man there have been wars. There has been condescension, discontent, and greed. Since the beginning of time there have been instances of "good versus evil." War takes lives. It kills fathers and ...
This is not the only instance in which the idea of war teaching violence is displayed. In book 3, chapters 81-83, Thucydides writes of a revolt that took place in Corcyra, an ally of Athens. There was a vicious struggle between the commons and oligarchs. The commons were the allies of Athens and the Oligarchs were supporters of Sparta. He goes on to describe how Corcyra was amidst turmoil as the Corcyraean people were engaged in killing their fellow citizens (3. 81. 4).
He continues by saying that death was raging on in every shape and that the opinions and meanings of words were beginning to change (3.
81. 5; 3. 82. 4).
He explains that words had to change their meaning because what was once considered rash and extreme was now the norm (3. 82. 4).
As an example, he states that recklessness began to be thought of as courageous and cautious planning to be cowardly (3. 82. 4).
This another clear example of how Thucydides suggests that war is a violent teacher, being that, the Peloponnesian War has caused the state of Corcyra to fall under absolute disorder, as fellow citizens were now butchering each other.
It is also important to keep in mind how this theme is related to the work as a whole. In Book 1 Thucydides displays the theme of wealth and preparedness. He emphasizes the importance of wealth in chapter 11 of Book 1 when he states that the reason the Trojan War had taken so long was due to the scarcity of wealth. Additionally, in the latter part of Book 1 he clearly illustrates how important these notions are to the Athenians and Spartans with speeches from both of them accordingly.
In a speech delivered to the Spartans by Athenian delegates, the Athenians urge the Spartans not to take the wrong course of action by hastily yielding to the desires of their allies, who wanted to declare war (1. 73. 1).
They also ask that the Spartans take time in making their decision and to consider the influence of accident in war (1. 78. 1).
The king of Sparta, Archidamus, gives a similar speech to the Spartans warning them not to undertake war without preparation (1. 84. 1).
The Essay on Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War was a very old Greek military war which lasted from 431-404 B. C. , fought by the Athens and its kingdom in opposition to the Peloponnesian League, directed by Sparta. Historians have usually divided the combat into three stages, in the initial, the Archidamian War; Sparta started repeated attacks of Attica, whereas Athens took benefit of its naval superiority to invade the ...
He points out that the Athenians are at the highest level of preparation in every department, especially in wealth, which he says is most important in war (1. 83. 2).
Thucydides also suggest that although wealth and preparation are vital to winning wars, there is still a chance for the unforeseen which is brought about as a result of war. This is exemplified in a line from the speech given from the Athenian delegates to the Spartans, in which they say that as long as war continues it becomes an affair of chance from which neither side is exempt (1. 78. 2).
In chapter 18 of book 4, Thucydides writes of another speech that was given by Spartan envoys to the Athenians after the events of the Battle of Pylos, where many Spartan hoplites were taken hostage. The Spartans offer a truce to the Athenians with the idea that they were already desirous of making peace and were only held back by their allies from doing so (4. 21. 1).
The Athenians did not accept. Thucydides says that because they had the hostages they felt as if they were in a superior position, and so, they demanded that the Spartans restore many settlements that the Athenians were forced to give up (4.
21. 2-3).
These passages suggest that the Spartans had the foresight to see that because this war was so devastating to both sides, the Athenians desired peace as much as they did. The Spartans, however, were met with the unforeseen when the Athenians refused the truce without the acceptance of their terms. As a result, the war was prolonged which left open the chances for unforeseen consequences, such as, the teaching and instillation of violence among the people.
Thucydides explores many themes within his work, The History Of the Peloponnesian War. A prominent theme can be found in book 2 chapter 53, in which, Thucydides describes Athens after it had been hit with a devastating plague. He uses this plague as a means to suggest that war teaches violence. Other themes that can be found within this work are those of wealth, preparedness and the idea that the chances for the unforeseen, like war teaching violence, is prolonged as long as war continues.
The Term Paper on Peloponnesian War 2
Nearly during fifty years that preceded Peloponnesian War, the Greek history was characterized by development of the city of Athens as the main power in the Mediterranean world. The ancient Greece is a term used to describe the Greek speaking world in the ancient times which included the Hellenic culture that were settled in Greek during the ancient times. The ancient times in Greece was ...
