Phoenix Institute: Democracy, War, and Empire: Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War

(0 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War is one of the greatest historical narratives ever produced, telling the story of the epic struggle between democratic Athens and oligarchic Sparta and their allies that took place between 431 and 404 BC. But it is much more: along the way Thucydides presents deep analyses of the nature of democracy and other political regimes, the moral hazards of empire, justice among nations, and the causes of war. He penetrates to the roots of political life in human nature. His reflections are thus not only of historical interest but take us to matters of permanent relevance in human affairs. We will study the whole work in the recent edition of Robert B. Strassler, The Landmark Thucydides (The Free Press, 1998). We will also consider the reaction to cultural and moral aspects of the war as expressed in Plato's dialogue, Gorgias.