BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
THUCYDIDES, c. 460 – c. 400 B.C.
Thucydides records that he began writing his History of the Peloponnesian War “at the moment that it broke out” and that he was then “of an age to comprehend events.” From this it is inferred he was somewhere between twenty-five and forty years of age at that time, which would place his birth between 471 and 455 B.C.
His father, Olorus, was an Athenian citizen and perhaps related to the Thracian prince, Cimon, son of Miltiades. He derived considerable wealth from the possession of the gold mines on the coast opposite Thasos. Thucydides by birth thus enjoyed two homes, one in Athens and the other in Thrace, and a position in society which gave him access to the leading figures of his time.
It is uncertain how much of his youth was passed in Athens, but, according to the ancient biographers, he studied philosophy with Anaxagoras and rhetoric with Antiphon, the oligarch famous for his oratory, whom Thucydides praised as “one of the best men of his day in Athens.” During his youth Athenian power was at its height, and he was presumably a member of the brilliant circle about Pericles.
Thucydides was in Athens when the Peloponnesian war broke out in 431 B.C. and also the following year during the great plague, when, as he records, “I had the disease myself and watched its operation in the case of others.” The turning-point in his career came six years later, in 424. He had attained a position of sufficient importance to have been appointed one of the two generals assigned to guard the Athenian interests in “the regions towards Thrace.” His colleague, Eucles, commanded the land forces while he had charge of the navy. The town of Amphipolis was the Athenian stronghold in that region, and to guard it was then a matter of particular urgency since the ablest of the Spartan leaders, Brasidas, was then making rapid gains in the vicinity. Thucydides with the seven ships under his command was anchored at the isle of Thasos, half a day’s sail away. He records that “Brasidas, afraid of help arriving by sea from Thasos, and learning that Thucydides possessed the right of working the gold mines in that part of Thrace, and had thus great influence with the inhabitants of the continent, hastened to gain the town.” By the offer of generous terms and the aid of the disaffected part of the population, he succeeded in his object before Thucydides could bring relief. “The news that Amphipolis was in the hands of the enemy caused great alarm at Athens,” and Thucydides for his share in the disaster was relieved of his command and exiled.
His exile from Athens lasted for twenty years and is supposed to have been passed for the most part at his property in Thrace. He probably took advantage of his position as an Athenian exile to visit the countries of the Peloponnesian allies, including Sparta and perhaps Sicily. The main purpose of such travels was undoubtedly to gather material for his History, for, as he noted, “being present with both parties, and more especially with the Peloponnesians by reason of my exile, I had leisure to observe affairs somewhat particularly.”
His own words make it clear that he returned to Athens, at least for a time, in 404. The general amnesty of that year would have made it possible if he had not already received a special pardon, as is sometimes claimed. According to ancient testimony, he soon afterwards met his death at the hands of an assassin. Plutarch declares that he was killed at his home in Thrace and buried at Athens in the vault of Cimon’s family.
Contents - The Peloponnesian War
THE FIRST BOOK
- I. The State of Greece from the earliest Times to the Commencement of the Peloponnesian War — 349
- II. Causes of the War. The Affair of Epidamnus. The Affair of Potidaea — 355
- III. Congress of the Peloponnesian Confederacy at Lacedaemon — 365
- IV. From the End of the Persian to the beginning of the Peloponnesian War. The Progress from Supremacy to Empire — 371
- V. Second Congress at Lacedaemon. Preparations for War and Diplomatic Skirmishes. Cylon. Pausanias. Themistocles — 378
THE SECOND BOOK
- VI. Beginning of the Peloponnesian War. First Invasion of Attica. Funeral Oration of Pericles — 387
- VII. Second Year of the War. The Plague of Athens. Position and Policy of Pericles. Fall of Potidaea — 399
- VIII. Third Year of the War. Investment of Plataea. Naval Victories of Phormio. Thracian Irruption into Macedonia under Sitalces — 406
THE THIRD BOOK
- IX. Fourth and Fifth Years of the War. Revolt of Mitylene — 417
- X. Fifth Year of the War. Trial and Execution of the Plataeans. Corcyraean Revolution — 429
- XI. Sixth Year of the War. Campaigns of Demosthenes in Western Greece. Ruin of Ambracia — 438
THE FOURTH BOOK
- XII. Seventh Year of the War. Occupation of Pylos. Surrender of the Spartan Army in Sphacteria — 447
- XIII. Seventh and Eighth Years of the War. End of Corcyraean Revolution. Peace of Gela. Capture of Nisaea — 457
- XIV. Eighth and Ninth Years of the War. Invasion of Boeotia. Fall of Amphipolis. Brilliant Successes of Brasidas — 465
THE FIFTH BOOK
- XV. Tenth Year of the War. Death of Cleon and Brasidas. Peace of Nicias — 482
- XVI. Feeling against Sparta in Peloponnese. League of the Mantineans, Eleans, Argives, and Athenians. Battle of Mantinea and breaking up of the League — 488
- XVII. Sixteenth Year of the War. The Melian Conference. Fate of Melos — 504
THE SIXTH BOOK
- XVIII. Seventeenth Year of the War. The Sicilian Campaign. Affair of the Hermae. Departure of the Expedition — 509
- XIX. Seventeenth Year of the War. Parties at Syracuse. Story of Harmodius and Aristogiton. Disgrace of Alcibiades — 518
- XX. Seventeenth and Eighteenth Years of the War. Inaction of the Athenian Army. Alcibiades at Sparta. Investment of Syracuse — 525
THE SEVENTH BOOK
- XXI. Eighteenth and Nineteenth Years of the War. Arrival of Gylippus at Syracuse. Fortification of Decelea. Successes of the Syracusans — 538
- XXII. Nineteenth Year of the War. Arrival of Demosthenes. Defeat of the Athenians at Epipolae. Folly and Obstinacy of Nicias — 549
- XXIII. Nineteenth Year of the War. Battles in the Great Harbour. Retreat and Annihilation of the Athenian Army — 552
THE EIGHTH BOOK
- XXIV. Nineteenth and Twentieth Years of the War. Revolt of Ionia. Intervention of Persia. The War in Ionia — 564
- XXV. Twentieth and Twenty-first Years of the War. Intrigues of Alcibiades. Withdrawal of the Persian Subsidies. Oligarchical Coup d’Etat at Athens. Patriotism of the Army at Samos — 574
- XXVI. Twenty-first Year of the War. Recall of Alcibiades to Samos. Revolt of Euboea and Downfall of the Four Hundred. Battle of Cynossema — 584