Thucydides vs Plato Thucydides and Plato had contrasting ways in their approach on the good life. Thucydides displays empirical thinking in his studies of human nature and behavior during the Peloponnesian War and Plato displays normative thinking in his books and dialogs in particular "The Republic" Plato views a good life on the ideals that a person has reached happiness. When a person is in a state where they have no desires because they have all love in their life. He believed this
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paper is to tell about one of the greatest ancient historians Thucydides‚ his ideas and to compare his point of view with other great philosophers and writers. Thucydides famous by his work ‘The war of the Peloponnesians and the Athenians’. He is the first western historians who strictly chronicled nearly 30 years of war between Athens and Sparta. The Peloponnesian War‚ one the largest conflicts in the Greek City State era. When Thucydides wrote about the war between Athens and Sparta he says: “beginning
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Herodotus and Tacitus‚ great writers of their time‚ reflect on their thoughts about their own civilizations and what views they had on the civilizations of their enemies at the time of their writings. While these men lived almost 500 years apart‚ and in different parts of the world‚ their writings both seem to express both displeasure and acceptance of other civilizations customs and ways of life. Herodotus‚ a Greek‚ focused his writings the Persians‚ the Greek enemy at the time. Since Herodotus
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kings and famous personalities. It is instead the investigation of the past intended in ample sense; and it comprehends the study of culture‚ thoughts‚ habits‚ political institutions and many other aspects of society. This concept was very clear to Herodotus and Voltaire‚ two historians that‚ although lived a totally different period and contest‚ share some affinities in the way in which they write about the past. They both were interested in the cultural history‚ in the usefulness of history in the
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Throughout the Histories Herodotus chronicles many stories taking place over eighty years. The climaxes of the Histories are the great wars between the Greeks and the Persians. With that in mind it seems reasonable that Herodotus serves as a spectacular source for military matters of the ancients. Truly it is a great source‚ historians can learn about ancient armies building bridges to move their forces across bodies of water and Herodotus tells his readers that barbarians use short spears and wear
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The historic account by Herodotus covered the plan of Xerxes‚ how he expressed his plan‚ how his people reacted to his plan‚ and the battle itself. Xerxes gathered his nobles together and outlined the plan that he had for attacking the Spartans as a way to get revenge on them for the wicket things that they had done‚ something that Darius was not able to do during his lifetime. Although‚ in the end‚ the Persians won‚ it was not a victory of which they should have been proud. This is evident by the
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PERICLES’ FUNERAL ORATION PERICLES’ FUNERAL ORATION THUCYDIDES (c. 470–c. 400 BC) During a twenty-year exile from Athens which he incurred as the leader of a failed military campaign in 423‚ ucydides spent his time writing a history of the Peloponnesian War. In the first book of his History‚ he tells us about his method and purpose: Of the events of the war I have not ventured to speak from any chance information‚ nor according to any notion of my own; I have described nothing but what I either
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rise to the throne but the most important came from both Darius and Herodotus. Both accounts state he killed Smerdis‚ son of Cyrus‚ and claimed the throne with assistance of 6 other nobles. Darius claimed in his Behistun inscription that the supposed Smerdis was actually an impersonator called Gaumata‚ a Magian. Darius therefore stated that he was restoring the kingship to the rightful Achaemenid house. However‚ according to Herodotus‚ Smerdis was actually the legitimate king and it is undoubtedly certain
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Herodotus: The Father of History Many students today propose the question‚ "why do we study history‚ what does it have to do with us?" This question is not a new idea; in fact‚ the Greeks didn’t concern themselves with true scientific history until after 500 B.C. Up until this point the Greeks focused mainly on myths and legends that explained how to please their many gods. It wasn’t until the time of Herodotus that any emphasis was placed on recording a true account of the past. In Herodotus’ writings
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Thucydides’ History Of the Peloponnesian War: Pericles’ Advice Athens and Sparta fought for supreme control of Greece for 27 years. The Peloponnesian War is the name given to this conflict between these two powers. Pericles‚ a prominent Athenian politician and leader‚ offered wise advice to the Athenians at the start of the war on how to manage the war while fighting Sparta. He said: “[Don’t] add to the empire while the war is in progress … [or] go out of your way to involve yourselves in
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