Thucydides

Date of Birth: 460 BCE

Zodiac Sign: Unknown

Date of Death: 404 BCE

Biography

Thucydides was an ancient Greek historian and author, most renowned for his work, “History of the Peloponnesian War,” which chronicles the conflict between Athens and Sparta in the 5th century BCE. Born in the Athenian deme of Halimous, Thucydides came from a wealthy family with Thracian connections through his mother. He was deeply influenced by the intellectual environment of Athens and was a contemporary of Socrates, Sophocles, and Pericles. Thucydides’ historical methodology was groundbreaking. He emphasized strict standards of evidence-gathering and analysis of cause and effect without reference to the intervention of the gods, setting a precedent for future historiography. His work is considered one of the great classics of ancient Greece and remains a primary source for the study of ancient history. During the war, Thucydides served as a general but was exiled after failing to prevent the capture of Amphipolis by the Spartans. This exile gave him the opportunity to travel and gather information from both sides of the conflict, lending a unique and balanced perspective to his historical account. Despite his significant contributions to history, details about Thucydides’ later life and death remain elusive.

5 Interesting Facts about Thucydides

1. Thucydides is often considered the father of “scientific history” due to his rigorous standards of evidence-gathering and analysis.

2. He is known for his impartial and objective approach, focusing on human actions and political events rather than attributing occurrences to divine intervention.

3. Thucydides was exiled for 20 years after failing to defend Amphipolis during the Peloponnesian War.

4. His work, “History of the Peloponnesian War,” remained incomplete; it ends abruptly in the middle of the year 411 BCE.

5. Thucydides’ writing style is characterized by its complexity and dense prose, which has been both praised and critiqued by scholars.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Thucydides

1. “The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.”

2. “History is philosophy teaching by examples.”

3. “Ignorance is bold and knowledge reserved.”

4. “Wars spring from unseen and generally insignificant causes, the first outbreak being often but an explosion of anger.”

5. “Self-control is the chief element in self-respect, and respect of self, in turn, is the chief element in courage.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Thucydides’ net worth is not applicable in the modern sense, as he lived in ancient Greece where wealth was not measured in contemporary financial terms. However, he came from a wealthy family, which afforded him the education and resources to pursue his historical work.