For Thucydides, history was in the most fundamental sense, a strictly human affair, capable of analysis and understanding entirely in terms of known patterns of human behaviour, without intervention of the supernatural
Every city had their own calendar. There were own 300 names for months.
Tô write a coherent history, Thucydides needed to create his own system
Even though people are apt to think that the war in which they are fighting is the greatest of all wars and, when it is over, to relapse again into their admiration of the past, nevertheless, if one looks at the facts themselves, one will see that this was the greatest war of all.
Representatives from Corcyra admit they made a mistake in not forming an alliance with Athens sooner.
Men who are capable of real action first make their plans and then go forward without hesitation while their enemies have still not made up their minds.
War gives peace its security, but one is still not safe from danger if, for the sake of quiet, one refuses to fight.
About Themistocles: it may be said that through force of genius and by rapidity of action this man was supreme at doing precisely the right thing at precisely the right moment.
In war, opportunity waits for no man
What we should lament is not the loss of houses or of land, but the loss of men’s lives. Men come first; the rest is the fruit of their labour.
From reading this, you get a sense that a lot of the world has gone backwards in complexity, virtue, quality.
What I fear is not the enemy’s strategy, but our own mistakes.
Crazy that the world was so small that Socrates could be fighting in the war and get a mention.
The geography is so complicated, I feel like this is necessary watching.
Those who died at Marathon, who, because their achievement was considered absolutely outstanding, were buried on the battlefield itself.
These men have shown themselves valiant in action, and it would be enough, I think, for their glories to be proclaimed in action, as you have just seen it done at this funeral organized by the state.
Praise of other people is tolerable only up to a certain point, the point where one still believes that one could do oneself some of the things one is hearing about. Once you get beyond this point, you will find people becoming jealous and incredulous.
Our constitution is called a democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people.
Our love of what is beautiful does not lead to extravagance; our love of the things of the mind does not make us soft.
The man who can most truly be accounted brave is he who best knows the meaning of what is sweet in life and of what is terrible, and then goes out undeterred to meet what is to come.
For our adventurous spirit has forced an entry into every sea and into every land; and everywhere we have left behind us everlasting memorials of good done to our friends or suffering inflicted on our enemies
Any intelligent man would find a humiliation caused by his own slackness more painful to bear than death, when death comes to him unperceived, in battle, and in the confidence of his patriotism.
The book details battles with shockingly low numbers like 400, 1000, 2000 troops. 100 boats is a considered a large fleet.
Accidents may happen to all men, but real courage never alters, and those who have it never use inexperience as an excuse for being anything else but courageous.
So a state of affairs has been reached where a good proposal honestly put forward is just as suspect as something thoroughly bad, and the result is that just as the speaker who by deceiving them, so also a man with good advice to give has to tell lies if he expects to be believed.
Many of the conversations are two opposing sides trying to convince the larger power they are correct. Like the Plateans vs Thebans in front of the Spartans.
In times of peace and prosperity cities and individuals alike follow higher standards, because they are not forced into a situation where they have to do what they do not want to do. But war is a stern teacher; in depriving them of the power of easily satisfying their daily wants, it brings most people’s minds down to the level of their actual circumstances.
This book could really benefit from being color coded. What places were under who’s rule, which people were part of which groups?
A lot of the analysis of the book happens at the meta-level. Instead of specific sentences, paragraphs, pages, people analyze the work in context, what it means to be writing about these things.
In relations with one’s neighbours freedom is the result of being able to hold one’s own, and as for these neighbors, who, not content with those close to them, are trying to spread their domination far and wide, with them we must simply fight it out to the last.
During the “peace”, the Boeotians were in a state of truce which had to be renewed every 10 days.
Participation in the Olympics was political even back then. During a peaceful time, the Spartans weren’t allowed to participate because they didn’t pay a fine to the Eleans who were in an alliance with the other participants.
Spartans used many flute players in their ranks. This was designed to make them keep in step and move forward steadily without breaking their ranks, as large armies often do when they are just about to join the battle.
I thought watching a video outlining what happened would make it clearer, but it didn’t. There is just so many different groups and people involved, all with different specific motivations. Maybe the modern annotated History would help.
Hope, that comforter in danger! If one already has solid advantages to fall back upon, one can indulge in hope. It may do harm, but will not destroy one.
The King of the Sicels was named Italus, where Italy got its name from.
In going to Sicily you are leaving many enemies behind you, and you apparently want to make new ones there and have them also on your hands.
This is the way we won our empire, and this is the way all empires have been won - by coming vigorously to the help of all who ask for it, irrespective of whether they are Hellenes or not.
The Nietzsche Podcast provides a good summary and discusses key points.