Thucydides and Internal WarIn this 2001 book Jonathan Price attempts to demonstrate that Thucydides consciously viewed and presented the Peloponnesian War in terms of a condition of civil strife - stasis, in Greek. Thucydides defines stasis as a set of symptoms indicating an internal disturbance in both individuals and states. This diagnostic method, in contrast to all other approaches in antiquity, allows an observer to identify stasis even when the combatants do not or cannot openly acknowledge the nature of their conflict. The words and actions which Thucydides chooses for his narrative meet his criteria for stasis: the speeches in the History represent the breakdown of language and communication characteristic of internal conflict, and the zeal for victory led to acts of unusual brutality and cruelty, and overall disregard for genuinely Hellenic customs, codes of morality and civic loyalty. Viewing the Peloponnesian War as a destructive internal war had profound consequences for Thucydides' historical vision. |
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action Alcibiades alliance allies Archaeology Archidamus argument Athe Athenian speech Athens Athens and Sparta attack Boeotia Brasidas Chapter city's claim Cleon common conflict Connor context contrast conventional Corcyra Corcyreans Corinth Corinthians cydides debate democracy di¨erent dides Diodotus Dorians empire enemies epidemic erga ethnic Euphemus fact fear Five Thousand friendship Gomme Greek Hellas Hellenic Hermocrates Herodotus History Hornblower human identity individual intelligence interests internal Ionians justice language liberation logos and ergon Loraux Macleod means Melian Dialogue moral motives Mytilenians narrative nature nians oligarchs Ostwald Panhellenic Peace of Nicias Peloponnesian Peloponnesian War Pentekontaetia Pericles Persian Wars phrase Phrynichus Plataeans polis political Potidaea present purpose reader religious revolt rhetorical Romilly Samos sentence Sicilian Sicily side Spartans speakers stasis model temple Thebans theme thought Thucy Thucydides Thucydides says tion Tissaphernes toÁ treaty violation violence virtue words δὲ καὶ τε τὸ τοῦ τῶν