The Complexities of Athenian Democracy and Moral Dilemmas

Thucydides takes one step beyond Herodotus in his approach to history. As we read his account of the Peloponnesian Wars, we’ll address the following questions:

1. What is the difference between Thucydides’ tragic perspective of the Peloponnesian Wars and the Homerian tragedy?
2. How does Thucydides’ description of Athenian devotion to the polis highlight a fundamental difference between Greeks and Jews?
3. According to Thucydides in his recounting of Pericles’ funeral oration, why should the Greek choose to do the right thing?

Recommended Reading: Thucydides. On Justice, Power, and Human Nature. Translated and edited by Paul Woodruff. Indianapolis: Hackett Classics, 1993.