Thucydides and Internal War

by Jonathan J. Price

• ISBN13: 9780521780186
• ISBN10: 0521780187
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-08-20
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

In this 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.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
PART I: THE MODEL OF STASIS	1	(78)
Introduction	3	(3)
Beyond Corcyra	6	(73)
Corcyra	6	(5)
A model of stasis: purpose and method	11	(10)
The genesis and effects of stasis	21	(9)
The problem of stasis	30	(9)
The pathology of stasis	39	(28)
Stasis and polemos	67	(6)
Stasis and the Peloponnesian War	73	(6)
PART II: LOGOI	79	(126)
The transvaluation of words	81	(46)
Corcyra and Corinth: justice and expediency	82	(7)
Athenian justice: Cleon and Diodotus and their successors	89	(14)
Stasis and rhetoric in Boeotia	103	(24)
Hellenic states redefine the community of Hellas	127	(63)
The Peloponnesians	128	(1)
The ``Liberation of Hellas''	128	(19)
Inherent natures	147	(4)
Ethnic arguments	151	(10)
Athens' world	161	(1)
Athens' response to the ``Liberation'' theme	161	(10)
The Periclean speeches	171	(19)
The failure of communication	190	(15)
Athens at Sparta	190	(5)
The Melian Dialogue	195	(10)
PART III: ERGA	205	(126)
The ``greatest kinesis''	207	(67)
Brutality and barbarity; moral and ethical violations	210	(7)
Religion	217	(19)
Individuals	236	(27)
The Peace of Nicias	263	(11)
The Peloponnesian War and stasis	274	(57)
The first aitia	274	(3)
The beginning of the war	277	(12)
Staseis as organizing points of the History	289	(15)
Athens' stasis	304	(23)
Conclusion	327	(4)
PART IV: THUCYDIDES AND HELLAS	331	(47)
The Archaeology, the Pentekontaetia and the Persians	333	(45)
The Archaeology	333	(11)
The Pentekontaetia and the ``truest reason'' for the war	344	(19)
The Persians	363	(8)
Thucydides' Hellas	371	(7)
List of works cited	378	(19)
General index	397	(5)
Index locorum	402