Thucydides has long been celebrated for the unflinching realism
of his presentation of political life. And yet, as some scholars
have asserted, his work also displays a profound humanity. In the
first thorough exploration of the relation between these two
traits, Clifford Orwin argues that Thucydides' humanity is not a
reflection of the author's temperament but an aspect of his
thought, above all of his articulation of the central problem of
political life, the tension between right and compulsion.
This book provides the most complete treatment to date of
Thucydides' handling of the problem of injustice, as well as the
most extensive interpretations yet of the speeches in which it
comes to light. Thucydides does not merely display the weakness of
justice in the world, but joins his characters in exploring the
implications of this weakness for our understanding of what justice
is. Orwin pursues this question through Thucydides' work and
relates it to the historian's other leading concerns, such as the
contrast between the Athenian way and the Spartan way, the role of
piety in political life, the interaction of foreign and domestic
politics, and the role of statesmanship in a world dominated by
frenzies of hope, fear, and indignation. Above all, Orwin
demonstrates the richness, complexity, and daring of Thucydides'
articulation of these issues.
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