History Commons^™

Thucydides' Account Of The Plague As Trauma Narrative, Jenna M. Colclough

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thucydides’ detailed description of the Athenian plague, which is estimated to have killed from a quarter to a third of Athens’ population[1]and led to the breakdown of several social norms, has been approached from a variety of scholarly perspectives, yet its potential as a trauma narrative is still underexplored.

Drawing on comparative evidence from the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, such as Katherine Anne Porter’s fictionalized account Pale Horse, Pale Rider, this thesis examines the emotive and commemorative functions of Thucydides’ plague episode through the lens of trauma theory. By combining elements of personal narrative, literature, and …

Thucydides On Strength And Justice In The Melian And Mytilenian Debates, Molly Wancewicz

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

Thucydides’History of the Peloponnesian War provides incisive historical analysis of the 5th-century BC clash between the Athenian and Spartan alliances. Through his depiction of the Mytilenian debate and the Melian dialogue, Thucydides analyzes prioritization of self-interest, and more specifically, the idea that might makes right. Thucydides’ discussion of these topics indicates that he largely disagrees with the positions taken by the Athenians in these debates.