Thucydides, son of Melesias

Thucydides, the son of Melesias or Milesius, was an Athenian politician and general. His exact survival data are not known, but he was a contemporary and a staunch opponent of Pericles (c. 490 BC; † September 429 BC). Thucydides belonged to the aristocracy of Athens and came from the demos Alopeke, who belonged to the tribe Antiochis. ( He should not be confused with the homonymous famous historian Thucydides, who was a son of Oloros. )

After the death of the leader of the Athenian aristocracy, Kimon, who died BC as commander of the Athenian fleet at the siege of Citium in Cyprus 449, Thucydides was his political successor. The Athenian aristocrats appointed him - as the Pericles biographer Plutarch writes - as their leader because they wanted someone that " the balance in the state would consider the all-powerful head of the People's Party, Pericles and diminished his power, last but not least a full monarchy from would. " According to Plutarch, Thucydides made ​​especially for an efficient organization of the aristocratic forces by not tolerated, " that the so-called upper classes themselves, as was previously done, mingled among the people scattered and where their dignity was slightly obscured by the crowd; he separated them from quite rather, united the power of all. in a whole, so they got a big weight, and gave way to a balance the scales "

Thucydides pointed towards his relatives Kimon as leader of the aristocrats also the advantage that he was constantly in Athens was present and not his predecessor sought as a satisfaction of his military ambition in distant countries. So he should - as Plutarch writes - Kimon nachgestanden of military talent, but surpassed him by his sense of political tactics. Thucydides criticized the excessive spending of Pericles for large representative buildings which, however, were the people who benefited from these public works in many ways, not unpopular.

Pericles finally succeeded in completely suppress the aristocratic opposition. After 444 BC, Thucydides was banished by the ostracism and had to go abroad. As one can see an allusion in the comedy writer Aristophanes, he suffered during the ostracism, as to leave him the threat that he would his home, was aware of a nervous breakdown and was unable to speak.

Despite his great abilities and despite its founded on his family influence, Thucydides could ultimately achieve neither the eloquence nor the skill of his opponent in Pericles. This should he have recognized himself as King Archidamus II of Sparta, in which, during his exile, he was staying, asked him whether he or Pericles was the better wrestler. "If I throw him to the ground, " so was the reply, " but he denies that he had fallen, he proved right, and convinces even those who have seen it. " ( Translator's cold water).

In the case of Thucydides seems the usual Verbannungsfrist ostracism, which amounted to ten years to be abbreviated, because already in the year 440 BC, he held the command of 40 ships, together with Hagnon and Phormion that as a reinforcement for the commander in chief Pericles were sent, who was busy with the siege of the island of Samos. The arrival of these ships, along with other reinforcements, meant that the Samians had to capitulate.

Thucydides, the circumstances of his death are not recorded, left two sons, Melesias and Stephanos. Melesias in turn was the father of a son, whom he also named Thucydides, after his grandfather and later, as Plato says, the philosopher Socrates entrusted for instruction.

Aristotle estimated the politician Thucydides a high overall and counted them out loud with Plutarch Nicias, and Theramenes to the citizens of Athens, the " who have been the best and most excellent that proved against the people a true fatherly affection and love " have.

Swell

  • Aristophanes: The Wasps. ( Line 947).
  • Athenaeus (VI, p. 234, e)
  • Plato: Meno ( p. 94), Theages ( p. 130) Laches ( p. 179).
  • Plutarch Nicias (Chapter 2); Pericles ( Ch. 6, 8, 11, 14, 16).
  • Thucydides: History of the Peloponnesian War. (Book I, chap. 117).
  • Politicians (Athens)
  • Military person (Athens)
  • Greek ( Ancient )
  • Born in the 5th century BC
  • Died in the 5th or 4th century BC
  • Man
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