THUCYDIDES, a celebrated Greek historian, was born at Athens 475 B.C. He was the son of
Olonus, and grandson of Miltiades, who is thought to have been descended from Miltiades the famous Athenian general, and to have married the king of Thrace's daughter. He was educated in a manner suitable to his quality, that is, in the study of philosophy and eloquence. His master in the former was Anaxagoras, in the latter Antiphon; one, by his description in the eighth book of his History, for power of speech almost a miracle, and feared by the people on that account. Suidas and Photius relate, that when Herodotus recited his history in public, a fashion in use then and many ages after, Thucydides felt so great a sting of emulation, that it drew tears from him; insomuch that Herodotus himself took notice of it, and congratulated his father on having a son who showed so wonderful an affection to the mutes. Herodotus was then 29 years of age, Thucydides about 16.
When the Peloponnesian war began to break out, Thucydides conjectured truly, that it would prove an argument worthy of his labour; and it no sooner commenced than he began his history, pursuing the same, not in that perfect manner in which we see it now, but by way of commentary, and in writing down plain actions or passages thereof, as from time to time they fell out and came to his knowledge. We know nothing with certainty of Thucydides, but what he himself has delivered in his history. He was a lover of contemplation and retirement; yet did not decline the service of the state, and accepted accordingly of a command in the army. This, however, proved unfortunate to him; for while he resided in the isle Thasus, it happened that Brasidas the Lacedæmonian besieged Amphipolis, a city belonging to the Athenians, about half a day's sail from Thasus. Thucydides being one of the strategæ, or of those who had authority to raise forces in those parts for the service of the commonwealth, the Athenian captain sent to him to levy a power and hasten to his relief. Thucydides did so; but not arriving till too late, and when the city was already yielded up, he was afterwards banished, as if he had done this either through negligence or fear of the enemy; which, however, there was no just reason to suspect; for he put himself into the city Eion, and preferred it to the Athenians, with the repulse of Brasidas, who came down the next morning from Amphipolis and besieged it.
After his banishment, which happened in his 48th year, he lived in Scape-Hyle, a city of Thrace, from whence he married a very wealthy wife; and he had large possessions and rich mines of gold, as he himself tells us in his fourth book. He was not however so affected with his disgrace, as to shut himself up from the world, and drag on, as many have done, a life embittered with spleen and disappointment; on the contrary, he went abroad, and was present at the actions of the rest of the war. This appears from his own words, in the fifth book of his History; where he says, that he was present at the actions of both parties, and by reason of his exile no less at those of the Peloponnesians than those of the Athenians. During this time he perfected his History, so far as is now to be seen. He was very nice and curious concerning a perfect insight into affairs; in order to obtain which he employed great sums of money in procuring authentic memorials, not only from the Athenians but the Lacedæmonians also, that out of his collec-
Thule
Thunder.
collections from both the great transactions of that time might be better and more impartially set forth.
At the end of 20 years, his sentence of banishment was revoked. Some authors affirm that he returned to Athens, and was treacherously killed in that city. But others assert that he died in Thrace, at the advanced age of 80 years, leaving his history unfinished. It is contained in eight books, and ends with the 21st year of the war of Peloponnesus. The most esteemed edition is that of Oxford in 1696, folio. Demosthenes set such a value on Thucydides's history, that he transcribed the whole several times with his own hand.