| Popis: |
At two central places in the History, Thucydides indicates that events are subject to a circular pattern, thus implying that the course of events is not entirely open. The prevalence of the depersonalizing style in both passages suggests a link between abstract language and necessity. The Archaeology provides a clue regarding the nature of this necessity: a quest for power emerges as the driving force of the development of early empires. This process also fuels the rise of the Athenian empire according to the Athenian ambassadors at Sparta, who use impersonal phrases that suggest the general exposure of human beings to forces beyond their control. Thucydides’ own account of the rise of the Athenian empire in the Pentecontaetia confirms the main point of the ambassadors: the Athenians have been caught up in a process that paradoxically reduces them, despite their immense power, to a passive role. |
