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10 - Thucydides on Empire and Imperialism

from Part II - Themes and Content

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 March 2023

By
Polly A. Low
Edited by
Polly Low
Polly Low
Affiliation:
University of Durham
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Summary

The history and nature of the Athenian Empire (arche) is not the primary subject of Thucydides’ History, but his text is nevertheless a critical piece of evidence for it. After briefly surveying the key features of the Athenian Empire and its development, this chapter explores Thucydides’ picture of Athenian imperialism, focusing on three areas in particular. First: how can imperial power be justified? Second – a related but different question – why do states seek imperial power (is it, indeed, something over which states have a choice or is it an inevitable feature of interstate politics)? Finally, how and why do empires fail?

Keywords

empireimperialismDelian Leaguetyrannypower
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Companion to Thucydides , pp. 143 - 159
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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