Thucydides is considered by some scholars to be the Father of Modern History. Thucydides non-fiction approach to history and his love of exact facts have given him this name. In his book History, Thucydides relates the facts of the Peloponnesian War with as much fact and truth as possible, unlike his contemporaries who used second hand word of mouth and myths to relate their details. For this reason Thucydides is considered one the first true historians.

Thucydides was born some where between 470BC and 460BC. Thucydides was the son of Olorus or Orolus and Hegesipyle and was from the Deme of Halimus. His family was wealthy, owning property of gold mines in Scapte Hyle on the Thoracian coast opposite of Thasos. Some scholar

Because he had failed to save Amphipolis, Thucydides spent the rest of the war in exile from Athens, twenty years to be exact. Thucydides spent his exile on family estates in Thrace. Because of his apparent exile Thucydides had plenty of time to work on his prose and observe the war more critically with less bias. After his exile Thucydides returned to Athens, to spend the remainder of his life. Thucydides died around 400BC.

During the Athenian epidemic of 430-427BC, Thucydides fell to the plague but was among the few who recovered and survived. In 427BC Thucydides became a general in the Peloponnesian War and fought in Chalcidice. “Thucydides (the one “who composed this history,” describes the details of his career) happened to be the Athenian general nearest to Amphipolis. At the time of Brasidas invasion, he was in command of forces at Thasos, an island just a half day's sailing away from Amphipolis, departed immediately with the seven ships that he happened to have with him. His intention was to secure Amphipolis, if possible, or, failing that, at least to prevent Eion, the port town a few miles down river from Amphipolis, from falling into Brasidas’ hands. Brasidas knew that Thucydi

Some topics in this essay:
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