A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

THUCYDIDEUCYDIDES. TIJCYDIDES. 1115
signed his work to be "'an eternal possession," and pains it must have cost him to ascertain these
such it has proved to be. After his introductory facts, we admire the self-denial of a writer who is
chapters (i. 1-23) he proceeds to explain the satisfied with giving facts in their naked brevity
alleged grounds and causes of the war: the real without ornament, without any parade of his percauses were, he says, the Spartan jealousy of the sonal importance, and of the trouble that his
Athenian power. His narrative is interrupted matter cost him. A single chapter must sometimes
(c. 89-118), after he has come to the time when have represented the labour of many days and
the Lacedaemonians resolved on war, by a digres- weeks. Such a principle of historical composition
sion (EKcoX7v) on the rise and progress of the is the evidence of a great and elevated mind. The
power of Athens; a period which had been either history of Thucydides only makes an octavo voomitted by other writers, or treated imperfectly, lume of moderate size; many a modern writer
and with little regard to chronology, as by Hel- would have spun it out to a dozen volumes, and so
lanicus in his Attic history (c. 97). He resumes have spoiled it. A work that is for all ages must
his narrative (c. 119) with the negotiations that contain much in little compass.
preceded the war; but this leads to another di- He seldom makes reflections in the course of his
gression of some length on the treason of Pausa- narrative: occasionally he has a chapter of political
nias (c. 128-134), and the exile of Themistocles and moral observations, animated by the keenest
(c. 135-138). He concludes the book with the perception of the motives of action, and the moral
speech of Pericles, who advised the Athenians to character of man. Many of his speeches are porefuse the demands of the Peloponnesians; andhis litical essays, or materials for them; they are not
subject, as already observed, begins with the mere imaginations of his own for rhetorical effect;
second book. Mr. Clinton, in his Fasti, has a they contain the general sense of what was actually
chapter " On the Summary of Thucydides," or delivered as nearly as he could ascertain, and in
that part of his first book which treats of the many instances he had good opportunities of
period between B. C. 478 and 432. The Pelopon- knowing what was said, for he heard some speeches
nesian war began B. c. 431. delivered (i. 22). His opportunities, his talents,
A history which treats of so many events, his character, and his subject all combined to prowhich took place at remote- spots, could only be duce a work that stands alone, and in its kind has
written, in the time of Thucydides, by a man who neither equal nor rival. His pictures are sometook great pains to ascertain facts by personal in- times striking and tragic, an effect produced by
quiry. In modern times facts are made known by severe simplicity and minute particularity. Such
printing as soon as they occur; and the printed is the description of the plague of Athens. Such
records of the time, newspapers and the like, are also is the incomparable history of the Athenian
often the only evidence of many facts which expedition to Sicily, and its melancholy terminabecome history. When we know the careless way tion.
in which facts are now reported and recorded by A man who thinks profoundly will have a form
very incompetent persons, often upon very in- of expression which is stamped with the character
different hearsay testimony, and compare with of his mind; and the style of Thucydides is
such'records the pains that Thucydides took to accordingly concise, vigorous, energetic. We feel
ascertain the chief events of a war, with which he that all the words were intended to have a meanwas contemporary, in which he took a share as a ing, and have a meaning none of them are idle.
commander, the opportunities which his means Yet he is sometimes harsh and obscure; and proallowed, his great abilities, and serious earnest bably he was so, even to his own countrymen.
character, it is a fair conclusion that we have a Some of his sentences are very involved, and the
more exact history of a long eventful period by connection and dependence of the parts are often
Thucydides than we have of any period in modern difficult to seize. Cicero, undoubtedly a good
history, equally long and equally eventful. We Greek scholar, found him difficult (Orator. c. 9):
are deceived as to the value of modern historical he says that the speeches contain so many obscure
evidence, which depends on the eye-sight of wit- and impenetrable sentences as to be scarcely intelnesses, by the facility with which it is produced ligible; and this, he adds, is a very great defect in
and distributed in print. But when we come to the language of political life (in oratione civili).
examine the real authority for that which is The first thing that is requisite in reading Thuprinted, we seldom find that the originsal witness cydides is to have a good text established on a
of an important transaction is a Thucydides; still collation of the MSS., and this we owe to I. Bekless seldom do we find a man like him who has ker. Those who were accustomed to read Thucydevoted seven and twenty years to the critical dides in such a text as Duker's, can estimate their
enumeration of the events of as many years. A obligations to Bekker. For the understanding of
large part of the facts in Thucydides were doubt- the text, a sound knowledge of the language and
less derived from the testimony of other eye-wit- the assistance of the best critics are necessary; and
nesses, and even in some cases not directly from perhaps nearly all has been done in this departeye-witnesses; and that is also true of all modern ment that can be done. But after all, a careful
histories, even contemporary histories; but again, and repeated study of the original is necessary in
how seldom have we a Thucydides to weigh the order to understand it. For the illustration of the
value of testimony either direct or indirect (i. 22). text a great mass of geographical and historical
His whole work shows the most scrupulous care knowledge is necessary; and here also the critics
and diligence in ascertaining facts; his strict at- have not been idle. To derive all the advantage
tention to chronology, and the importance that he from the work that may be derived for political
attaches to it, are additional proof of his historical instruction, we must study it; and here the critics
accuracy. His narrative is brief and concise: it give little help, for Politik is a thing they seldom
generally contains bare facts expressed in the meddle with, and not often with success. Here a
fewest possible words, and when we consider what man must be his own commentator; but a great