Thucydides the Athenian and Cornelius Tacitus the Roman

This "impossibility" does not keep on Thucydides from speculating, based on his understanding of the myths and legends of his culture, upon the nature of that past. He in addition recognizes that "most people, in fact, will not take inconvenience in keying out the truth" (Thucydides, 47). He seems to suggest, preferably subtly, that if people will not take the time to find out the truth, one of the roles of the historian may substantially be to give them that truth.

In describing his methods in writing the archives of the commutation event of his lifetime - the war between Athens, his city, and Sparta - Thucydides (47) admits that his technique consists of make use of set speeches delivered just prior to and during the war. He in addition notes that he "found it difficult to remember the precise talking to in the speeches to which I listened myself," and that his method therefore consisted of:

....

while keeping as closely as possible to the general

sense of the words that were real used, to make the

speakers say what, in my opinion, was called for by each

This is a very(prenominal) revealing statement: the author of a factual history with strong ideological underpinnings is admitting to his readers and to posterity that he may well drive "made" the speakers say what he, in his view, felt should have been said.

Is this history? The answer must be "yes." Thucydides (48) goes on to farther describe his m

Tacitus. The Agricola and the Germania. Trans. H. Mattingly.

These ideas, put into the mouths of " middling" Athenians confronted with charges against the city, are perhaps as (if not more) expressive of the views of Thucydides than anything else. As a historian, he was therefore not without bias.

Agricola is presented as "possess by a passion for military glory" (Thucydides, Agricola, 55), and thereof can be understood as a backup man for Rome herself.

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