Possible - Year 12 essays by Gareth Phillips

‘control over the multitude’. ‘Democracy in name but really government by the first citizen’ 'best government in my time' - Thucydides
His attacks on radical democracy ‘sit oddly with his suggestion elsewhere that the Syracusans were the people who fought most effectively against Athens because they most resembled Athenian character’ – Powell.’

Sparta are 'the most convenient of enemies' - Thucydides. Powell rejects this by saying ‘a claim which is hard to reconcile with the astute and consistent military opportunism of Sparta attested by Thucydides own narrative’ and that he blames Athens 'too much'. Conversely Hornblower agrees with Thucydides.

Badian writes ‘Thucydides has consistently tried to disguise this Realpolitik by selective omission and disinformation, and by delivering his own interpretation of motives and intentions under the guise of facts’. Realpolitik is a political philosophy that emphasizes the importance of power and national interest in international relations.

3.
‘not so much because they were influenced by the speeches of their allies as because they were afraid of the further growth of Athenian power' - Thucydides.
'Aegina, the chief agents in bringing the war upon them' - Thucydides.
'But the chief point and the one that they made most clear was that war could be avoided if Athens would revoke the Megarian decree' - Thucydides.

'Which was not so much an error of judgement about the enemy but the failure of those at home to take the right decisions (prosphora) for the forces overseas' - Thucydides. But he also says 'for the Athenians had made a great mistake in their estimate of the size of Sicily'. And a lack of help was 'an unfair slight in view of the help which he elsewhere records as sent under Demosthenes’ – Powell. ‘they were led by men who were not up to the task.’ – Thucydides.

4.

Thucydides lack of Demosthenes has termed him 'the invisible man'.
Cimon's campaigns were vital to the growth of Athenian power but not celebrated by Thucydides whilst others like Plutarch do - 'threw back the barbarian'.

5.
‘Either I was present myself at the events described or else I heard them from eye-witnesses whose reports I have checked with as much thoroughness as possible. Not that even so the truth was easy to discover’ - Thucydides.

‘Equally useless were prayers made in temples, consultation of oracles and so forth’ – Thucydides.

'He is inaccurate in his dates' - Thucydides.

Letter he used from Pausanias to Xerxes shows he had access to Spartan records.

'the absence of romance in my history will, I fear, detract from its interest; but if it be judged useful by those inquirers who desire an exact knowledge' 'In fine, I have written my work, not as an essay which is the win the applause of the moment, but as a possession for all time' - Thucydides.

6.
Fragments of the treaty between Athens and Argos in 420 found.
Treaty between Athens and Corcyra where he names 3 generals and an inscription holds an official record of these generals dating at 433.
Decrees.
Eclipse at Sicily.