The Strengthening of Modernity and the Decline of Athenian Democracy in Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War

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Brief Overview

This essay argues that Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War reveals how Athens’ turn toward modernity, characterized by secular progress and self-assertion, undermined transcendence and led to the decline of its democracy.

Author

• Xiangyi He, University of Chicago