Daring and deliberation
Virtue, rhetoric, and diplomacy in Thucydides’ account of the Athenian empire
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12923406 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Eric A Fleury (College of the Holy Cross, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2018 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 270-286 |
| Publication date | 2018-11-23 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of International Political Theory (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1755-0882 • E-ISSN: 1755-1722 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1755088218812096 |
| OpenAlex | W2900866675 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 20 |
In Thucydides’ account of the Peloponnesian War, the juxtaposition between the speeches in defense of the Athenian empire and their political effects uncovers critical insights into the need for rhetoric to balance the tasks of domestic enthusiasm and diplomatic interaction. In Thucydides’ account of the Peloponnesian War, Pericles boasts that Athens has perfected “daring and deliberation,” having built an empire through courageous deeds while maintaining a democracy in which competing interests and perspectives receive a fair hearing. These qualities justify Athenian supremacy, but actually maintaining it instead calls for Athens to be cautious and for its subjects to accept the status quo without question. As Athens perceives a decline in its wartime fortunes, it struggles to preserve a reputation for daring and deliberation without undertaking actions that would falsify its self-representation. Its virtues become a substitute for its interests, so that it can no longer act with either morally or prudently. The declining effectiveness of Athenian rhetoric speaks to Thucydides’ teaching that warfare, while presenting an opportunity for a city to display its greatest traits, is far more likely to corrupt them, which requires that orators reconcile the city’s sense of its own righteousness with the realities of its situation
Aesthetics · Deliberation · Diplomacy · Empire · Political science · Politics · Rhetoric · Sociology · Virtue · Global Peace and Security Dynamics · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Law · Philosophy · War, Ethics, and Justification
When Words Lose Their Meaning
Peace and War
War and Change in World Politics
Thucydides, Pericles, and the Idea of Athens in the Peloponnesian War
Thucydides, Pericles, and Periclean Imperialism
The Structure of Thucydides' History
Thucydidean Realism
The Virtue of Thucydides’ Brasidas
Love of Glory and the Common Good
Thucydides and the Pursuit of Freedom
The Landmark Thucydides
Justifying Empire
Thucydides' Realistic Critique of Realism
Thucydides and Neorealism
Thucydides and Modern Realism
The use and abuse of Thucydides in international relations
The Illusion of Power and the Disruption of Moral Norms
The Peace of Nicias and the Sicilian Expedition
| Highly cited | No |
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