--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thucydides, an Athenian, wrote the…" description: "\"Thucydides, an Athenian, wrote the history of the war between the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, he began at the moment that it broke out, believing..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/thucydides-2578_athenians_thucydides-an-athenian-wrote-the-history_2658332.jpg" --- # Thucydides, an Athenian, wrote the history of the war… ![“Thucydides, an Athenian, wrote the history of the war between the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, he began at the moment that it broke out, believing that it would be a great war, and more memorable than any that had preceded it.” quote by Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/thucydides-2578_athenians_thucydides-an-athenian-wrote-the-history_2658332.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/thucydides-2578_athenians_thucydides-an-athenian-wrote-the-history_2658332.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/thucydides-2578_athenians_thucydides-an-athenian-wrote-the-history_2658332.jpg) > “Thucydides, an Athenian, wrote the history of the war between the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, he began at the moment that it broke out, believing that it would be a great war, and more memorable than any that had preceded it.” [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Thucydides began his war history at its outbreak, believing it would be a great, memorable conflict. **In simple terms:** War history starts with its onset. Key Takeaway Study origins to understand conflict impact. Themes history war analysis Mood analytical critical Type historical educational When to use this quote - academic study - military strategy - public education Key Concepts Thucydides historical narrative Questions to Reflect On - Why do societies glorify war beginnings? - How does early framing affect perception? A Different Perspective Great war expectations can bias interpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Athenians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athenians/) [Great war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-war/) [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Memorable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memorable/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“Meanwhile the party opposed to the traitors proved numerous enough to prevent the gates being immediately thrown open, and in concert with Eucles, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/meanwhile-the-party-opposed-to-the-traitors-proved-numerous-enough-to/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [... Athenians are addicted to innovation. They are daring beyond their judgment they toil on with little opportunity for enjoying, being ever engaged in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/athenians-are-addicted-to-innovation-they-are-daring-beyond-their/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [The growth of the power of Athens, and the alarm which this inspired in Sparta, made war inevitable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/the-growth-of-the-power-of-athens-and-the-alarm-which-this-inspired/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [What made the war inevitable was the growth of Athenian power and the fear which this caused in Sparta.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/what-made-the-war-inevitable-was-the-growth-of-athenian-power-and-the/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [The wide difference between the two characters, the slowness and want of energy of the Spartans as contrasted with the dash and enterprise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/the-wide-difference-between-the-two-characters-the-slowness-and-want/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [“The Athenians were the first to lay aside their weapons, and to adopt an easier and more luxurious mode of life;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/the-athenians-were-the-first-to-lay-aside-their-weapons-and-to-adopt/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [I wrote my first history book when I was four. I still have it so I can prove it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bettany-hughes/i-wrote-my-first-history-book-when-i-was-four-i-still-have-it-so-i/) [Bettany Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bettany-hughes/) > [Western man wrote "his" history as if it were the history of the entire human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver-killens/western-man-wrote-his-history-as-if-it-were-the-history-of-the-entire/) [John Oliver Killens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver-killens/) > [“Archmaester Rigney once wrote that history is a wheel, for the nature of man is fundamentally unchanging. What has happened before will perforce happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/archmaester-rigney-once-wrote-that-history-is-a-wheel-for-the-nature/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [Architecture wrote the history of the epochs and gave them their names.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/architecture-wrote-the-history-of-the-epochs-and-gave-them-their-names/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [I have learned, as I wrote, that history must be discovered, not declared. It's an admission that one grows in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/i-have-learned-as-i-wrote-that-history-must-be-discovered-not/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [I cheated at school. I remember on one occasion I wrote some history dates in pen on my leg. So when there was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delia-smith/i-cheated-at-school-i-remember-on-one-occasion-i-wrote-some-history/) [Delia Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delia-smith/) > [There might be a fact of the greatest significance reported by Thucydides which will only be recognized as such a hundred years from now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/there-might-be-a-fact-of-the-greatest-significance-reported-by/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [I believe it has been said that one copy of The Times contains more useful information than the whole of the historical works of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cobden/i-believe-it-has-been-said-that-one-copy-of-the-times-contains-more/) [Richard Cobden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cobden/) > [“The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grossman/the-bravest-are-surely-those-who-have-the-clearest-vision-of-what-is-2/) Dave Grossman ## More by Thucydides > [Be convinced that to be happy means to be free and that to be free means to be brave. Therefore do not take lightly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/be-convinced-that-to-be-happy-means-to-be-free-and-that-to-be-free/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [It is the habit of mankind to entrust to careless hope what they long for, and to use sovereign reason to thrust aside what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/it-is-the-habit-of-mankind-to-entrust-to-careless-hope-what-they-long/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [Boasting and bravado may exist in the breast even of the coward, if he is successful through a mere lucky hit; but a just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/boasting-and-bravado-may-exist-in-the-breast-even-of-the-coward-if-he/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [Contempt for an assailant is best shown by bravery in action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/contempt-for-an-assailant-is-best-shown-by-bravery-in-action/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [The secret of happiness is freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/the-secret-of-happiness-is-freedom/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [And it is certain that those who do not yield to their equals, who keep terms with their superiors, and are moderate towards their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/and-it-is-certain-that-those-who-do-not-yield-to-their-equals-who/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [The strong do what they have to do and the weak accept what they have to accept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/the-strong-do-what-they-have-to-do-and-the-weak-accept-what-they-have/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [It is useless to attack men who could not be controlled even if conquered, while failure would leave us in an even worse position...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/it-is-useless-to-attack-men-who-could-not-be-controlled-even-if/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [War is an evil thing; but to submit to the dictation of other states is worse… Freedom, if we hold fast to it, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/war-is-an-evil-thing-but-to-submit-to-the-dictation-of-other-states/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [Men do not rest content with parrying the attacks of a superior, but often strike the first blow to prevent the attack being made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/men-do-not-rest-content-with-parrying-the-attacks-of-a-superior-but/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [As for democracy, the men of sense among us knew what it was, and I perhaps as well as any, as I have more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/as-for-democracy-the-men-of-sense-among-us-knew-what-it-was-and-i/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [War is a matter not so much of arms as of money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/war-is-a-matter-not-so-much-of-arms-as-of-money/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [Amassing of wealth is an opportunity for good deeds, not hubris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/amassing-of-wealth-is-an-opportunity-for-good-deeds-not-hubris/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [People get into the habit of entrusting the things they desire to wishful thinking, and subjecting things they don't desire to exhaustive thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/people-get-into-the-habit-of-entrusting-the-things-they-desire-to/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [Hope is an expensive commodity. It makes better sense to be prepared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/hope-is-an-expensive-commodity-it-makes-better-sense-to-be-prepared/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) [Explore all 160 Thucydides quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) ## More Athenians quotes > [“The revolt in Asia Minor was snugged out in 494, and the Athenians realized that they had acquired a dangerous enemy. Darius I's first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ryan/the-revolt-in-asia-minor-was-snugged-out-in-494-and-the-athenians/) [Alan Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ryan/) > [The great thing about writing about the ancient Spartans or Athenians is that so much knowledge is no longer extant that no one, except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/the-great-thing-about-writing-about-the-ancient-spartans-or-athenians/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [ Everyone, including the Athenians \[...\] are right to accept advice from anyone, since it is incumbent on everyone to share in that sort of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/protagoras/everyone-including-the-athenians-are-right-to-accept-advice-from/) [Protagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/protagoras/) > [Demosthenes told Phocion, "The Athenians will kill you some day when they once are in a rage." "And you," said he, "if they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/demosthenes-told-phocion-the-athenians-will-kill-you-some-day-when/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Eutrapelia . "A happy and gracious flexibility," Pericles calls this quality of the Athenians...lucidity of thought, clearness and propriety of language, freedom from prejudice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-arnold/eutrapelia-a-happy-and-gracious-flexibility-pericles-calls-this/) [Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-arnold/) > [The growth of the power of Athens, and the alarm which this inspired in Sparta, made war inevitable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/the-growth-of-the-power-of-athens-and-the-alarm-which-this-inspired/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [Eloquence, when at its highest pitch, leaves little room for reason or reflection; but addressing itself entirely to the fancy or the affections, captivates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/eloquence-when-at-its-highest-pitch-leaves-little-room-for-reason-or/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What made the war inevitable was the growth of Athenian power and the fear which this caused in Sparta.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/what-made-the-war-inevitable-was-the-growth-of-athenian-power-and-the/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [Being summoned by the Athenians out of Sicily to plead for his life, Alcibiades absconded, saying that that criminal was a fool who studied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/being-summoned-by-the-athenians-out-of-sicily-to-plead-for-his-life/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [ “It was about that time \[415 BCE\] that the poet Diagoras of Melos was proscribed for atheism, he having declared that the non-punishment of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-robertson/it-was-about-that-time-415-bce-that-the-poet-diagoras-of-melos-was/) J. M. Robertson > [The wide difference between the two characters, the slowness and want of energy of the Spartans as contrasted with the dash and enterprise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/the-wide-difference-between-the-two-characters-the-slowness-and-want/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [The greatest and truest models for all oratorsis Demosthenes. One who has not studied deeply and constantly all the great speeches of the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/the-greatest-and-truest-models-for-all-oratorsis-demosthenes-one-who/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [I will not allow the Athenians to sin twice against philosophy,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/i-will-not-allow-the-athenians-to-sin-twice-against-philosophy/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [ \[Regarding legislative assemblies,\] the number ought at most to be kept within a certain limit, in order to avoid the confusion and intemperance of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/regarding-legislative-assemblies-the-number-ought-at-most-to-be-kept/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [The Athenians are right to accept advice from anyone, since it is incumbent on everyone to share in that sort of excellence, or else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/protagoras/the-athenians-are-right-to-accept-advice-from-anyone-since-it-is/) [Protagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/protagoras/) [Browse all 53 Athenians quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athenians/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Thucydides, an Athenian, wrote the history of the war between the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, he began at the moment that it broke out, believing that it would be a great war, and more memorable than any that had preceded it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thucydides" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/thucydides-an-athenian-wrote-the-history-of-the-war-between-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Athenians" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/thucydides-an-athenian-wrote-the-history-of-the-war-between-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/thucydides-2578_athenians_thucydides-an-athenian-wrote-the-history_2658332.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/thucydides-2578_athenians_thucydides-an-athenian-wrote-the-history_2658332.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/thucydides-2578_athenians_thucydides-an-athenian-wrote-the-history_2658332.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Thucydides, an Athenian, wrote the history of the war between the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, he began…” — Thucydides", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thucydides", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Thucydides, an Athenian, wrote the history...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/thucydides-an-athenian-wrote-the-history-of-the-war-between-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/thucydides-an-athenian-wrote-the-history-of-the-war-between-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```