The Notion of War in the Eyes of Thucydides, Homer and Aristophanes - Essay Example

? (YOUR (THE The Notion of War in the Eyes of Thucydides, Homer and Aristophanes Greek ical literatureis considered as the canon of literary writing that pertains to the ancient history of Greece. Greek literature displays the classic lifestyle, culture and beliefs of the Greek race during the early portions of mainstream ancient and classical European history. Prominent Greek writers such as Thucydides, Homer and Aristophanes produced pieces that are regarded, up to this day, a conveyer of Greek life in the context of classical Europe. Looking deeper into their respective works, Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War, Homer’s Iliad and Aristophanes’ Lysistrata all show a common theme in ancient Greek life – the life in the context of war. This paper will conduct textual analysis of each classic piece. The argument is that the concept of war functions as the prime mover of Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War, Homer’s Iliad and Aristophanes’ Lysistrata. This study defines the concept of “prime mover” as the major plot of each literary work. With this, it will study the account of Thucydides as participant and recorder of the Peloponnesian War. It will then compare the Peloponnesian narrative with the epic events of the Trojan War in Homer’s Iliad. Lastly, it will show the parallels of the developments in the Peloponnesian War with the Lysistrata and its author’s arguments of the female intervention in warfare with concern to the Iliad’s claim of man’s monopoly in war. Thucydides and the Peloponnesian War: A narrative on warfare in the Greek classics With concern to ancient Greek literature, Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War is considered a relevant reference to the historical developments in Greece during those turbulent times. Thucydides, for one, is considered by many historians as a primary and earlier contributor in the developments of historiography and historical research and writing. Unlike his predecessor, Herodotus, Thucydides introduced the notion of historical account in an unbiased and organized sense. By being organized, the author arranged his recollections of the Peloponnesian War in a chronological manner, producing a good narrative of historical events. He also used relevant primary sources such as the various speeches he had heard from different gatherings and from prominent figures of the war during his service as a general of the Athenian army. Thucydides’ work is written in such a way that his readers would understand factual events. In the first book of the History of the Peloponnesian War, he conducts thorough contextualization of Greece that contributed to the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War. What is revolutionary about this first book is that before he narrates the reasons for the outbreak of the war, Thucydides explains in detail the methodological approach in the events before the Peloponnesian War (Thucydides, Book 1:1-23). Modern historians see this as one of the earliest attempts to scientifically explain historical events in the context of what would eventually be the processes of respective disciplines in the Greek history. Thucydides aimed to clarify the politics behind the events which had transpired before the war began. He tried to establish himself as the “third person” in all the events which had involved him in the first place. Unlike other authors who used the skill of detachment in historical writing and research methods, Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War was being criticized with regard to actual textual analysis. His attempts to adhere to what would become the historiography was great, his work reflected hints of a biased recording. Some of his biased commentary and views to the factual events which he had witnessed was probably an effect that he was contemporary to all the developments of his time. A very interesting portion of the History of the Peloponnesian War is Thucydides’ recording of Pericles’ Funeral Oration and the eventual speeches of Pericles. In the Funeral Oration speech, the author accounts Pericles defending the democratic constitution of Athens – that the poles is in the hands of the many, not of the few. The great Pericles also defends his policies and taunts the army that consolidation of collective decision should be thoroughly discussed in order to avoid eventual failure (Thucydides, Book 2:34-65). The encouraging and heroic words of Pericles were, however, interpreted by Thucydides as the product of the negative aspect of human nature. Ultimately, his narrative was concerned with man’s desire for power over others and his ruthless pursuit for power. The war had nothing to do with the differences in ideas, or with what is right or wrong. The pursuit for power is the pursuit for advantage without limit. With the entirety of the account, Thucydides associates the idea that human beings were no longer at ease during times of war. Instead, they would turn into people with irrational thoughts who decided to invade, and pursue a democratic or tyrannical quest for power because of political ambitions, showing arrogance. The History of the Peloponnesian War sends a clear message about the concept of war – that war manifests itself towards the conduct of power, leading to human suffering and men becoming indifferent to every rule of religion or of law. As a result of the way a society becomes detached from its people. In the history of wars, tragedy is always a by-product. Thucydides’ is an account of tragedy and human catastrophe. Homer and the Trojan War: Warfare with the intervention of the Greek Gods The concept of war as the central plot of Greek literature is ever present in Homer’s Iliad. Comparable to the History of the Peloponnesian War that concentrates on the wars between Greek states, the Iliad tells of the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states led by King Agamemnon and their greatest warrior, Achilles. This is entirely different from Thucydides’ work because Homer focuses more on the literary aspect of the Iliad. Thucydides, as discussed earlier, used an ordered and chronological approach which formed the beginnings of the historical discipline. Homer, on the other hand, wrote the account of the Trojan War in a poetic tone – he launches the story at a random point in which the famine is faced by the Greeks, up toward the end where the Odyssey makes its debut (Homer, Book 1). From there, Homer allows the story to develop, showing that the decisions and actions of the principal characters are greatly influenced by the will of the Greek gods and goddesses. Clearly, a line is drawn between the History of the Peloponnesian War and the Iliad. Thucydides’ work holds a non-fictional and realistic record of the battles between Athens and Greece, while Homer’s work submits itself to the literary culture of the ancient Greeks which is focused on the admiration of the gods and the goddesses and mankind as the puppets of their conflicts. With the intervention of the gods, the romanticized events of the Trojan War became an epic struggle between two heroes – Achilles of the Greeks and Hector of the Trojans. In the Iliad’s 22nd, 23rd and 24th books, the heated battle between Achilles and Hector is recorded. It recounts the demise of the Hector and the victory of Achilles. The fate of the Trojan hero is even debated amongst by the god as seen in this conversation by Athena to Zeus: “Father of the shining bolt, dark misted, what is this you said? Do you wish to bring back a man who is mortal, one long since doomed by his destiny, from ill-sounding death and release him? Do it, then; but not all the rest of us gods shall approve you.” (Homer, Book 22:178-181). These books stand firm to the claim of man to human warfare. Throughout the course of the Iliad, the Greek and the Trojan forces are the ones who suffer the torments of war. The epic interplay of heroes, with intervention from Greek divinities, is represented through the entities of Achilles and Hector. Homer’s work sees women, Helen of Troy to be exact, as symbols of discord and divisiveness. Indeed, Homer’s claim that war is man’s business is justified as Helen’s mistake causes the clash between the Greek coalition and the Trojan realm. Aristophanes and the Women: The role of Greek women in the state of war Aristophanes’ Lysistrata presents a radical view on the concept of war within Greek literature and writings. The author situates his play during the Peloponnesian War with the principal characters revolving on the affairs of the women. Lysistrata as the protagonist decides to begin a sex strike in order to force men to resort to peace talks and eventually end the war (Aristophanes, 21-80). It can be said that the dominant role of the female sex is a force in the affairs of men for Greek warriors often resort to the comfort of sensual activities with the opposite gender. The sex strike, led by Lysistrata and her female comrades, deprive the men of such pleasure, thus causing havoc and much debate throughout the development of the play. Lysistrata’s conviction is seen with this conversation with Calonice: “If they were trysting for a Bacchanal, A feast of Pan or Colias or Genetyllis, The tambourines would block the rowdy streets, But now there's not a woman to be seen Except—ah, yes—this neighbour of mine yonder.” (Aristophanes, lines 1-5) Aristophanes’ unique approach in his work is both radical and exceptional. It is radical because most Greek literature focuses on the heroic deeds or the demise of man, with woman only as his companion. In Lysistrata, the story revolves around the female figure and the course of the war depends on the decisions and actions of the woman. This is a complete counter to the mainstream orientation of the Greek society and literature. It directly attacks Homer’s claim that war is man’s business. The collective action of the women in the play puts man to his knees as sexual pleasure, which in this case only women can provide, is forcibly taken from them. The intelligent notion that man’s desire for sex could stop the Peloponnesian War is the exceptional theme created by Aristophanes. Indeed, the play justifies the saying, “make love, not war” to its literal sense. In one way, Aristophanes’ Lysistrata can be seen as one of the earliest revolutionary accounts on the alternatives to solve human conflict as it opens the debate on the clash between the female and male genders. It presents the idea that women holds the fate of man and can persuade the will of man through her cunningness and sensuality. As men are created rigid, rough and violent warriors, the emotional and sensitive characteristics of women could possibly soften the opposite gender. Hence, Aristophanes implies that warfare, made possible through manly brute, can be halted through the mystics and charms of femininity. Indeed, the concept of war functions as the prime mover of Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War, Homer’s Iliad and Aristophanes’ Lysistrata because it constitutes as the central plot for each literary piece. More importantly, the notion of war is taken into different views. Thucydides saw it as the venue for proper historiographical recording of past events and the overall perception of human nature as the source of such conflicts. Homer viewed it as literary venue for the epic tale of heroes, Greek divinities and the struggle of man to overcome the other in the field of warfare. Aristophanes, ultimately, regarded it as the venue for feminine intervention and the role of femininity in neutralizing the harmful and destructive side of man. Works Cited Aristophanes (trans. Jeffrey Henderson). Lysistrata. London: Oxford University Press, 1990. Print. Homer (trans. by Richmond Lattimore). The Iliad. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951. Print. Thucydides (trans. by R. Warner). The History of the Peloponnesian War. New York: Penguin, 1972. Print. Read More