Thucydides's Tragic Science of Democratic Defeat

Abstract This article reinterprets Thucydides's analysis of the post-Periclean turn in Athenian politics by reading it within context contemporary “tragic” and “scientific” explanatory traditions. It finds this an ambitious attempt to reinvent traditional, tragic pattern hubris-driven reversal reinterpreting its underlying causal logic according a scientific perspective which overdetermining effects deities are replaced variable power dynamics democratic deliberation. The resultant identifies change relative standing leaders as determining cause reversal, not absolute decline leadership, thus tracing towards hubris, great error, civil discord egalitarian ordering assembly. In so doing, shows how posed powerful challenge previous attempts, both scientific, prognosticate fate imperial democracy, well offering exemplary moment synthetic approach perspectives.