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18 - Narratives of Thucydides and the 19th-Century Discipline of (Ancient) History

from Part III - After Thucydides

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 March 2023

By
Alexandra Lianeri
Edited by
Polly Low
Polly Low
Affiliation:
University of Durham
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Summary

Thucydides’ reception in the 19th century is a key moment for modern historical thought. This was a period when history was becoming institutionalized as a university discipline, and this chapter shows how Thucydides was invoked as a predecessor by a number of major figures in the field. The chapter also explores why this was the case, drawing attention to the paradox that this invocation of Thucydides entailed: how did a discipline that was seeking to establish itself as ‘modern’ find legitimacy in this ancient text? And how did this influence the way in which Thucydides’ historical project was read and understood?

Keywords

receptionhistoriographymythmethodologyVon RankeGroteNiebuhr
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Companion to Thucydides , pp. 282 - 300
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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