Thucydides is thought by some to be the true father of history; most historians before him, such as Herodotus, could be more accurately described as storytellers who were more interested in romantic sideline stories, that could be fact of fiction, than in giving an accurate and unbiased account of events. Thucydides himself writes, "My work is not a piece of writing designed to meet the taste of an immediate public, but was done to last forever." He is said to have had a passion for accuracy and contempt for myth and romance. However, it is vital to take into account when reading Thucydides narrative of the Peloponnesian war the fact that Thucydides himself was an Athenian and more than this a general in the early stages of the very war he concerns himself about. It is not unlikely that because of this his writing would show some bias against Sparta, however unintentional this may be. We might expect him to portray Sparta as the instigators of war but throughout this part of the narrative we are constantly given hints and references to Sparta's unwillingness to

On the encouragement of Corinth the allies sent their delegates to Sparta with their grievances. Thucydides gives us the speeches made by the Corinthian delegates, delegates from Athens who happened to be in the city on other business, the Spartan king Archidamus and the Spartan ephor Sthenelaidus. The Corinthian delegate was the first to speak. Early on he sums up the early part of his speech, "We have to complain of Athens for her insolent aggression and of Sparta for her neglect of our advice." He almost immediately begins to attack the Spartans. Accusing them of being Naive and ignorant of foreign affairs. He also accuses them of being unwilling to listen to her allies and suggests that if Sparta had listened and trusted her allies when they had said they were likely to suffer from the Athenians instead of suspecting their motives then they would not be in this situation. "You did not call together this meeting of allies until the damage was done. You waited until now; when we are actually suffering from it." In this statement they lay the blame at Sparta's feet, claiming it is through hwould not be in this situation. "You did not call together this meeting of allies until the damage was done. You waited until now; when we are actually suffering from it." In this statement they lay the blame at Sparta's feet, claiming it is through hwould not be in this situation. "You did not call together this meeting of allies until the damage was done. You waited until now; when we are actuallsuffering from it." In this statement they lay the blame at Sparta's feet, claiming it is through hwould not be in this situation. "You did not call together this meeting of allies until the damage was done. You waited until now; when we are actualle says about the Spartans; "You are good at keeping things as they are; you never originate an idea, and your action tends to stop short of it's aim. Your nature is alw

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Approximate Word count = 1285
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)