Thucydides and Grand Strategy

by Will · February 24, 2011

Will

Will writes from Washington, D.C. (well, Arlington, Virginia). You can reach him at willblogcorrespondence at gmail dot com.

Rufus F. says:

February 24, 2011 at 11:30 am

It’s a cool link. I should say that I only really appear to be a classicist because I’ve been going through the canon so slowly.Report
Kyle Mathews says:

February 27, 2011 at 11:20 am

It is an interesting take, thanks for the link Will (and Rufus, for your post) enjoyable reads both.

(sidenote) For whatever the differences in internal composition between Athens and Sparta I’m always a little disappointed in how unchallenged a natural American proclivity to see democratic Athens as our historical counterpart is. The striking thing to me, at least in a cold war context, is how similar the Delian league was to the Warsaw Pact. Athens’ treatment of her allies was at times as ruthless and ideological as Moscow.

I did find the treatment of personal and distant fear to be incredibly interesting and agree that Kagan’s peloponnesian war is a good read and great introduction to the subject.Report
- Will in reply to Kyle Mathews says:
  
  February 27, 2011 at 11:28 am
  
  Glad somebody is reading Rufus’s consistently excellent posts. Every time he puts up another entry on the classics that gets like three comments, I lose a little bit more faith in the internet.Report
- BlaiseP in reply to Kyle Mathews says:
  
  February 27, 2011 at 11:29 am
  
  What could possibly compare to Sparta in these times?
  
  They made us study the Sicilian Expedition in the Army. Wars sometimes turn on the opinions of the bystanders.Report