Episodes
Friday Jun 09, 2023
Thucydiocy Episode 10: Vines, Olives, Barbarism and Civilisation
Friday Jun 09, 2023
Friday Jun 09, 2023
"The peoples of the Mediterranean began to emerge from barbarism when they learned to cultivate the olive and the vine." Well, it could have come from Thucydides' account of the early development of Greece, but it doesn't; why do all the wine writers think it does, then?
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
Thucydiocy Episode 9:Keeping Feasts and Reprimanding Friends
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
Who knew that Thucydides had wise words to say about the duty to call out your friends when they're out of order, or to support the Christian condemnation of public festivals?
Tuesday Jun 28, 2022
Thucydiocy Episode 8: The Tyranny Athens imposed...
Tuesday Jun 28, 2022
Tuesday Jun 28, 2022
...on others, it eventually imposed on itself." A key quote for journalist Chris Hedges in analysing the present state of the USA - but if it's not actually Thucydides (who never wrote about the rule of the Thirty Tyrants in Athens), who was it?
Friday May 13, 2022
Thucydiocy Episode 7: Punish False Accusers...
Friday May 13, 2022
Friday May 13, 2022
"You should punish those who commit crimes in the same manner as those who accuse falsely" - which doesn't actually make much sense if you think about it, quite apart from the fact that there's no trace of this idea in Thucydides.
Thursday Mar 24, 2022
Thucydiocy Episode 6: Justice will not come to Athens...
Thursday Mar 24, 2022
Thursday Mar 24, 2022
...until those who are not injured are as outraged as those who are. Thucydides? Ben Franklin? Socrates? No, it's someone much more interesting: the sixth-century BCE Athenian poet and statesman Solon. Never heard of him? This is why you should...
Friday Mar 20, 2020
Thucydiocy Episode 5: Hope is Expensive
Friday Mar 20, 2020
Friday Mar 20, 2020
"Hope is an expensive commodity. It makes better sense to be prepared." A topical quote for a time of global pandemic - and at least half of it is genuine Thucydides. The other half is arguably more interesting...
Friday Aug 30, 2019
Thucydiocy Episode 4: Teaching by Examples
Friday Aug 30, 2019
Friday Aug 30, 2019
"History is philosophy teaching by examples." The good news: it's a genuinely ancient line, rather than a modern quote that's been misattributed to Thucydides. The bad news: it's still a misattribution...
Tuesday Jul 23, 2019
Thucydiocy Episode 3: Manifestations of Power
Tuesday Jul 23, 2019
Tuesday Jul 23, 2019
"Of all manifestations of power, restraint impresses men most": not Thucydides, whatever Colin Powell thought - but was it Menander, Quintilian, Proverbs, or the Swami Vivekananda..?
Monday Jul 01, 2019
Thucydiocy Episode 2: Peace and War
Monday Jul 01, 2019
Monday Jul 01, 2019
'Peace is only an armistice in an endless war.' It's just SO Thucydides, isn't it? Certainly the writers of Wonder Woman thought so, as did Graham Allison, of 'Thucydides Trap' fame. But it isn't...
Thursday Jun 13, 2019
Thucydiocy Episode 1: Scholars and Warriors
Thursday Jun 13, 2019
Thursday Jun 13, 2019
'The society that separates its scholars from its warriors...' - not Thucydides, as is often claimed on Twitter, but who is it? Neville Morley investigates, with occasional interruptions from his cats.