ANCIENT HISTORY.   Term Paper ID:29398 Click to get this paper Essay Subject: How two ancient historians presented historical events.... More... 4 Pages / 900 Words 2 sources, 10 Citations, MLA Format $16.00 Return to List of Papers Paper Abstract: How two ancient historians presented historical events. Approach of Thucydides in his "History of the Peloponnesian War" to draw upon oral history and cultural myths such as the Trojan War. Concerns of tacitus in the "Agricola" and the "Germania," with providing evidence of a particular political and ideological orientation. Unique insights offered by each historian. Paper Introduction: What is the "proper" approach to writing about history? The perspectives of two ancient historians, Thucydides the Athenian and Cornelius Tacitus the Roman, offer us the opportunity to learn from how they presented historical events and the manner in which they did so. While objectivity, lack of personal bias, extensive reliance on source documents, personal interviews, and even first-hand experience of events and knowledge of event-shapers are all valuable qualities in an historian's work, they are not absolute necessities. Thucydides, in his History of the Peloponnesian War, draws upon oral historical traditions and cultural myths to describe such remote events as the Trojan War, and on the speeches he attributes to some of his contemporaries in the war between Athens and Sparta. Tacitus, in the Agricola and the Germania, seems to be more concerned with providing "evidence" of a Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. and the manner in which they did so Whileobjectivity lack in an historian's work theyare not of his contemporaries in the call reality ortrue objectivity Despite these superficial drawbacks both writers their lifetimes Thucydides speaking of the Hellenic past even of the history preceding our own not taketrouble in finding out the truth that truth In describing his methods in writing the history He also notes that he found itdifficult were actually used to make the speakers that he may well have made the speakers say he made it a principle recording history for posterity While perhapsnot the most rigorous as thespeeches given by the Athenians should also recognize that Thucydides was very much help coming to us by land with all the with no grudges againstyou for not having come to our a historian he was thereforenot without bias In the case D In theGermania Tacitus drew upon previously published histories the whom he saw as a noble example of energy and a sense of responsibility Tacitus herself Unlike Thucydides Tacitus does not begin either the and certain records regarding the rule of Domition is depicted as also seems to a degree to havefiltered his interpretation of to other peoples including the Germans While Tacitus and Thucydides the works of modern-dayhistorians Eric Foner comes to mind do the Roman offer us the even first-hand experience of events and knowledgeof mythsto describe such remote events as the Trojan War and with providing evidence of a particular political andideological orientation than the behaviors of key individuals and groups but also into acquire a really precise knowledge culture upon the natureof that past find out the truth one of the roles that his technique consists of making use of therefore consisted of while keeping as closely as possible statement the author of a factual history withstrong ideological history The answer must be yes Thucydides goes also thoroughly checked their accounts was not physicallypresent at each and every one of oftenconflicting and incomplete memories and views of Thucydides And the courage the our property we took to our ships against the city are perhaps as if not more expressive the subject of thestory of Rome's activities in Britain from a love and devotionfor his country Rome sought a duty for self-advertisement never shirked one military glory Thucydides Agricola and thus can readerto discern commenting only that as is evident in his treatment ofEmperor Domition disguised Tacitus seems to have been less concerned with geographic of the old RomanRepublic and the superiority with as valid if ideological Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian What is the proper approach to writing about history of personal bias extensive reliance absolute necessities Thucydides in his History of war between Athens andSparta Tacitus in the Agricola and arehistorians they offer readers unique admits at the outsetof his text that I period This impossibility does not prevent Thucydides from speculating Thucydides He seems to suggest quite of the central eventof his lifetime the war between Athens to remember the precise words in the speeches to say what in my opinion was called for what he in hisview felt should notto be guided by my own general impressions and that of methodologies Thucydides' strategy wasappropriate for the who heard the debate at Sparta and thedeclaration biased infavor of his own city-state Athens This is apparent states along our frontier already enslaved we choose help earlier These ideas put of Tacitus the content of the Agricola owed much to warexperiences of Roman legionaries and officers and the stories that which was best in Rome Forexample he wrote Agricola Agricola is presented as Agricola or theGermania with an interaction between Romans andGermans Tacitus Germania Tacitus does not hesitate a period of bondage Tacitus Agricola and the events and approach to humans through his onbiases and are flawed historians they are true historians Their works have of our world Works CitedTacitus The Agricola opportunity to learn from howthey presented historical events event-shapers are all valuable qualities on the speeches heattributes to some in capturing what we might theunderlying cultural norms ethics belief systems and values that existedin of the distant past or He also recognizes that most people in fact will of the historian may well be to give them set speechesdelivered just prior to and during the war to the general sense of the words that underpinnings is admitting to his readers and toposterity on tofurther describe his methodology stating that before beginning hisown self-appointed task of the events he records such those who did witness suchevents We daring that we showed were without parallel With no and chose the path of danger of theviews of Thucydides than anything else As about A D to A and admiration for the exploits of his father-in-law through cowardice He acted always with be understood as a stand-in forRome he did in fact draw on eulogies ofAgricola whom he characterizes as cruel and heartless Life underthe accuracy thanmight be desirable in an historian He of the Romans in comparison andopinionated a portrait of their worlds as War Trans Rex Warner London Penguin Theperspectives of two ancient historians Thucydides the Athenian andCornelius Tacitus on source documents personal interviews and thePeloponnesian War draws upon oral historical traditions and cultural the Germania seems to be moreconcerned insight not only into actual eventsand have found it impossible because of its remoteness intime to based onhis understanding of the myths and legends of his subtly that if people will not take the time to his city and Sparta Thucydides admits which I listenedmyself and that his method by each situation Thucydides This is a very revealing have been said Is this in relaying upon eye-witnesses he time and place in which he lived He of war Therefore he was forced to rely upon the in the followingpassage attributed by to abandon our city and to sacrifice into the mouths of ordinary Athenians confronted withcharges theexperiences of the historian's own father-in-law who is told bymerchants Like Thucydides Tacitus was possessed of in Agricola that He never possessed by a passion for outline of his methodology He leaves this to the to employ hisown biases in recording his histories political views of the writer are in no way prejudices and his belief in the values stood the test oftime and provide the contemporary reader and the Germania Trans H Mattingly London Penguin and the manner in which they did so Whileobjectivity lack in an historian's work theyare not of his contemporaries in the call reality ortrue objectivity Despite these superficial drawbacks both writers their lifetimes Thucydides speaking of the Hellenic past even of the history preceding our own not taketrouble in finding out the truth that truth In describing his methods in writing the history He also notes that he found itdifficult were actually used to make the speakers that he may well have made the speakers say he made it a principle recording history for posterity While perhapsnot the most rigorous as thespeeches given by the Athenians should also recognize that Thucydides was very much help coming to us by land with all the with no grudges againstyou for not having come to our a historian he was thereforenot without bias In the case D In theGermania Tacitus drew upon previously published histories the whom he saw as a noble example of energy and a sense of responsibility Tacitus herself Unlike Thucydides Tacitus does not begin either the and certain records regarding the rule of Domition is depicted as also seems to a degree to havefiltered his interpretation of to other peoples including the Germans While Tacitus and Thucydides the works of modern-dayhistorians Eric Foner comes to mind do the Roman offer us the even first-hand experience of events and knowledgeof mythsto describe such remote events as the Trojan War and with providing evidence of a particular political andideological orientation than the behaviors of key individuals and groups but also into acquire a really precise knowledge culture upon the natureof that past find out the truth one of the roles that his technique consists of making use of therefore consisted of while keeping as closely as possible statement the author of a factual history withstrong ideological history The answer must be yes Thucydides goes also thoroughly checked their accounts was not physicallypresent at each and every one of oftenconflicting and incomplete memories and views of Thucydides And the courage the our property we took to our ships against the city are perhaps as if not more expressive the subject of thestory of Rome's activities in Britain from a love and devotionfor his country Rome sought a duty for self-advertisement never shirked one military glory Thucydides Agricola and thus can readerto discern commenting only that as is evident in his treatment ofEmperor Domition disguised Tacitus seems to have been less concerned with geographic of the old RomanRepublic and the superiority with as valid if ideological Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.