The Straussian Thucydides

This chapter introduces the interpretive approach of Leo Strauss and his followers to Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War. It outlines the philosophical assumptions that underlie Straussian readings, while emphasizing certain similarities with the main lines of contemporary Thucydides scholarship. It next examines key elements of the Straussian reading of Thucydides, focusing primarily on Clifford Orwin's treatment of the puzzling relationship between the power–political position expressed by Athenian spokesmen throughout the work and the humanity of Thucydides himself. The chapter concludes with an attempt to locate Strauss’ reading of the “historian” Thucydides within his broader critique of modernity, including the historical consciousness, as well as his avowed goal of reviving classical political rationalism as an alternative to modern political thought.