Today's Passage
This passage comes from Thucydides' analysis of the civil war (stasis) in Corcyra (427 BCE), which became a paradigm for the breakdown of civilized values during the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
Thus every form of iniquity took root in the Hellenic countries by reason of the troubles. The ancient simplicity into which honour so largely entered was laughed down and disappeared; and society became divided into camps in which no man trusted his fellow. To put an end to this, there was neither promise to be depended upon, nor oath that could command respect; but all parties dwelling rather in their calculation upon the hopelessness of a permanent state of things, were more intent upon self-defence than capable of confidence. In this contest the blunter wits were most successful. Apprehensive of their own deficiencies and of the cleverness of their antagonists, they feared to be worsted in debate and to be surprised by the combinations of their more versatile opponents, and so at once boldly had recourse to action: while their adversaries, arrogantly thinking that they should know in time, and that it was unnecessary to secure by action what policy afforded, often fell victims to their want of precaution.
Meanwhile Corcyra gave the first example of most of the crimes alluded to; of the reprisals exacted by the governed who had never experienced equitable treatment or indeed aught but insolence from their rulers—when their hour came; of the iniquitous resolves of those who desired to get rid of their accustomed poverty, and ardently coveted their neighbours’ goods; and lastly, of the savage and pitiless excesses into which men who had begun the struggle, not in a class but in a party spirit, were hurried by their ungovernable passions. In the confusion into which life was now thrown in the cities, human nature, always rebelling against the law and now its master, gladly showed itself ungoverned in passion, above respect for justice, and the enemy of all superiority; since revenge would not have been set above religion, and gain above justice, had it not been for the fatal power of envy. Indeed men too often take upon themselves in the prosecution of their revenge to set the example of doing away with those general laws to which all alike can look for salvation in adversity, instead of allowing them to subsist against the day of danger when their aid may be required.
Modern Translation
Thus, due to these upheavals, every kind of moral corruption spread throughout the Greek world. The old-fashioned integrity, in which honor played such a vital role, became an object of mockery and vanished entirely. Society split into hostile factions where mutual trust was impossible. No promise could be relied upon to end this situation, no oath commanded respect. Instead, all parties, calculating that no stable order was possible, focused more on protecting themselves than on building confidence with others. In this struggle, those of duller intellect proved most successful. Aware of their own limitations and their opponents' cleverness, they feared being outmaneuvered in argument or caught off-guard by their more agile adversaries' schemes. So they immediately resorted to bold action. Meanwhile, their opponents, arrogantly assuming they would anticipate any threat and that clever planning made direct action unnecessary, often fell victim to their own overconfidence.
Corcyra provided the first instance of most of these atrocities: the revenge taken by the oppressed, who had known only contempt rather than fair treatment from their rulers, when their moment arrived; the unjust schemes of those desperate to escape poverty who greedily desired their neighbors' possessions; and finally, the brutal and merciless extremes to which men were driven by uncontrollable emotions—men who had entered the conflict motivated not by class interests but by partisan fury. In the chaos that now engulfed city life, human nature—always straining against legal restraints and now freed from them—eagerly displayed its enslavement to passion, its contempt for justice, and its hostility to all authority. For neither revenge would have been valued above piety, nor profit above justice, if not for envy's destructive influence. Indeed, in pursuing vengeance, people readily abolish those universal laws that offer everyone hope of rescue in times of crisis, rather than preserving them for that future day when they themselves might need their protection.
Historical Context
This passage comes from Thucydides' analysis of the civil war (stasis) in Corcyra (427 BCE), which became a paradigm for the breakdown of civilized values during the Peloponnesian War. The conflict began when Corcyra's democratic faction, backed by Athens, clashed with oligarchs supported by Corinth and Sparta. What started as a political dispute descended into savage violence, with mass executions, betrayals, and the complete collapse of social order. Thucydides uses Corcyra as a case study to examine how war corrupts human nature and destroys traditional moral values. This section represents his most profound psychological and sociological analysis, showing how external war precipitates internal conflict, and how political violence becomes self-perpetuating once unleashed. The passage is central to understanding Thucydides' dark view of human nature under extreme stress.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Stasis in Ancient Greece
Stasis (civil strife) was a recurring phenomenon in Greek city-states, involving violent conflict between democratic and oligarchic factions. These internal wars often proved more destructive than external conflicts, as they shattered the bonds of community and unleashed cycles of revenge that could last generations.
Learn more →Corcyraean Civil War
The civil war in Corcyra (modern Corfu) erupted in 427 BCE between pro-Athenian democrats and pro-Corinthian oligarchs. The violence escalated into indiscriminate slaughter, with citizens killing fellow citizens in temples and public spaces, shocking even hardened contemporary observers.
Learn more →Human Nature in Thucydides
Thucydides presents a pessimistic view of human nature (physis), arguing that beneath the veneer of civilization lie primal drives for power, security, and revenge. When social constraints collapse, these darker impulses emerge with devastating consequences.
Learn more →Greek Honor Culture
The 'ancient simplicity' Thucydides mentions refers to traditional aristocratic values centered on honor (timē), reciprocity, and trust. These values, which had governed Greek society for centuries, were casualties of the cynical realpolitik emerging during the Peloponnesian War.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Aristotle: Politics (Book 5, Chapter 3)
Aristotle analyzes the causes of stasis and revolution in Greek cities, providing a more systematic treatment of the psychological and social factors Thucydides describes narratively.
Read passage →Plato: Republic (Book 8, 556e-557a)
Plato's description of how democracy degenerates into tyranny echoes Thucydides' analysis of how political conflict destroys moral restraints and unleashes the worst human impulses.
Read passage →Polybius: Histories (Book 6, Chapter 57)
Polybius discusses how internal discord weakens states more than external enemies, developing themes similar to Thucydides' analysis of stasis as a form of political pathology.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Thucydides' claim that 'blunter wits were most successful' challenge conventional ideas about intelligence and political success? What modern parallels might we draw?
- What role does envy play in Thucydides' analysis of social breakdown? How does this psychological insight relate to contemporary political polarization?
- Thucydides suggests people destroy the very laws that might save them in the future. How does this self-destructive behavior manifest in modern democracies?
- Is Thucydides' view of human nature unnecessarily pessimistic, or does the recurring pattern of civil conflicts throughout history validate his analysis?