Thucydides declares that Nicias was “a man who, of all the Hellenes in my time, least deserved to come to so miserable an end, since the whole of his life had been devoted to the study and practice of virtue” (7.86). How does Thucydides develop Nicias as a tragic figure, and how does Thucydides utilize this figure within his narrative of the Athenians’ disastrous Sicilian expedition? In your response, focus upon the text of Thucydides, but engage too with the Trojan Women in order to identify contemporary Athenian understandings of the tragic (begin with Hecuba’s speech, 1156-1206).

At the end of book seven, Thucydides declares that Nicias was “a man who, of all the Hellenes in my time, least deserved to come to so miserable an end, since the whole of his life had been devoted to the study and practice of virtue” (7.86). How does Thucydides develop Nicias as a tragic figure, and how does Thucydides utilize this figure within his narrative of the Athenians’ disastrous Sicilian expedition? In your response, focus upon the text of Thucydides, but engage too with the Trojan Women in order to identify contemporary Athenian understandings of the tragic (begin with Hecuba’s speech, 1156-1206).

 

Your essay should present YOUR interpretive claim in response to the prompt above. It should be well organized, coherent, and concise. Your essay should NOT consist of plot summary, off-topic discussion, Wikipedia articles, or the like. Consult the grading rubric for further details.

 

In your essay, you should discuss specific passages from Thucydides and Euripides’ Trojan Women in support of your claims and in illustration of your points. You must provide parenthetical citations throughout in order to document amply your evidence. Citations must be relevant and essential to the point you are making. In addition, you must refer to at least two of the secondary sources with which you have been provided. Use the secondary sources to frame your own argument, rather than as a substitute for your argument. Do this sort of thing: ‘Although Rood argues xyz, I instead will demonstrate abc’ or ‘Stahl shows how Thucydides in book six does abc, and in book seven Thucydides similarly does cba. Cba is significant because…’ Do not do this sort of thing: ‘I believe abc because Gribble says abc therefore abc.’ See, below, for citation guidelines.

 

 

Your essay should be at least five FULL, double-spaced pages, composed in MS Word, 12-point, Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins. At the top of your first page, in a single line, provide your name, the course name (LIT 370.01), and the assignment (essay two), as: Student Name LIT 370.01 essay two.

 

Citations of ancient authors should be given in parentheses at the end of a sentence, such as: Thucydides praises Nicias for his lifelong virtue (Thuc. 7.86). Hecuba declares that Hector’s shield is hateful for her to look at (Trojan Women 1156-57).

 

A reference should be an accurate paraphrase of the passage you cite, BUT NOT a direct quotation. For example: Thucydides praises Nicias for his lifelong virtue (Thuc. 7.86).

 

Citations of secondary works should be given in parentheses at the end of a sentence, such as: Although Rood argues xyz, I instead will demonstrate abc (Rood 72-77). Provide the author’s last name and relevant page numbers. Provide also a list of references at the end of your essay: any standard format is acceptable, but be consistent.

 

NO direct quotations are required for this essay.