THUCYDIDES, SON OF OLOROS, OF HALIMOUS

Source: https://aienaristeyein.com/2016/02/07/θουκυδιδησ-ιστοριαι-η-μέθοδος-του-θου/

Thucydides, son of Oloros, of Halimous was born in the deme of Halimous around 460 BC and died a violent death no later than 395 BC. His father was Oloros from Thrace, a wealthy owner of gold mines at Skapti Hyli on Mount Pangaion, who was granted citizenship in the Attic deme of Halimous and was a financial backer of Athens. His mother was Hegesippe, who came from the family of Miltiades.

In 424 BC he was exiled from Athens because he failed to keep Amphipolis within the Athenian alliance. He spent the years of his exile on his estates in Thrace, while also travelling to collect and verify information.

It was in that period that he began to write about the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC). Of the twenty-seven years of the war he was finally able to write about twenty, but with his work he inaugurated scientific historiography.

Thucydides focused on the search for deeper causes, on critical thinking and on systematic objectivity. He placed human beings as the sole subject of history and left the role of the gods and of fate outside the development of historical events.

Shortly after the disaster of 404 BC he returned to Athens and died suddenly in an unknown place, which is why his history breaks off abruptly. His bones were taken to Athens and buried in the Cimonian tombs.

Since 1984 the figure of the great historian has been the emblem of the Municipality of Alimos, and since 1985 an international academic symposium on Thucydides has been held.