Pericles on Democracy: Thucydides 2.37.1

Understanding the role of democracy in Thucydides’ history depends to a large extent on 2.37.1 in the Periclean Funeral Oration. Four ostensibly minor stylistic features of the passage show that Thucydides represented Pericles as praising Athenian democracy but carefully embedding his comments in a wider discussion of Athenian mores (ἐπιτηδεύματα) and characteristics (τρόποι). These account for much of Athens’ endurance and resilience during the war, but have the ironic effect of prolonging the war and increasing the loss and suffering it caused.