Ancient Historians · Part 8 · Thucydides · B2
Thucydides III: The Sicilian Expedition
Part 8 of Ancient Historians: in 415 BCE, Athens sent the largest fleet in its history to conquer Sicily. The brilliant, reckless Alcibiades argued for it; the cautious Nicias argued against it and was put in command. Two years later, the whole army was destroyed: “of many, few returned home.” The future in the past (was going to, would, was to, was about to), the language of ambition, warning and disaster, with Philo, Sophia, Marcos and Demetria.
After Melos, Athens felt it could do anything. So it decided to conquer the rich island of Sicily, far away in the west. Thucydides tells this story like a tragedy: a great debate, a bad omen, a brilliant leader recalled, a cautious leader trapped, and a disaster.
Everything, Marcos. And Thucydides tells it knowing how it will end, so the whole story is full of what was going to happen. Tonight’s grammar is the future in the past: the grammar of looking back at mistakes before they were made.
The grammar of every prophet who was not believed.
In 415 BCE, the Athenian assembly debated an expedition to conquer Sicily. Alcibiades, young, rich, brilliant and ambitious, argued passionately for it. Nicias, an older, cautious general, argued against it, warning that it was dangerous to start a new war so far away while Sparta was still undefeated. When he tried to discourage the Athenians by saying how many ships and men it would need, they voted to send even more, and made him one of the commanders, with Alcibiades…
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