Suffering And Great In The German Perspective: The End Of Repair Past The Human Condition

This dissertation starts the consideration from Thucydides' definition of "the greatest war" and argues that the main criterion of greatness for this ancient Greek historian is human suffering. By analyzing several of the most illustrative episodes, the author attempts to make clear the fundamental relationship between sufferings and greatness in Thucydides'conception, and then discusses his attitude to the human condition.In Chapter One, by an analysis of the "Great Plague" (2.47-54), the author tries to find out how Thucydides, by sophisticated use of rhetoric, records those sufferings which did the most damage to the Athenians. Although familiar with the tradition of Greek medicine and poetry, Thucydides narrates the plague in Athens in a different way and with a different purpose from those of doctors and poets. He makes every endeavor to show his readers the truth of the human condition through the narratives of the "Great Plague", but it is hard for this type of text to please the contemporary audience. Probably, Thucydides avoids presenting his work among the public. He writes it down simply for private reading.In Chapter Two, following the discussion on despair in the Athenian plague, the author further clarifies the arguments about Fortune and Hope presented in the "Mytilene Debate", the "Melian Dialogue", and the "Debate at Athens before the Sicilian Expedition". In these episodes, Thucydides shows that human speeches and deeds are all based on their hope while hope is essentially inspired by Eros. As Thucydides sees it, Eros is not only the impulse to the Athenians'great enterprise, but also the cause of their sufferings. After Pericles'death, the Athenians'unrestrained desire resulted in the Sicilian expedition and finally led to a huge failure and much pain. Having been deeply influenced by the tragic spirit, Thucydides characterizes Athens as a heroic figure who sustains a lot of sufferings because of her desire.In Chapter Three, after the study of the "Great Plague", the author offers a close reading of "Pericles'Funeral Oration" (2.35-46) and "Pericles'Last Speech" (2.60-64), and interprets the narrative structure in these three interrelated episodes. Thucydides deliberately inserts the "Great Plague" in the middle of the two speeches in order to display how Pericles, under different situations, persuaded the Athenians to love their city-state and to undergo various sufferings for the purpose of marvelous achievements as well as everlasting memory. Through the mouth of Pericles, Thucydides conveys his own idea:the struggle to become the strongest in the present contest will be the memory of future generations. Underlying this idea is Thucydides' own belief in the binding relationship between greatness and sufferings in human history.In Chapter Four, the author turns to the "Archaeology" (1.2-19), which is regarded as the "introduction" to Thucydides' work. Through a discussion of the ring composition used in the "Archaeology", Thucydides'cyclic view of the human history is disclosed. Because of their desire for power, men hope to attain marvelous achievements which lead to recurrent disasters and destruction. Thucydides chooses to record those genuine sufferings in the contemporary war as his best way to indicate his readers the reality of the world. His aim is to let the future generations recall his narrative when they are in the similar situation.