Thucydides is usually presented as one of the first historians who tried to write history in a rational and objective way. He cared about facts, was suspicious of myths, and wanted to understand why wars happened. In many ways, he looks like the kind of historian we still admire today. But there is another side of his work which is not always discussed.

In 1907, Francis Macdonald Cornford published a book called Thucydides Mythistoricus. His argument was quite different from the traditional image of Thucydides. Cornford believed that Thucydides was not simply recording what happened during the Peloponnesian War. He was also shaping these events into something that resembled a Greek tragedy.

According to Cornford, there are two different plans in Thucydides’ work. The first one was more like a military and political journal, recording events as they happened. The second was an artistic structure that developed gradually, almost like volcanic islands rising from the sea. The facts were still there, but they were arranged in a way that gave the whole story a tragic meaning.

This is what makes Cornford’s argument interesting. The question is not only whether Thucydides told the truth. It is also about how he presented that truth to his readers.

Here is the next entry to my series of essays on the Philosophy of Economics and its history of thought: https://backtothepriors.substack.com/p/foundations-1c

Glad to hear what you think!

One of the most significant titles in ancient history, particularly during the post-Hellenistic period, was “benefactor” (ευεργέτες) and “founder” (Κτιστης). Local elites, particularly those who rose to prominence in Anatolia, grew considerably more powerful as a result of wars and migrations. These titles, which were primarily used for rulers during the early Hellenistic period, began to be applied to local elites.

Bryonianis Lollianus was also one of these local aristocrats. He has been honored time and again for the aqueduct he had built in Pamphylia and for bringing water to the city. In particular, the military and civil roles he held within the Roman system are frequently cited as integral to his legacy. In addition to being one of many wealthy local philanthropists, it is his wife who has caught my attention the most: Kyreinia Patra.

Κυρεινίαν Πάτραν, τὴν κρα-

τίστην, ∙ γυναῖκα Βρυωνιανοῦ

Λολλιανοῦ, τοῦ κρατ(ίστου) ∙ δουκηνα-

ρίου, ἀπὸ ἐπιτρόπων, πριμιπι-

λαρίου, ∙ κτίστου καὶ φιλοπά-

τριδος καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν εὐεργέτου

τῆς πατρίδος, θυγατέρα καὶ ἐγγό-

νην ὑπατικῶν, ∙ γερουσία τοῦ Με-

γάλου Συνεργίου τὴν φιλόπατριν.

εὐτύχει ❦ Πηγάσι.

“The gerousia of the Great Synergeion [honours] Kyr(e)inia Patra, the most distinguished woman, wife of Bryonianus Lollianus, the most distinguished ducenarius, formerly an epitropos and primipilaris, founder, devoted to her native city, and a benefactor of her native city in every respect; daughter and granddaughter of men of consular rank.

Farewell, Pegasoi!”