Revolution

This leads to the question, why does Thucydides only discuss the first revolution and the first plague? The whole Hellenic world revolted against the established government at one point in the war, so why was not each revolution significant enough to be described? He attributed the plague to have surfaced in Egypt before ravaging Athens; however he does not elaborate on the spread to the remainder of the Hellenic world. Also he only mentions the second plague that ravaged Athens in passing. Perhaps his revelations from studying the first two occurrences resulted on such a dismal note, death, and he no longer desired to rationalize on the matters any further.

The theme and the lesson that Thucydides desires to pass onto his reader are the same: Revolution induces men to turn on their brothers, fathers, and neighbors; human characteristics morph in ways which embrace the evils induced by revolution. The significance of this subject is personified in Thucydides’ use of the writing elements of style, language, and structure. These elements are used in a similar way as the passage concerning the plague; however, they contrast sharply with the remaining of the text. This could be viewed as a form of symbolism: revolution alters human nature so deeply that even Thucydides was compelled to alter his writing to further impress upon his reader to proceed with caution when in the midst of revolution.