Thucydides’ Historical Narrative in the Comtemporary Historiography

Thucydides was nicknamed the “father of scientific historiography” by professional historians in 19th century Germany. However, in the 20th century, a perspective emerged that emphasized that his History as primarily a narrative of the decline of Athens in the fifth century BC. This article aims to identify the narrative elements present in his History, using it as case study to question why his work is classified as history. In other words, the main theme of this paper is to explore the unique characteristics of Thucydides' “historical” narrative. Firstly, focusing on the fact that History is also a reconstruction based on his memories, identifying the manifestations of the historian's temporal consciousness as narrative time, historical narrative time, and historical time. Additionally, the concept of tyche(chance) and eikos (Probablity) in historical narratives, examining how hybris (arrogance) and nemesis (divine punishment) intersect with tyche(chance), a principle that permeates entirety of History. Finally, by analysing the historian's mode of explanation and the active audience it engages, recognizing that narrative is ultimately shaped by the interaction between historian and readers. Moving forward, contemporary historiography must transcent the longstanding debate over whether history is literature or science. It should acknowledge the narrative nature of history while also seeking to uncover the uniqueness of “historical” narratives and expanding the discussion to include how history should be read.