1.) Read the primary source: excerpts from The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides. (Theres video thats said could be helpful called “The Persians and the Greeks,” which talks about this excerpt.
2.) Evaluate the primary source by answering the following questions in two or three paragraphs:
Who wrote the text? Be careful to distinguish between the author and events.
Who was the author’s intended audience?
What was his purpose in writing the text? Think about audience and genre.
What does this text tell you about the values and daily lives of the people of ancient Greece? Give specific examples.
Do the ideas and values conveyed in the text differ from today? If so, in what ways?
3.) In a concluding paragraph, you will try to reconcile the two differing portraits of Athens found in the excerpts. What is the author trying to tell you about his home city? What is he trying to say about democracy?
