Greek History Book on the Sparta-Athens War
'Thucydides Trap', Still Frequently Cited Today
On the 7th, Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice, who embarked on a business trip to Europe, attracted attention for the thick book he was holding at the time of departure. The title written in English on the red hardcover is "History of the Peloponnesian War." It is a book about the war fought 2,500 years ago between the Greek city-states Athens and Sparta over regional hegemony, originally written by the ancient Greek historian Thucydides.
A Historical Book Covering the Sparta-Athens War
The cover of the History of the Peloponnesian War captured by cameras that day is written in English, but it is actually the Korean edition translated in 2011 by Cheon Byung-hee, an emeritus professor of the College of Humanities at Dankook University.
The History of the Peloponnesian War is a book recording extensive content. The original work consists of eight volumes. The writing process began with Thucydides and continued through Xenophon, a student of Socrates.
Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon holding the Peloponnesian War book in his hand while departing on the 7th [Photo by Yonhap News]
The Peloponnesian War lasted from 431 BC to 404 BC. The two cities that led the war were Athens, a maritime city of Greece, and Sparta, which had a small but powerful military force.
Major reviews of this book include statements such as "It uncovers the truth of the Peloponnesian War through a political realism perspective that views interstate relations based on hegemony," and "It provides the most rigorous and objective testimony about the fate and horrors experienced by the two Greek city-states."
The 'Thucydides Trap' That Is Still Constantly Referenced Today
During the Peloponnesian War, Athens controlled the Greek seas, while Sparta dominated the land. However, as Athens gradually rose as a strong power by accumulating national wealth through maritime trade, internal anxiety within Sparta intensified, eventually leading to war, which is the prevailing interpretation.
This pattern of war outbreak led to the creation of the term "Thucydides Trap." It means that when a rising power emerges, the existing dominant power inevitably becomes wary, and this process can lead to war.
The Thucydides Trap continues to be frequently referenced even recently. In 2018, the British financial media "Financial Times" (FT) selected "Thucydides Trap" as the term of the year. That year marked the beginning of intensified trade friction between the United States and China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping also mentioned the "Thucydides Trap" in a lecture in Seattle, USA, in 2015. At that time, he said, "There is originally no such thing as the Thucydides Trap in the world. But if strategic miscalculations occur between great powers, they end up creating the Thucydides Trap themselves," adding, "When three people gather, they make up tigers that do not exist and claim that neighbors stole their axes." This was an argument that the U.S.'s caution and fear regarding China's rise could cause friction between the two countries.
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