History of the Peloponnesian War | Teaching Key Figures

Character Descriptions

This section provides a short description of all the major characters in the book. This can be printed out as a study guide for students, used as a "key" for leading a class discussion, or you can jump to the quiz/homework section to find worksheets that incorporate these descriptions into a variety of question formats.

Characters

Thucydides - Author of the book, History of the Peloponnesian War

Hermocrates - His counsel in Syracuse persuades that Athens is on the attack and he counsels that preparations begin for friendly alliances against the expected attack.

Themistocles - Apparently of poor upbringing, he lacks formal education but possesses a keen mind and powerful analytical skills. He is prominent in the Athenian democracy during the period covered by the text's Pentecontaetia and persuades the Athenians to greatly expand their navy. His decisions appear to have been largely correct and, under his...
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