THE USE AND ABUSE OF THUCYDIDES IN INTERNATIONAL-RELATIONS

Thucydides' role as father of realist and neorealist theory in international relations is often misperceived. Careful examination of key episodes and commentary from Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War shows that Thucydides offers an alternative conception of the roles of national character, individual character, political rhetoric, and morality, than that of either realism or neorealism. This can be seen by sketching a picture of Thucydidean scholarship in international relations and then providing some examples from current international relations scholarship that in some ways approximate that picture. Thucydides' History can provide a useful guide for ''layering'' different theories and perspectives in the analysis of international relations, a practice that may make such analysis more meaningful and useful, especially for practitioners.