Thucydides Sparta Quotes & Sayings

The growth of the power of Athens, and the alarm which this inspired in Sparta, made war inevitable. — Thucydides

When a rapidly rising power rivals an established ruling power, trouble ensues. In 11 of 15 cases in which this has occurred in the past 500 years, the result was war. The great Greek historian Thucydides identified these structural stresses as the primary cause of the war between Athens and Sparta in ancient Greece. In his oft-quoted insight, "It was the rise of Athens and the fear that this inspired in Sparta that made war inevitable." — Graham T. Allison

What made the war inevitable was the growth of Athenian power and the fear which this caused in Sparta. — Thucydides