Date of Award
5-2000
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Departmental Honors
Department
History
Abstract
Through the reading of histories characters are introduced that beg further study. Biographies on these individuals can provide the information often lacking in histories. Among the earliest biographies which can be studied alongside historical materials were those composed by the ancient Greeks. Despite many similarities between history and biography, early authors always considered them as distinct from one another. The differing manner in which these authors approached their subjects allows for those who read both to gain varying insights. Thus, through the reading of these ancient works readers can gain opposing interpretations of events and individuals. Among those works which can be compared are those of the historian Thucydides and the biographer Plutarch. Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War provides little insight into the characters he introduces. What he did provide was a present day account of those on whom he wrote and the events in which they participated. Plutarch who wrote some five-hundred years after the events occurred focused more heavily upon the characteristics of the individuals rather than the events. The time at which these authors wrote their works, their reliance upon others to aid their work, and their handling of individuals combine to emphasize their differences despite the many similarities that can be seen between the two forms of writing.
Recommended Citation
Neilson, Sarah Janine, "Character Portrayal in Historiography and Biography: A Comparison of Pericles and Alcibiades in the Writings of Thucydides and Plutarch" (2000). Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects. 1078.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/honors/1078
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Faculty Mentor
Not Specified