Considering the Claim of Thucydides. Will his work last forever?

One thing that I found to be one of the most intriguing aspects of Thucydides work was his quote: “My work is not a piece of writing designed to meet the taste of an immediate public, but was done to last for ever.” The idea, that he is writing objectively and possibly touching on general truths about the nature of power that is still relevant today is a very tantalizing proposition for anyone interested in the study of IR. Following this, I was interesting in seeing to what degree we can find examples of the themes brought up by Thucydides in current events.

Thucydides asserts that the Peloponnesian Wars were inevitable due to the rising power of Athens at the expense of Sparta and that all other reasons for the war are really just branches of that root issue of a power struggle. This seems to mirror much of the interests vs. values debate still existent today in which actors may find “moral” or “ideological” reasons to go into conflict but there are also the ever present interests of those same actors. Furthermore, Thucydides described the various countries caught between the two powers. The Melian Dialogue served as an excellent example of a country being forced to take a side due to its geographic relation to the two superpowers. This very much mirrors the cold war in which many countries were pulled into the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. Even today we see examples of this like those countries caught between the EU and Russia. Ukraine quickly comes to mind here. 

Of course there is a significant point to be made about the relative rising power of some states which are seen as non-threatening by the United States. Although if one considers the idea of hegemonic institutions. One might consider the possibility that in order for a nation to be viewed as non-threatening it must abide by certain values and share certain interests with the hegemony. This might to some be seen as a sort of soft coercion. Interestingly, one might be able to see these alliances as security assemblages on the one hand, or on the other hand, as weaker states having to conform to a stronger state.

Another point brought up by Thucydides was the important of naval dominance. He wrote that the issue of pirating had to be addressed before any of the cities could develop into the powers they would eventually become. He also described Athens as having many advantages due to it superiority in the sea. This still seems very relevant today as many nations continue to race to catch up with the United States’ maritime dominance. Travel by sea is still important for trade, commerce, tactical military advantages, and natural resources. The significance of these issues underlies much of the current tension in the South China Sea. This will probably continue to be the case until technology provided us with new ways to acquire resources. (According to a BBC article by Jonathon Amos Luxembourg is supporting the proposition of mining in space: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35482427)          

                All in all, it seems like Thucydides analysis of the power dynamics that came into play during the Peloponnesian Wars are still relevant today but may need to be somewhat refined to fit today's world and the possibilities of the future.