Reading Thucydides in Early Twentieth-century Italy

The most important debate about Athenian liberty and democracy in 20th-century Italy took place during the Fascism (1922-1943), when the cult of ancient Rome was an essential part of the official ideology, whereas the cultural legacy of ancient Greece was often underestimated. Some outstanding scholars took part in this dispute, among whom the names of Gaetano De Sanctis and of some of his most talented pupils (Aldo Ferrabino, Arnaldo Momigliano, Piero Treves) stand out. In their works, the interpretation of Thucydides played a crucial role, especially with respect of some recurring themes, such as the meditation on the nature of power, the relation between force and justice, ethics and politics, the public rhetoric and its manipulations. The paper aims at precisely presenting the different ways in which Thucydides had been interpreted in early 20th-century Italy, focusing on three different scholars: Gaetano De Sanctis, Aldo Ferrabino and Arnaldo Momigliano.