ABSTRACT
Thucydides managed to save Eion, at the mouth of the river, forestalling the enemy by a night and repelling his attacks. According to this account, the historian did everything possible under the circumstances. Thrice has modern Europe been rent by a conflict in essence similar to the Peloponnesian War. Once from 1689 to 1712, again from 1798 to 1815, and again in our own day. The ancient historian had a shrewd perception of this truth when he foresaw that history would repeat itself; and the modern historical student has proof of it in the repetitions of history known to him : those repetitions but for which the study of history would be as idle a pastime as a perusal of the Arabian Nights. The use of history, it may be said, is to light the present hour to its duty. These praises and exhortations were already platitudes in the day of Polybius.
