In the presentation of events and their interpretation by Thucydides, there is nothing metaphysical. He insists that human nature ("the human") is the constant factor that provides historical events.

From the surface phenomena, he seeks the causes that act in the depths of events. Thucydides' work bears the stamp of the philosopher Anaxagoras' saying: "opacity of the apparent phenomena" (from the superficial "opacity" that seems, we can see what is not visible).

Moreover, the person who acts for Thucydides is, before all, the politician, the dynamic citizen of the specific city, followed by the generals. Capable politicians and generals are those who can assess the strengths and weaknesses of their city, as well as calculate the capabilities of their opponents.

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]