Una rilettura del concetto di ἐπιθειασμός durante la guerra del Peloponneso. Sull’uso improprio della comparazione

Abstract Within Thucydides’ Histories, there are two invocations made by the Spartans Ar-chidamus II and Brasidas, in which they call upon local gods and heroes to act as witnesses to the lawfulness of their action. This specific religious practice attracted the attention of W. K. Pritchett, who attempted to propose an interpretation of it. In the first part of the analysis, the various readings that emerged from Pritchett’s approach are examined and questioned, primarily focusing on the comparison of this ritual practice with others from the Roman and Achaemenid world. The sec-ond part offers a reinterpretation of the passages from the second and fourth books of the Histories, aiming to place them within the narrative context of Thucydides and highlight the ritual peculiarities that are integral to the dynamics of the oath.