This is a very interesting reading of Thucydides and especially the modern concept of the “trap”. I particularly like the focus on stasis, internal fragmentation, and the corruption of political language, a dimension often lost in the usual “rising power versus ruling power” debate.

My own view is a bit more cautious. I would not say that this replaces the power-transition argument, but it does deepen it. Thucydides was warning not only about external rivalry, but also about what happens when fear, faction, and mistrust weaken a political community from within.

In this regard, the real lesson is not that war is inevitable, but that strategic competition can become more dangerous when a society is already divided.

Well done!