Final answer:
Steven Pressfield often dramatizes scenes of warfare, focusing on heroism and personal psychological experiences, deviating from Thucydides's objective and factual approach to history. His depictions remind readers of modern conflicts like the World Wars or the Vietnam War due to their intense personal narratives.
Step-by-step explanation:
Steven Pressfield's representation of warfare in his historical fiction often contrasts with Thucydides' historical accounts. Thucydides, the Father of History, wrote The History of the Peloponnesian War with meticulous attention to the events while exploring the motivations behind human decisions, emphasizing Athens' tragic downfall through hubris in its quest for power and wealth. Pressfield, on the other hand, is known for his vivid, dramatic, and sometimes fictionalized depictions of ancient battles, which might evoke images of modern warfare with their intense, personal, and brutal engagements.
Unlike Thucydides' objective and analytical approach, Pressfield dramatizes warfare, focusing on heroism and the psychological aspects of combat, which can bring to mind modern conflicts such as the World Wars or the Vietnam War, where individual stories and experiences were highlighted.