The Thucydides Trap: An Inescapable Pattern of Rising and Ruling Powers What is the Thucydides Trap? The Thucydides Trap refers to the tendency for war to erupt when a rising power threatens to displace an existing dominant power.It is named after Thucydides, the ancient Greek historian who chronicled the Peloponnesian War between Athens (rising power) … Continue reading The Thucydides Trap: An Inescapable Pattern of Rising and Ruling Powers