English Explanatory Dictionary

prophases

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The actual reasons for going to war. These may differ from proschemata, the pretexts offered to the public.
noun
  1. plural of prophase

Word forms

prophases prophaseis

Etymology

Ancient Greek πρόφασις (próphasis, “pretense, pretext, excuse”), first popularized by Thucydides, who attempted to discern Athens' alethestate prophasis, or "truest reason" for waging war on Sparta in the Peloponnesian War.

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