Product Description
Written four hundred years before the birth of Christ, this detailed contemporary account of the struggle between Athens and Sparta stands an excellent chance of fulfilling the author's ambitious claim that the work "was done to last forever." The conflicts between the two empires over shipping, trade, and colonial expansion came to a head in 431 b.c. in Northern Greece, and the entire Greek world was plunged into 27 years of war. Thucydides applied a passion for accuracy and a contempt for myth and romance in compiling this exhaustively factual record of the disastrous conflict that eventually ended the Athenian empire. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (48)

A Must-Read for Persons in Power!
I first read Thucydides' "History of the Peloponnesian War" in the sixties, when the Cold War was fast simmering towards a boiling point. Reading Thucydides at that moment, which (thankfully) passed into modern history with a whimper rather than a bang, was a revelation. The 5th-century BC historian writes a riveting account of how two major powers--Sparta and Athens--became embroiled in a twenty-seven-year war because of self-interest, mutual distrust, and buildup of arms. He then notes that he is writing his history as a lesson for mankind so that such wars will never occur again. With chilling cynicism, however, he notes that since human nature is essentially rotten, the same wars will break out over and over for exactly the same reasons.

Rex Warner's translation from the Greek is both enlightening and readable. The headings at the top of every other page allow the reader to 'skim' easily to particular topics. I shall note only two passages, which speed by despite their length, as examples: the Plague of 430 BC (Thuc. II. 47-55), and the Corcyrean Revolt of 427 BC (Thuc. III. 69-95; esp. 82-83). The first demonstrates Thucydides' brilliance as what we today would call a journalist. His account of the plague is based on keen observation of the disease, which he both caught and survived. Originating at Athens' harbour, it swept through the confines of the city, partly as a result of Pericles' disastrous policy of moving the population into an already-crowded city (Thucydides does not know about rats and lice, but he does note that all domestic animals and birds of prey, which came into contact with the stricken, died). The historian, whose narrative is considered the first epidemiology, describes the disease from its symptoms, through its crisis, to its devastating end, sometimes in recovery, most often in death. As riveting as his narrative is, Thucydides transcends straight reportage as he describes the psychological toll on the populace, who not only became demoralised, but also sank into committing normally unthinkable acts, such as sneaking out at night and dumping their dead relatives onto someone else's funeral pyre, or allowing the sick to die of neglect.

The other not-to-be-missed passage is Thucydides' narration of the Corcyrean Revolt, which is far more than an account of a mere rebellion. It is an account of propaganda, and how the very language undergoes transmogrifications of meanings during times of stress. For example, what in peacetime might be considered "a thoughtless act of agression," in wartime becomes "courage"; what in peacetime is a consider-all-sides-of-an-issue policy, in wartime, becomes cowardice; Thucydides writes: "Fanatical enthusiasm was the mark of a real man, and to plot against an enemy behind his back was a perfectly legitimate self-defence" [Thuc. III. 82]. The passage seems especially relevant in this commercial age of mass media, when language becomes so easily distorted and misinterpreted.

Thucydides' history breaks off in 411 and thus does not cover the end of the war in 404.). Even so, its themes are so universal that they convey an immediate ring of truth that bridges the gap of the millennia.

Incidentally (and anyone, who thinks this is a spoiler, ought to avert his eyes), the war ended with what might be described as mutually-assured-destruction of both Sparta and Athens, with Macedon filling in the power vacuum.

More required reading
If Herodotus is the Father of History, Thucydides is the first truly great historian. Building upon the foundation laid by his predecessor, Thucydides refines and sharpens the art of history into what it should have been all along. He is one of a few ancient historians whose reputation has almost never suffered among subsequent generations of historians.

Thucydides begins his history with the causes of The Peloponnesian War, a 27-year struggle between imperialist, democratic Athens, oligarchic Sparta, and the scores of constantly shifting allies that fought along with them. Though left incomplete at the time of his death, Thucydides's history spans the years 433-411 BC, encompassing the beginning of the war and its escalation through battle and political machination, Athens's ill-fated Sicilian expedition, and the interference of the Persians in Asia Minor.

This translation by Rex Warner is excellent--highly readable and lucid. The introduction and appendices offer lots of helpful information and can be read either before or after the History itself, depending on the reader's prior knowledge or preference. If I have any complaint about this edition, it is that the maps are too small and too few, leaving some important locations unmarked.

Full of real-life drama and moving tales of wartime desperation, Thucydides is just as relevant today as he was when he first perfected the art of history. Reading Thucydides is well worth your time.

Highly recommended.

One of the most important books ever written.
Thucidydes' History of the Peloponnesian War was one of the most important books ever written in the history of Western civilation and world history.

In opposition to Herodotus who wrote earlier, to whom Thucidydes was a student and reader of, Thucidydes was a realist and discussed the interests, positions, and power politics that occurred between the Athens and Sparta and their respective leagues (allies; combined military operations by treaty).As opposed to Herodotus, who is sometimes known as the father of history as Herodotus was arguably the first person to write history in the sense that we know it today, and who still utilized unseen forces, gods, spirits, etc., as guiding world history, Thucidydes focused more on the human aspect and what he could gleem from his travels and research.Thus, many historians point to Thucidydes as being the true progenitor of history as we know it today.

The political intrigue, the military and political strategic considerations, the actual boots-on-the-ground description of the battles, etc. are vivid, detailed, and make for compelling reading.I especially like the stories concerning Athens and Sparta's fighting on the island of Sicily.

All students of rhetoric will also find some of the finest examples of it within its pages (i.e., Pericles' funerary oration, etc.).The descriptions of the debates within the assemblies shows the considerations that both the Athenian and Spartan led leagues and their populations had to consider.

This is the first book on international relations known and is the first work to utilize a realist interpretation of international politics.It is studied at the war colleges and by all scholars of international relations, and by all serious students of grand strategy.

This book is excellent, in the Greek sense, that is Arete.

Greatest of All Greek Historians
The greatest of all Greek historians was the Athenian general Thucydides (455-400 B.C.E.).Thucydides' classic work, "History Of The Peloponnesian War", provides us with the historical framework for 5th century Greece, a golden age of intellectual achievement and creativity rarely equaled in human history.This history is by far the best account of the bitter war between Athens and Sparta as well as the only surviving contemporary record of the rise of the Athenian empire.Thucydides as a master storyteller does not just cover the battle scenes; he records the great political speeches of Pericles, leader of Athens, and Lysander leader of Sparta with great acumen.He is recognized as the first historian to actually go and get eyewitness accounts, visit battlefieilds and research documents and records.This work took him over 20 years and it shows!

The lessons he teaches about imperial over reaching and unreasonable peace settlements are prescient today as they were during his times.President Woodrow Wilson, read this book on his voyage across the Atlantic to the Versailles Peace Conference and vociferously fought the other Allies in making unreasonable demands of the Germans.Wilson learned the dangers that the world would be placed in by backing the Germans into a corner politically and economically from Thucydides book.

As a graduate student in philosophy and history, I heartily recommend this timeless classic to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.I also recommend you read it with David Cartwright's "A Historical Commentary On Thucydides."

Translations of Thucydides
There are four main translations of Thucydides available for the English reader:

Thomas Hobbes' 1628 version. Although made over 300 years ago this translation is still considered a classic by many in the English-speaking world. Hobbes is best known for writing "Leviathan" that classic work on Politics that all College students in the Western world for the past 200 years had to read. Do you like Shakespeare? If so give this edition a try. Hobbes vigorous and lively Jacobean English prose will enchant those more literary minded souls - however, Hobbes version has been noted for some inaccuracies due to his lack of proper understanding of the original Greek language text.

William Smith's 1754 translation. Most know of Crawley and Hobbes works but Smith's excellent 18th century version has been almost forgotten. I think you can only get it in a used edition on abebooks dot com. Smith's prose is as majestic as you you expect for a 18th century translation. While a bit hard to read for most modern readers Smith's prose is worth the effort if you stick with him. Some things were not meant to be "dumbed down". I compare reading Smith's Thucydides to plowing through Whiston's translation of Josephus.

The mid-Victorian (1874) Richard Crawley version is the one that most English speaking people were familiar with until the Penguin Books edition came out. This is a much easier version to understand than the Hobbes and Smith translations. While still retaining a very formal prose style it captures the Greek much more accurately than any previous version. This translation has the best balance between literary style and accuracy to the original text. This is the edition that many of our Grandparents and Great Grandparents read in school or College. Modern Library puts out a very affordable edition.

Rex Warner's Penguin edition. This is the version offered here. Warner is excellent for those who want to avoid the archaic and more challenging prose of Hobbes, Smith, or Crawley. He is very clear and lucid in his rendition of the text. This edition is more suitable for modern readers who want an easy to read prose that maintains accuracy. I think that Warner's translation is the only serious rival to Richard Crawley's version. For those of you who are first embarking on your exploration of Thucydides I would recommend this edition.
... Read more

Product Description

Thucydides called his account of two decades of war between Athens and Sparta "a possession for all time," and indeed it is the first and still most famous work in the Western historical tradition. Considered essential reading for generals, statesmen, and liberally educated citizens for more than 2,000 years, The Peloponnesian War is a mine of military, moral, political, and philosophical wisdom.

However, this classic book has long presented obstacles to the uninitiated reader. Robert Strassler's new edition removes these obstacles by providing a new coherence to the narrative overall, and by effectively reconstructing the lost cultural context that Thucydides shared with his original audience. Based on the venerable Richard Crawley translation, updated and revised for modern readers. The Landmark Thucydides includes a vast array of superbly designed and presented maps, brief informative appendices by outstanding classical scholars on subjects of special relevance to the text, explanatory marginal notes on each page, an index of unprecedented subtlety, and numerous other useful features.

In any list of the Great Books of Western Civilization, The Peloponnesian War stands near the top. This authoritative new edition will ensure that its greatness is appreciated by future generations.Amazon.com Review
Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War is one of the great books in the Westerntradition, as well as its first true historical narrative. Editor Robert Strassler hasannotated this classic text to make it more accessible to modern readers and added dozens ofmaps for easy reference. A helpful introduction places Thucydides in proper historical contextand a series of short appendices focus on particular aspects of life and war during the period.But the bulk of the book itself, where Thucydides chronicles the long struggle between Athensand Sparta, enjoys an unexpected freshness on these pages--partly due to Strassler'smagnificent editorial labors, but mostly because it's a great story resonant with heroes,villains, bravery, desperation, and tragedy. Every library should have a copy of Thucydides init, especially libraries on military history, and The Landmark Thucydides is withoutquestion the best version available. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (62)

I can't believe I read the whole thing.
Ladies and gentlemen, think twice before you begin to battle with Thucydides. It is not for the faint of heart. It was truly a Herculean labor to get through this. I rank it in my top five most boring books of all time, and that's saying a lot. I've read all of Herodotus and Tacitus. I've read every Greek and Roman tragedy. I've read Mommsen's complete history of Rome, and every word of Gibbon. Heck, I've even read every life in Plutarch. Never have I encountered such a challenge. I know this is supposed to be such a classic, and I can see why, but by great Poseidon's trident it is almost impossible to read! Every paragraph you'll be referring back to the maps to find the 8 towns mentioned, and tearing your hair out at the fact that you'll have to wait 50 more pages before Thucydides returns to the story he was just telling about some triremes off the coast of Sicily. Will they or will they not set up a trophy?

That being said, this edition is good. The maps are useful, if distracting, and the summaries on the side are a godsend.

If you get laid off from your job, maybe give it a go - but you have been warned!

Comprehensive and thorough
An extremely comprehensive and thorough treatment of Thucydides. It helps to read all the battle descriptions with some maps on the sides. The translation is strong and the added articles makes this a very worthy buy for any classicist. I highly recommend using it for any class on Thucydides.

Superior Annotated Edition of the Great Classic
In this review, I will not seek to add to the already excellent and comprehensive discussion of this book's many merits outlined in the five-star and four star reviews.

What I can say is that I have been using this book as a teaching aid in my ancient history class.While it is far too complex a work to assign even in excerpts to grades 9-11 unless the students are exceptional, older classics students and college students will find this annotated version of Thucydides' seminal work a literal godsend.It is rich not only in the most up-to-date translations, but generous with explanatory maps and editorial commentary that explains what the old master historian is talking about and, most importantly, "why" he is talking about it.The result is an accessible Thucydides that becomes not only user friendly to the amateur reader of classic Greek literature, but also the master student and educator.It has been a welcome addition to my library as a reference tool, and I had forgotten how interesting the "grand old man" was, even when the scholarship of thousands of years has sometime proven him wrong or modified his perceptions, something I think he would have both loved and applauded.

This excellent book is worth the money.But, I note that while I have not had the binding issues that others have had, I can easily see how the glue binding could come apart.So, "tenting" and exposing the binding to heat are probably very bad ideas.

A worthy effort that produced a very worthy book.

Recommended without reservation.

The Children's Fall-Apart Thucydides
The biggest problem with this book is that it falls apart. I am reading it for a class, having read other editions (2) before, and I was afraid to return it to the library in the condition it was in after I read one chapter, until I went to class and found that EVERYBODY's books were falling apart! Most had purchased from Amazon or third party Amazon, but weren't willing to go through what it takes to get a credit.
Secondly, in the introduction, the authors claim that the reason Thucydides didn't complete the work is that he died. This is highly controversial at best. My own fancifulhypothesis, based on another edition (Great Books), which states that he seems to have lived long after the work ends, is that he had changed his viewpoint, and could no longer write a unified work.
The third problem is the "cliff-notes" in the margins of the book. This is not really reading Thucydides! I am doing my best to
disregard them. Neither these, nor the numerous footnotes are included in the Amazon excerpt. This is misleading.
The 2 page glossary is good, and the maps are fine but ill placed; I would like one big colored fold-out map at the end, or a few at most. Many of the footnotes, the numbering of which is confusing at first and unexplained,refer either to the maps or glossary.They are distracting from getting the gist of Thucydides, which lies in his excellence as a rhetorician, and his presentation of classical Greek political philosophy and reality.
All these interruptions remind me of the textbooks of public schools, which I also find a detriment to education.It takes me about four times as long to read this edition as any other, because of the distracting material .Maps are available on the internet if one needs them.
Now the actual translation is extremely readable as one can see from the excerpt shown by Amazon, and it and the appendices
are well worth saving. Please first put the book into a readable condition ( I am saving mine for class only, as I don't want it to fall apart anymore, so that I will have to pay the library). Next remove the cliffnotes! Allow the reader to interpret this wonderful author!
We are grownups! Third, put all the maps in the back, and allow the reader to use them at leisure. Take out the distracting and
unenlightening footnotes. And finally, allow that the reason the work ends before the War ends is a great mystery.
The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War
Cynthia C. Kegel, Ph.D.

The perfect replacement for your old Modern Library edition of Thucydides
I wish I'd had this fat volumeback in the 1960s, when I was first making my way through Thucydides in my Introduction to Greek and Roman class. We used the Jowett translation -- admittedly a classic, but painfully slow going. I had read the first several chapters of this book before I thought to check what translation it used, and I was surprised to discover it was Richard Crawley's work of 1874. It certainly reads much more modern than that. There are explanatory footnotes crowding the bottom of every page, providing context for the history and the language. It can break up the flow of the story if you allow yourself to keep glancing back and forth between the text and the notes, but I'd rather have them on the relevant page than gathered all together in the back. The eleven appendices provide in-depth discussions of the Athenian and Spartan social and political systems, the role of religion in the 5th century BC, naval warfare, calendars, currency, and so on. I really have only one small complaint, which is the general uselessness of the many small, black-and-white situational maps scattered throughout. They're often repetitive -- it was a pretty concentrated theater through most of the war -- and each one comes with a "helper" map, to remind you exactly where Greece is. And many of the footnotes refer to locations on the maps, an inch or two away, which is unnecessary. I would have been happier with a single, large, color map with all the details and ancient place-names in one place. But it's an excellent book nevertheless. ... Read more

Product Description
A reconsideration of the first modern historian and his methods from a renowned scholar

The grandeur and power of Thucydides' The Peloponnesian War have enthralled readers, historians, and statesmen alike for two and a half millennia, and the work and its author have had an enduring influence on those who think about international relations and war, especially in our own time. In Thucydides, Donald Kagan, one of our foremost classics scholars, illuminates the great historian and his work both by examining him in the context of his time and by considering him as a revisionist historian.

Thucydides took a spectacular leap into modernity by refusing to seek explanations for human behavior in the will of the gods, or even in the will of individuals, looking instead at the behavior of men in society. In this context, Kagan explains how The Peloponnesian War differs significantly from other accounts offered by Thucydides' contemporaries and stands as the first modern work of political history, dramatically influencing the manner in which history has been conceptualized ever since. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A historiographical study of Thucydides
Kagan's book is essentially a historiographical study of Thucydides as a historian.The bottom line is that the author sees Thucydides as a "revisionist" historian of his period who was subject to the same limitations, professional and personal, that affect all historians.

In the introduction, Kagan puts Thucydides in the context of his society and prevailing philosophies of the time, and he addresses Thucydides own place in that society as a wealthy Athenian aristocrat who lived through and fought in the Peloponnesian War, and who was later exiled because of a perceived failure on his part as an Athenian general.The body of the book is essentially multiple case studies of key events and personalities that Kagan compares and contrasts between Thucydides interpretation of the same, and the views of other ancient historians and contemporary Athenians.

In the conclusion Kagan basically argues that while Thucydides' history is valid and that he invented, "a new kind of history," Thucydides' history is his interpretation of the facts and events, as filtered through his own values and experience, in the same way any other historian is affected by his own prejudices.The bottom line is that Thucydides created a new way of writing history, one that we appreciate and value today, but he also provided a historical interpretation, based on fact, which reflected his views.

Thudydies and the Art of Spin
Is history just one damn thing after another?Or can we discover the underlying logic of events that will allow us to shape a better future?Herodotus' history of the Persian war is a rollicking tale with fascinating background and colorful folklore.Thucydides aimed higher.He was scrupulous about accuracy and he sought the general patterns governing political action that determined the direction events would take.

More than fifty years ago I studied Thucydides in a humanities course.I remember gripping accounts of internecine strife and praise for the leadership of Pericles - and how things ran downhill after Pericles died and rabble-rousers such as Cleon took power.Thucydides' lessons were clear:Democracy could cope with the challenges of war only when guided bya superior leader such as Pericles.

Donald Kagan shows that these conclusions were not shared by contemporaries of Thucydides - nor are they supported by the facts as recorded by Thucydides and others.Thucydides did not engage in outright deception or falsification; rather, he selected what he reported so that what he believed to be the underlying truths would stand out more clearly.He was a spinmeister.

He held that Sparta would never be content to play second fiddle to the sea empire of Athens, and he was probably right.But Sparta's discontent need not have led ruinous war.

He distrusted democracy.The evidence here shows that the fickle favor of democratic politics in Athens passed harsh judgement on those who fell out of favor or proved unlucky as events unfolded.This drove Alcibiades from leadership in Sicily to seek shelter in Sparta, a great loss for Athens.Likewise it resulted in the exile of Thucydides, another loss.Demosthenes sheltered in Naupactus rather than face judgement in Athens.Nicias' various moves regarding the Sicilian expedition whose disaster ended the Athenian Empire were largely aimed at avoiding censure in Athens.So Kagan argues.

But Athenian leadership following the death of Pericles was moderate and sensible.The debacle in Sicily appears to be the result of poor leadership and bad choices by Nicias, whom Thucydides holds up as an exemplary leader.That suited Thucidides' story, but Kagan lays out overwhelming evidence that Thucydides is wrong about Nicias and about the causes of the debacle.

This book is a celebration of the sort of critical history Thucydites launched.Thucydites would have applauded its methods, though disliked its conclusions.

The scale of this conflict and the diversity of the city states and peoples involved are amazing.The difficulties in coordinating action and in holding allies together were then and are now major factors in success (or failure). The role of chance and of personal actions was huge then as it is now.

This book sheds new light on the book that thucydites wrote as a "possesion forever."Read it.

A Revisionist View of Thucydides' History
Donald Kagan's "Thucydides" takes a fresh and provocative look at the great historian's account of the Peloponnesian War. Combining Thucydides' own evidence with other ancient sources, Kagan disputes both Thucydides' objectivity and his conclusions; in Kagan's words (p. 234), "The purpose of Thucydides was to set before us the truth as he saw it, but his truth need not be ours."

There was a popular consensus in ancient Greece about the war's origins and course, and the reasons for Athens' ultimate defeat. The people blamed Pericles, acting more like a demagogue than a statesman, for getting Athens into the war in the first place. They felt that Cleon was "not a reckless and lucky madman but a daring and shrewd leader" (p. 139); and they blamed the Sicilian disaster on Nicias' faulty generalship.

Thucydides' conclusions about the war were the very opposite, and so, according to Kagan, Thucydides' agenda was to revise all these accepted beliefs. Thucydides' History included encomia of Pericles and Nicias, and ascribed Athens' defeat to the hubris of the democratic mob, led by inferior demagogues after the death of Pericles. Had Athens just followed Pericles' original plan, says Thucydides, all would have been well.

Whatever the truth of these events, the lucidity of Kagan's writing, and the outstanding interest of his subject, make it a book that nearly every classical history buff will enjoy reading.

Thucydides: The Reinvention of History
Imagine getting the chance to read one of the world's great historians cross-examine Thucydides, "the Father of Scientific History." That is what makes Donald Kagan's //Thucydides: The Reinvention of History// such a treat.Kagan, one of the great modern Thucydides scholars, uses the Athenians own methods to tease out the reality behind his classic work, "The Peloponnesian War."

Kagan persuasively argues that centuries of historians have been wrong in assuming that Thucydides' opinions represented his time's majority view.Combing through the ancient sources, Kagan assembles considerable evidence that the Athenian was history's first revisionist, crafting a counter narrative that continues to echo through history.This claim is certain to be controversial, but Kagan cogently argues that many of Thucydides villains were considered heroes by their countrymen, and that some of his heroes, in particular Pericles, was hardly thought as flawless as he portraits."The Peloponnesian War" is a timeless work, ever applicable to power politics and international relations, the lesson of Athens war with Sparta enlightening in any age.With this work, Kagan has succeeded in only making it more relevant to the complexity of the modern world.

Reviewed by Jordan Magill

A Disappointment
The book is barely over 200 pages and contains huge chunks (word for word) from Kagan's one volume history of the Great War.Since the War took place over 2000 years ago it is disturbing, in discussing what various partcipants thought or said, to find the author using such phrases as "It is inconceivable that" or "There can be no doubt that". This book will be mostly incomprehensible to the reader unfamiliar with the Great War and annoying to those who have read Kagan's previous work. ... Read more

Product Description
Thucydides called his account of two decades of war between Athens and Sparta "a possession for all time," and indeed it is the first and still the most famous work in the Western historical tradition. Considered essential reading for generals, statesmen, and liberally educated citizens for more than 2,000 years, The Peloponnesian War is a mine of military, moral, political, and philosophical wisdom.

However, this classic book has long presented obstacles to the uninitiated reader. Written centuries before the rise of modern historiography, Thucydides' narrative is not continuous or linear. His authoritative chronicle of what he considered the greatest war of all time is rigorous and meticulous, yet omits the many aids to comprehension modern readers take for granted -- such as brief biographies of the story's main characters, maps and other visual enhancements, and background on the military, cultural, and political traditions of ancient Greece.

Robert Strassler's new edition amends these omissions, and not only provides a new coherence to the narrative overall but effectively reconstructs the lost cultural context that Thucydides shared with his original audience. Based on the venerable Richard Crawley translation, updated and revised for modern readers, The Landmark Thucydides includes a vast array of superbly designed and presented maps, brief informative appendices by outstanding classical scholars on subjects of special relevance to the text, explanatory marginal notes on each page, an index of unprecedented subtlety and depth, and numerous other useful features. Readers will find that with this edition they can dip into the text at any point and be immediately oriented with regard to the geography, season, date, and stage of the conflict.

In any list of the Great Books of Western Civilization, The Peloponnesian War stands near the top. This handsome, elegant, and authoritative new edition will ensure that its greatness is appreciated by future generations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Greek war that Destroyed Ancient Greece
This is the best edition of the first and best history of the war between Sparta and Athens.Both cities were in decline after this war.Very highly recommened.

Good job!
The book arrived within the timeframe that was specified and the book was in good condition.

How All History Shuold Be Presented
Quibbles with the translation used aside, I believe this book exemplifies how all history, especially ancient history, should be presented. Too often an author tells a story with place names that cannot be found on a map; even more common, no maps are offered in a book. It's worse with ancient texts, since many of the place names no longer exist.

This book, however, solves those issues. The reader can actually use the numerous maps to follow along with the history. When I first ran across this book I was almost stunned when I realized that all history books up to this one could have been presented this way but weren't. I think the authors (and publisher) have done a great service to this classic text. And now that I see that they have released The Landmark Herodotus, I have even more hope that the classics will be re-released in the future in this more accessible format.

If you have even a passing interest in this topic, I would highly recommend this version of Thucydides. Presented in this format, the story of the Peloponnesian War becomes easy to follow and more interesting than ever.

Very difficult to read and no explanatory footnotes
Torture is how I'd describe trying the read through this book.Unlike Stassler's Landmark Herodotus, in which someone did a new easy to read translation, in this edition of Thucydides, Strassler uses a very old, cumbersome translation and makes some (probably very minor) changes--we are told.

The content, Thucydides' first hand account of the Peloponnesian War, kept me going, but it wasn't easy.There is an abundance of excellent maps and footnotes indicating where every anthill was located (I can't imagine reading Thucydides without knowing the geography), but the footnotes are otherwise totally devoid any higher level explanation of the text.This is also a serious shortcoming of the book.

There is a very good introduction and several short, well-written 2 to 4 page chapters at the end of the book on various themes, though what's sorely needed is some good explanation in the meat of the text.Unfortunately, reading another version of the text but relying on the Landmark edition for figuring out where the locations are is overly burdensome.The jumping from location to location in the text didn't bother me as far as being able to follow the action, though others did mention this as a problem--something they'd have to take up with Thucydides, not Strassler.

If you are reading this on your own I highly recommend an 18-CD lecture series put out by The Teaching Company on the Peloponnesian War that is fantastic.I highly recommend it, especially if you are reading Thucydides on your own.

Good luck!

The Landmark Thucydides by Robert Srassler
You should buy the hardcover book and not the paperback edition of this book. The paperback edition falls apart when you read it. This translation of Thucydides's history of the Peloponnesian War is outstanding. The text has numerous maps that help the reader locate the areas Thucydides is writing about. I found Thucydides's use of the speeches to provide a better understanding of the key persons and the motives of the nations at war to be suberb. I urge the reader to pay particular to Pericles furneral speech after the first of the war and the Melian Dialogue[Book Five] This book has many lessons we can learn today. Buy It ... Read more

Product Description
The first unabridged translation into American English, and the first to take into account the wealth of Thucydidean scholarship of the last half of the twentieth century, Steven Lattimore's translation sets a new standard for accuracy and reliability. Notes provide information necessary for a fuller understanding of problematic passages, explore their implications as well as the problems they may pose, and shed light on Thucydides as a distinctive literary artist as well as a source for historians and political theorists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great service.
Great service. The book was in excellent condition, just as they said it would be - even better condition than they said! The delivery was fast, couldn't ask for a better seller.

Thanks!

a pioneering genius of history and the political science of war
It is always difficult and challenging to pick up what is regarded as a classic and read through it in a naive manner, not as a specialist but as an amateurwho just wants to learn. There are always surprises.
In contrast to the looser Herodotus, his near contemporary, Thucydides sought to record an "objective truth" of the great war between Athens and Sparta, in the 5C BC. He consulted multiple sources and carefully judged what to include and what not to include, ito establish an idea of what really happened. While some of the forms, such as elaborately made-up speeches as a study in rhetoric, differ from what we would do today, he set a new standard for accuracy. THe result is a work of genius, the first serious attempt at writing history rather than merely storytelling.

Reading this is not always fun. There are long sections that are lists of occurences, with references to individuals who appear and disappear without followup. But there are also penetrating analyses of remarkable characters, such as Perikles, Alcibiades, and other great generals, who became reference points to the present day. Thucydides also broached the subject of political science as history - how institutions actually functioned - in new ways, with demonstrations of how the unleashing of passions led to their corruption or distortion. Finally, there are chilling sections with timeless insight in human conduct in war, with the full horror of the breakdown of all order and law.

THis translation is also sufficintely readable, far better than the turbid one I first read in college. THucydides is quite eloquent in this version.

Recommended as one of the great classics of Western literature.It is a work of genius so great that it is still relevant and vivid.

Good source for history class
I used this book for an introductory History class.It is a great supplement to the study of the Greek periods.It has a nice glossory in the back for unusual terms, as well as helpful maps.Some of the text is a bit dry, but the reading is not very difficult.

Get the Real Story
No book has kept me up at night or occupied my thoughts in the past decade more than Thucydides.The story told here is stunningly and disturbingly relevant for any American.Sparta vs Athens seems an allegory for the conflict between traditional America, of our first hundred years or so, and modern, progressive America from about 1900 onward.Its no allegory of course, and the realization that history repeats itself gives the work an importance that no book can match.

I recall in college taking one of those Intellectual History survey courses required of incoming freshman.We were all assigned to read Perikles funeral oration as an example of how like our society Athens was and of course, how noble that likeness made the two societies.We weren't, of course, assigned the entire book, just the oration out of context.When I finally got around to reading Thucydides years later, I thought back to that course and wanted my tuition money back!

Read the original text.Political writers and propagandists of all stripes make reference to Thucydides to give weight to their views.Don't trust their interpretations.Read for yourself and decide.Skip the commentaries and translations and go right to page one of the text.

Greatest Of All Greek Historians
The greatest of all Greek historians was the Athenian general Thucydides (455-400 B.C.E.).Thucydides' classic work, "History Of The Peloponnesian War", provides us with the historical framework for 5th century Greece, a golden age of intellectual achievement and creativity rarely equaled in human history. This history is by far the best account of the bitter war between Athens and Sparta as well as the only surviving contemporary record of the rise of the Athenian empire.Thucydides as a master story teller doesn't just cover the battle scenes, he records the great political speeches of Pericles, leader of Athens, and Lysander leader of Sparta with great acumen.He is recognized as the first historian to actually go and get eyewitness accounts, visit battlefieilds and research documents and records.This work took him over 20 years and it shows!

The lessons he teaches about imperial over reaching and unreasonable peace settlements are prescient today as they were during his times.President Woodrow Wilson, read this book on his voyage across the Atlantic to the Versailles Peace Conference and vociferously fought the other Allies in making unreasonable demands of the Germans. Wilson learned the dangers that the world would be placed in by backing the Germans into a corner politically and economically from Thucydides book.

I recommend this timeless classic to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.I also recommend you read it with David Cartwright's "A Historical Commentary On Thucydides.
... Read more

Product Description
"The greatest historian that ever lived." Such was Macaulay's assessment of Thucydides (c. 460-400 BC) and his history of the Peloponnesian War, the momentous struggle between Athens and Sparta that lasted for twenty-seven years from 431 to 404 BC, involved virtually the whole of the Greek world, and ended in the fall of Athens. A participant in the war himself, Thucydides brings to his history an awesome intellect, brilliant narrative, and penetrating analysis of the nature of power, as it affects both states and individuals. Of the prose writers of the ancient world, Thucydides has had more lasting influence on western thought than all but Plato and Aristotle. This new edition combines a masterly new translation by Martin Hammond with comprehensive supporting material, including summaries of individual Books; textual notes; a comprehensive analytical index; an appendix on weights, measures and distances, money, and calendars; ten maps; an up-to-date bibliography; and an illuminating introduction by P.J. Rhodes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent translation
We are very lucky to have a wealth of good translations of Thucydides. This is one of the best.

Hammond has also done a great job with his (the best) prose translation of the Iliad.

First Athens thus the United States....history repeats
THE PELOPONESIAN WAR by Thucydides.Written a very long time ago.In the aftermath of Athens saving Western civilization not once but twice from Eastern totalitariansism and barbarism, the rest of Greece......now that the coast was clear and acting out of extreme jealousy and lack of gratitude, declared war on Athens. No good deed goes unpunished. Extremely difficult reading. One needs a scorecard to keep track of all the players.Easy to see why it has never been filmed or dramatized in anyway. Still worth the effort and a major historical work by the man credited with being the father of the modern history writing. Not so much a war but a civilization literally committing suicide.Greece has been a backwater ever since and man are they still sensitive about that!!!
... Read more

Product Description
The Unabridged Crawley Translation, Introduction by Terry Wick ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Format is fine on a Kindle 3
Contrary to statements by other reviewers, I can report that this text is properly formatted, at least on a Kindle 3. The lines are occasionally short, but only because the following word is long, and Kindle can not break and hyphenate words. That said, I find it very legible.

A serious student will be disappointed by the absence of book and section numbers, the standard way of making reference to passages in this classic text.

Formatting needs repair
I read this years ago as a young soldier. It was required reading for cavalry officers in my regiment.I thought I would load it up on the Kindle and read it again with the benefit of 25 years experience.The text is, of course, marvelous. However, the formatting is awful. Sentence breaks don't line up, but rather break at odd intervals through the page.It makes reading considerably less enjoyable.If there is a way for me to repair this I hope someone will let me know. Otherwise - needs work is the best I can say.

Formatting is a dog's breakfast
Every 2nd line of the text of this book is broken in half and continues on the following line. Now I suspect that with about 1 hours work this could be fixed. Hint. Use MS Word search & replace feature to remove unwanted paragraph breaks that are created in the digital conversion process (I'm pretty sure that this is where it went wrong).

How on earth do people market stuff that is so obviously defective?

I'm baffled at so many review praising the content - and I don't doubt it's great - but which simply ignore the fact that the text is virtually un-usuable. Is there a better formatted version out there?

Lessons that are to be applied today more than ever.
My edition is an old Penguin paperback

"For the power of Athens rests on mercenaries rather than on her own citizens; we, on the other hand, are less likely to be affected on this way, since our strength is on men rather than on money." This could have been said also by the proud Japanese up until the bomb was dropped in WWII, or by the Taliban of the Left or the Muslim suicide-bombers of today.

"This is a peculiarity of ours: we do not say that a man who takes no interest in politics is a man who minds his own business; we say that he has no business here at all." said by the Athenians. Both quotes speak volumes of the views they held of their own societies.

And Pericles himself: "My own opinion is that when the whole state is on the right course it is a better thing for each individual than when private interests are satisfied but the state as a whole is going downhill. However well off a man may be in his private life, he will still be involved in the general ruin if his country is destroyed." The Cubans, North Koreans should not miss the significance of what is said here. And doesn't well off sound very much like well fare? If (almost) everybody is poor is it more just than some be poor and others rich? So for the sake of fairness we all are going poorer in the West, spiritually, culturally, and therefore economically.

And what about Pericles' foreign policy? "I prefer the man who stands up to danger rather than the one who runs away from it ... Your empire is now like a tyranny: it may have been wrong to take it; it is certainly dangerous to let it go ... Those who are politically apathetic can only survive if they are supported by people who are capable of taking action [that goes for the American Left and the American military respectively]. They are quite valueless in a city which controls an empire, though they would be safe slaves in a city that would be controlled by others." And who is going to control the world today is the USA refuses to? No wonder Athens declined once Pericles was out of the picture.

Now a good response to the isolationist utopias of Libertarians: "It is a general and necessary law of nature to rule wherever one can. This is not a law that we (Athenians) made ourselves, nor were we the first to act upon it when it was made. We found it already in existence, and we shall leave it to exist for ever among those who come after us ... we know that you or anybody else with the same power as ours would be acting in precisely the same way."

The book is very dense, but intense. It has to be read slowly, in little sips, or else it can become tiresome. The speeches are glorious stuff. The images vivid, as could only be from a man who played a military role during the events narrated. The actions, tactics, comings-and-goings can become dizzying, but overall it is a imperishable classic that should be read by anyone who claims a right to vote and by those who call ourselves citizens and not lackeys or serfs.

Great buy for your Kindle
I bought this for a few pennies to have on my Kindle; it would not have otherwise made it onto my purchase list for paper books. On the Kindle it was an enjoyable and enlightening read. Previous customer reviews give ample detail regarding its significance and its relevance to modern times.

Read in conjunction with The Odyssey or The Iliad, it's easy to see how many of the battles fought between Athens, Sparta, and their surrogates could have become epic tales and poems in their own right. The history of the Peloponnesian War almost acts as a historical counterweight and literary jumping off point for more deeply appreciating the Homeric poems.

It is an amazing and well written factual history that adds another dimension to the fictional literature of ancient Greece. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the third and final volume (Vol. I 1991, Vol. II 1996) of a historical and literary commentary on the history of the first 20 years of the twenty-seven-year 'Peloponnesian War' (between the Athenians and Spartans and their respective allies) written by thegreat fifth-century BC historian Thucydides. The present volume of commentary covers the ten closely-narrated years 421-411 BC, and nearly half of the total of eight 'books' (subdivisions) of Thucydides' work. It includes one of the most famous sections of ancient Greek literary writing, the lengthy and supremely dramatic account of the disastrous Athenian expedition against Sicily (415-413) in Books 6 and 7; but also the Melian Dialogue (Book 5), a notorious document of Athenian imperialism; and the account of the oligarchic revolution at Athens in 411 (Book 8). All Greek is translated. There is a thematic General Introduction and two Appendixes. ... Read more

Product Description
Designed for students with little or no background in ancient Greek language and culture, this collection of extracts for The History of the Peloponnesian War includes those passages that shed most light on Thucydides' political theory -- famous as well as important but lesser known pieces frequently overlooked by nonspecialists. Newly translated into spare, vigorous English, and situated within a connective narrative framework, Woodruff's selections will be of special interest to instructors in political theory and Greek civilisation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent Reading for an Undergraduate Ancient Civilization Class
Although, like one of the other reviewers on this page, I too am not fond of abridgments, Paul Woodruff's "Thucydides: On Justice, Power, and Human Nature" is an excellent choice for any class on ancient civilization, political theory, or rhetoric [e.g.], in which a number of other readings must be assigned [e.g., from tragedy, comedy, philosophy, depending on the nature of the course].

In clear concise prose, Mr. Woodruff, whose translation aims to clarify any obscurities in the Greek original, focuses on the Athenian historian's "abstract concepts . . . justice, power, human nature, and fear" [viii]--motifs that proliferate the text. Striving to engage the contemporary student, Mr. Woodruff has captured the essence of Thucydides: the historian's analysis of the situation leading to the war; Thucydides' recreations of Pericles' war- and funeral orations as well as those of other politicians including Cleon; the historian's searing accounts of the plague and the Corcyrean revolt; the Plataean and Mytilenian debates; the fruitless "dialogue" between the Athenians and the Melians; the disastrous Sicilian expedition and its aftermath. Mr. Woodruff also writes a splendid introduction, explicating the major issues; he provides footnotes;a bibliography; a welcome glossary of Greek and historically significant terms; maps; and an index.

Highly recommended!

Greatest of All Greek Historians
The greatest of all Greek historians was the Athenian general Thucydides (455-400 B.C.E.).Thucydides' classic work, "History Of The Peloponnesian War", provides us with the historical framework for 5th century Greece, a golden age of intellectual achievement and creativity rarely equaled in human history.This history is by far the best account of the bitter war between Athens and Sparta as well as the only surviving contemporary record of the rise of the Athenian empire.Thucydides as a master storyteller does not just cover the battle scenes; he records the great political speeches of Pericles, leader of Athens, and Lysander leader of Sparta with great acumen.He is recognized as the first historian to actually go and get eyewitness accounts, visit battlefieilds and research documents and records.This work took him over 20 years and it shows!

The lessons he teaches about imperial over reaching and unreasonable peace settlements are prescient today as they were during his times.President Woodrow Wilson, read this book on his voyage across the Atlantic to the Versailles Peace Conference and vociferously fought the other Allies in making unreasonable demands of the Germans.Wilson learned the dangers that the world would be placed in by backing the Germans into a corner politically and economically from Thucydides book.

I never before recommended reading an abridged work of history; however, Paul Woodruff does the best job of abridging Thucydides that I have ever come across in historical texts.He gives you the basic narrative and makes sure to include all of the important orations and debates from the original work.

As a graduate student in philosophy and history, I heartily recommend this timeless classic to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.I also recommend you read it with David Cartwright's "A Historical Commentary On Thucydides."

Philosophy; Tragic History; and Greek Geopolitics
I agree with the first reviewer: this book is a great condensation of Thucydides' work. The book is editted to retain all of Thucydides' great insights into human nature, power, and politics, but summarized in a way where all of the essential details of the story are left in place.

With its sweeping description of events in various areas of the Greece, and its dramatic portrayal of historic figures: the book works as a great description of the nature of politics, democracy and war, and at the same time an engaging study of leadership, and the men who were perported to be great during these times.

Daniel Clausen
danielclausen.com

A Great Distillation of Thucydides' Genius
I can't think of another abridgment of a classic more after my own heart.I am a passionate believer in reading all of Thucydides, but this book is still the ideal way to get to know what is great about the historian.(And, as our democracy is at war & struggles with imperial entanglements, Thuc. is more relevant than ever.)

Basically, Woodruff has an unerring instinct for where Thucydides (not a mere fact-compiler, but one of antiquity's great thinkers) is at his sizzling & profound best.The introduction is a marvelous piece of criticism and analysis: in merely 24 pp. it acquaints the reader with Thucydides' important ideas.The idea of this book is to give you 185 pp. to read cover-to-cover (if not in a single sitting!--what are you waiting for?--do it, and blow your mind).Woodruff's connecting summaries & brief introductory comments to each excerpt make sure that readers will experience the whole coherently.

My one quibble is that I'd like to have the defeat of the Sicilian Expedition & its aftermath in all its gruesome detail, but this would have almost doubled the size of the book and defeated the purposes I've praised above.For a complete translation, try Lattimore (also pub. by Hackett)--or, if 17th c. English doesn't bother you, Hobbes' translation is a real treat to savor. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
The History of the Peloponnesian War is a wonderful work, which is an eyewitness report of the war between Athens and Sparta, during the 5th century B.C. This work is very important to Historians even today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Bare bones edition
Other reviewers have commented extensively on the significance of Thucydides' History and its place in the pantheon of historical literature.Given a choice of translators and publishers, my focus is on some of the characteristics of this particular edition to aid in making a purchasing decision.

This version of the History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides appears to be a reprint excerpted from an older work -- "Thucydides, translated into English, to which is prefixed an essay on inscriptions and a note on the geography of Thucydides", by Benjamin Jowett. Second edition. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1900.Jowett was a prolific translator of Greek texts.A search on his name on the Amazon site will yield a huge number of hits.The 1960 Bantam Classics edition of the History claimed Jowett's translation as definitive.

The key point I want to make is that there are neither translator notes nor historical commentary in this reprint.There is also no publisher information anywhere in this book, making it difficult to track down the sources for this edition. Furthermore, all of the editorial comments on the Amazon page for this book refer to **other** editions, not the one you are purchasing from this page, and which might erroneously lead one to believe that there is historical background included in this particular book.

Finally, this book is available as an e-book for free under Creative Commons License, according to the terms of which, I believe, this reprint should have included the original attribution that I've given here.

In summary, this book is a complete translation of Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War by a well-regarded translator.It is however, a bare-bones edition without additional historical background on either the author or the content of this work.

They don't call them the Classics for Nothing
The reason books become classics is they convey wisdom pertanent to all ages.This history is one such classic example of Rhetoric, RealPolitik, Politics of Personality, as well as the higher themes of Honor, Loyalty, Duty, Courage. etc.
I'd give the book five stars but this translation is only adequate.I loved having the greek on the page opposite the english translation, as well as the convenient, carry-anywhere size of the text.
A must read if you wish to be considered truely educated.

The Beginnings of True History
Thucydides earned an honored spot among ancient writers by being one of the first to break with the old ways. Up to his time natural disasters, national defeat and personal tragedies were blamed on the "gods".This remained true even when the writers themselves doubted the existence of those beings.

Thucydides took part in the famous war between Athens and Sparta and somehow made the decision to- for the first time - write a factual historical record of the events instead of using legends and tales.He conducted interviews, traveled for first-hand investigation and laid out not only the war but the political and social conditions that surrounded the event.
If one were to judge the work based on the literary quality of the content it would be difficult to award the five stars.But the translator has made the best of an old style of writing that is detailed, pedantic and remorseless with the facts and consequences of mistakes.It is a miracle - and a blessing -that some anonymous scribe in a small room with candle and quill undertook the task of replicating his words for us almost 2,500 years later.

Read one the reviews below
I'm sorry to do this but this is just too funny to pass up.One of the guys below I believe his name is Kulp titled his review "bound to be a classic."Yeah maybe we can give it a couple more thousand years and it will become a classic, Bub.

bound to become a classic
Athens has Sparta by the throat, suing for peace. As protector of democracy Athens can expand her empire ad infinitum.Athens blows it.Driven by demagoguery, the Athenians reject Sparta's offer and lose it all in war against Syracuse.Thucydides weaves a very modern tale of democratic hubris and overreach. I read it two times. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Disappointing and ill thought out
With a title like "Apologies to Thucydides," what I was expecting was a more anthropological view on Thucydides' material. What I got what Sahlin's shaky justification for his tenuous and, dare I say, boring thesis.

Within the first few pages I knew this book wasn't going to be what I was hoping for, but I stuck with it, only to be thoroughly confused at the random trains of thought expressed. It seems to me that Sahlins had a list of things to tie the Pelopennesian War to before he wrote the book, and just did whatever he could to connect them. The purpose behind this is dubious and isn't explained in a satisfying manner at all.

I just fail to see the value in this book. My recommendation: don't waste your time. The book I was looking for, as far as I'm concerned, hasn't come out yet.

Interesting but heavy on jargon
Marshall Sahlins uses two seemingly unrelated episodes in history to question the narrative form of historiography with which we all grew up. He compares the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Greece with the nineteenth century conflict between Rewa and Bau, two Fijian kingdoms. Both featured an expansive, sea-going empire versus a more insular, land-oriented opponent.

Sahlins makes a very good case for the conflicts being driven by geography and culture, more than great men. He uses the two wars to illustrate the differences between narrative history and the more modern cultural view. He even recounts the 1951 National League pennant race between the Dodgers and the Giants to illustrate his point.

Although I prefer narrative history, with its seeming movers and shakers, and its chronological descriptions of events. I have to admit that Sahlins makes very good points for "Understanding History as Culture and Vice Versa" as he subtitled this book. My only real complaint, and this extends to most works of this genre, is its intensive use of sociological jargon. Some sentences are simply unintelligible to a sociologically untrained, but otherwise literate reader.

That said, this is a good read, and certainly expanded my horizons.
... Read more

Product Description
Text with facing translation, commentary and notes. (Aris and Phillips 1994) ... Read more

Product Description
A study of the intellectual and moral qualities of twelve of the most important figures in Thucydides' History, six Athenian and six Spartan. Professor Westlake has a double purpose: he aims to extend our understanding of the motives and actions of the individuals in question; and he uses the passages on character study in the History to illustrate Thucydides' own intellectual development and his deepening understanding of the art of the historian. In its interpretation of Thucydides this is a book of genuine originality. Professor Westlake propounds his thesis lucidly and with conviction. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
"Thomas Hobbes's translation of Thucydides brings together the magisterial prose of one of the greatest writers of the English language and the depth of mind and experience of one of the greatest writers of history in any language. . . . For every reason, the current availability of this great work is a boon."--Joseph Cropsey, University of Chicago ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Need to Love History to get through this.
A classic that directly connects today's people with the those thousands of years ago.A true time machine that lends incite into human nature and conflict that exist even today.I found this book to be a great mirror that we can see ourselves in if one cares to change names and places to find similarities.

Although very long and documentary in style, it is a Maciavellian account of the human societal animal.When one puts history like this into perspective with the growth of city states into nation states, one can see that although we may advance technologically - people haven't really changed all that much.

Warning: Be prepared to be dragged through account after account of historical events and long speeches.Nevertheless, a classic one will be happy to read.

The first serious Western history
For all we know, Thucydides was the first real historian in the Western world, and possibly the first in the world, period. Unlike Homer (a poet, not a historian) and Herodotus, who mixed folk tales and myths with factual reports, Thucydides sticks to facts, with the advantage of having been a contemporary and even a participant himself in the Peloponnesian War. So it makes for a credible reading. But this book is also important for other reasons. This war terminated the glory of Athens and in fact precluded its development as an empire. The war between only two "superpowers" and their allies has also served to illustrate bipolar conflict, such as the Cold War, and there are even whole courses about this book to illuminate a bipolar situation.

This translation by master political thinker Thomas Hobbes ("Leviathan") is not an easy read, yet it conveys the power of Thucydides's prose. Famous episodes of the war include, of course, Pericles's funeral oration, one of the best speeches ever recorded (if T. made it up, then he was one of the best speechwriters); the plague in Athens, a most unfortunate development for their side; rebellion in Corcyra; and the disastrous and worth-learning-from invasion of Sicily. One of the best history and politics books you can read.

A Greek World War
Homer filled his pages mostly with myth, with some general facts which remotely relate to history.Herodotus wrote mostly history, with a few myths and prophecies interspersed here & there.

With Thucydides, we get the first book in western culture that is 100% purely devoted to history.The historian expresses his disinterest in speculation about the will of the gods while turning his attention solely to factual accounts of the Peloponnesian War.

The present text discloses T's history, all dressed up in the eloquent, occasionally verbose prose of the 17th century philosopher, John Hobbes.David Grene of the university of Chicago does a credible job of auditing Hobbes' translation, pointing out errors, mis-interpretations & omissions in the text.

This work contains all of the most salient episodes of the war, from the funeral oration of Pericles (Book II), the unsteady truce between Athens & Sparta (Book V) and the disastrous Sicilian expedition (VI & VII).The latter proved to be the crippling blow which sealed the defeat of Athens. Less known, but equally poignant, is what Princeton's Michael Sugrue would call the "Big Fish Eat Little Fish" oration which the Athenians deliver to the Melians (Book V) before wiping them out.

Hobbes metes out ample attention to each major event, carefully crafting his diction with the efficacy of delivering the desired effect.However, there are times when his sentences get a bit syrupy & are a bit long.It does not help matters that Thucydides constantly skips around to diverse engagements, both major & minor, not always making it clear whom or what he is referring to.While it is fairly simple to keep track of the major players in the war (i.e.:Athens, Sparta, Argos, Syracuse, Corinth, Thebes, etc) it becomes increasingly difficult to follow all of the minor provinces involved as the war goes on.Of course, the people in T's day were already familiar with whom was aligned with whom, so detailed explanations of Greek alliances are omitted.This can be a obstacle for the modern reader.

All in all, tho, this is a credible translation to one of the most monumental works of history ever composed.Within these pages we discover the nobility and wisdom of Pericles, the treachery of Alcibiades, the violence and short-sightedness of Cleon and the effective generalship of Nicias. The most poignant aspects of the period all surface without any ambiguity; the arrogant hubris of the Athenians, the resilience of the Lacedaemonians and the determination of the Syracusians.Hobbes should be applauded for pulling off one of the best English translations of Greek history ever recorded.

A classic (and fun!!!)
This is really a great book. Considered a classic of historic writing, Thucydides continues to be fresh and contemporary. If you read too much Plato and are bored with the ancient greeks, here's the antidote! Wonderfulreading. And this Hobbes translation is incredible. A masterpiece,timeless. Don't hesitate; every educated person should read it.

The best translation of Thucydides yet.
The Hobbes translation and David Grene's intelligent and relevent notes make this the best version of Thucydides I have yet read.While I am not a scholar in this area, I feel that this is probably the grandest historyever written and that the Hobbes translation does it justice.It has beensaid that at best a translator is not merely changing the work fromlanguage to language but giving it a new life.Hobbes succeeded briliantlyin this, and I feel that through Mr. Grene's notes, the translation is asnear to the original as one can get. ... Read more

Product Description
Thucydides' account of the war between Athens and Sparta is the first great work of political history and still a fundamental text for political science and international relations today; it is also a compelling story, full of vivid characters and tragic miscalculations.This collection of essays is designed to accompany, instruct, and stimulate readers of Thucydides by making accessible some classic and influential studies that are frequently cited but not always easy to access. (One-third of the essays appear here in English for the first time.) All Greek is translated, and an introductory chapter surveys the chronology and thematic controversies among Thucydides' readings from antiquity to the present. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

J Rusten's "Histories" 2
Professor Rusten nearly equals Clyde Pharr in his presentation of Book II.The only advantage which Rusten does not provide is a vocabulary list.Commentary is helpful, if in the form of end notes, and fairly thorough.He presents a useful text for students of Attic Greek and to instructors of Thucydides.Either as an advanced [very] undergraduate Greek course or as part of an introductory graduate one, Rusten's edition is a valuable adjunct to the Loeb or the OCT in conjunction with the Crawley translation or the Landmark volume.

Greatest Of All Greek Historians
The greatest of all Greek historians was the Athenian general Thucydides (455-400 B.C.E.).Thucydides' classic work, "History Of The Peloponnesian War", provides us with the historical framework for 5th century Greece, a golden age of intellectual achievement and creativity rarely equaled in human history. This history is by far the best account of the bitter war between Athens and Sparta as well as the only surviving contemporary record of the rise of the Athenian empire.Thucydides as a master story teller doesn't just cover the battle scenes, he records the great political speeches of Pericles, leader of Athens, and Lysander leader of Sparta with great acumen.He is recognized as the first historian to actually go and get eyewitness accounts, visit battlefieilds and research documents and records.This work took him over 20 years and it shows!

The lessons he teaches about imperial over reaching and unreasonable peace settlements are prescient today as they were during his times.President Woodrow Wilson, read this book on his voyage across the Atlantic to the Versailles Peace Conference and vociferously fought the other Allies in making unreasonable demands of the Germans. Wilson learned the dangers that the world would be placed in by backing the Germans into a corner politically and economically from Thucydides book.

I recommend this timeless classic to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.I also recommend you read it with David Cartwright's "A Historical Commentary On Thucydides.

Enjoyable foray into Thucydides
For an author with as small a core vocabulary as Thucydides, chewing this Greek can feel pretty tough. Sentences pile on to a dizzying length, many words come heavily loaded, and he can be awfully terse in stringing together several individual and important ideas in otherwise simple narrative. Thankfully, Rusten has done a very good job with the notes. At points I was hoping for more insight, and there are numerous references to Gomme's much fuller commentary where Rusten did not deem it worthwhile to spend anymore time. But his unique treatment of the funeral oration was superb and even if one were to discount everything else in the book it would be valuable to have for this alone.

Nice way to learn difficult Greek
Thuc is generally acknowledged as being a difficult writer to read, especially for students only a few years into their studies, but this edition eases the reader into his style.Copious notes aid the reader with the more trying sentences and helpful "summaries" give an overview of important sections.I think I've read someone describing the treatment here of Perikles' Funeral Oration as a "tour de force" - and, considering Perikles' (or Thuc's?) at times bafflingly scattered sentence structure, it is certainly helpful to have someone such as this author to guide you along.I did come out of this experience with a bittersweet affection for Thuc, and it was partly due to this edition of the Greek text.J F Rusten knows his stuff and it's wonderful he's chosen to share that knowledge. ... Read more

Product Description
About the Series: Each Norton Critical Edition includes an authoritative text, contextual and source materials, and a wide range of interpretations-from contemporary perspectives to the most current critical theory-as well as a bibliography and, in most cases, a chronology of the author's life and work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War is the account of the war between Athens and Sparta, 432-402 B.C. It was a war that Sparta eventually won, although it was a short-lived victory as Spartan hegemony gave way to Theban dominance and ultimately to that of the Macedonians Phillip and Alexander.

Military historians will find much to enjoy here. The account involves traditional battles with massed hoplites, amphibious landings, night battles, peltasts and light-armed troops, special forces ops, siege warfare, diplomacy, etc. The descriptions of the battles of Delium (Bk. 4) and Maninteas (Bk. 5) are particularly good on this score

What caused the war? Thucydides points to the growing power of the Athenian Empire. Athens had emerged stronger after the Persian war. But it led to a policy of imperialism directed at other Greek states, which in turn caused geopolitical instability. In light of the growth of the Athenian empire, one could argue, war was practically inevitable. Imperial hubris was Athens's downfall, a danger to which not even modern superpowers are immune.

A case in point. The disastrous Sicilian expedition undertaken by Athens was a direct factor in its downfall, and is disturbingly reminiscent of the overseas military ops of modern empires, especially the current crisis in Iraq. Incidentally, in Bk 4.58-65, the decision of the Sicilians to put aside their squabbles and unite against the invader, Athens, will be familiar to students of insurgency warfare.

It is also curious to note the role that ethnicity played in the war, i.e. Ionian vs. Dorian, Greek vs. Barbarian, particularly since historians tell us that race & ethnicity were unimportant to the ancient Greeks.

Should we be surprised that the events described by Thucydides seem to familiar to us? Not at all. History is the study of mankind. As Thucydides knew, human nature is a constant. As the Syracusan Hermocrates says to his fellow Sicilians prior to the Athenian invasion: "...although it is human nature everywhere to dominate those who gave way, it is also in our nature to defend ourselves against attack" (Bk 4.61). War is a part of human nature, and no amount of idealistic peace-keeping missions can change that. To help us understand why, there is no better historian than Thucydides.

Greatest Of All Greek Historians
The greatest of all Greek historians was the Athenian general Thucydides (455-400 B.C.E.).Thucydides' classic work, "History Of The Peloponnesian War", provides us with the historical framework for 5th century Greece, a golden age of intellectual achievement and creativity rarely equaled in human history. This history is by far the best account of the bitter war between Athens and Sparta as well as the only surviving contemporary record of the rise of the Athenian empire.Thucydides as a master story teller doesn't just cover the battle scenes, he records the great political speeches of Pericles, leader of Athens, and Lysander leader of Sparta with great acumen.He is recognized as the first historian to actually go and get eyewitness accounts, visit battlefieilds and research documents and records.This work took him over 20 years and it shows!

The lessons he teaches about imperial over reaching and unreasonable peace settlements are prescient today as they were during his times.President Woodrow Wilson, read this book on his voyage across the Atlantic to the Versailles Peace Conference and vociferously fought the other Allies in making unreasonable demands of the Germans. Wilson learned the dangers that the world would be placed in by backing the Germans into a corner politically and economically from Thucydides book.

I recommend this timeless classic to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.I also recommend you read it with David Cartwright's "A Historical Commentary On Thucydides.

Herodotus, I think not!
This translations is one of the best I have read.It has a very modern feel to it which makes it easy to read.Thucydides discusses his epochal conflict of the Peloponnesian War in great detail.
He approached history very differently from Herodotus.Thucydides did not include any gods in this story, which would add excitement to the book.Yet, I believe it paints a more accurate depiction of the Greeks.Thucydides even makes reference to how much better at history he is than Homer (and Herodotus)!Great read, but take your time to look over the speeches they are very important. ... Read more