History of the Peloponnesian War

by Thucydides

Overview

The entire Greek world plunged into three decades of bloodshed in 431 B.C., when the ongoing friction between Athens and Sparta over shipping, trade, and colonial expansion exploded into war. Ten years into the struggle, the Athenian general Thucydides was dismissed and banished for his delay in assisting the besieged city of Amphipolis. Thucydides' military failure and disgrace ended in a triumph for posterity: the former general retired to record the events of the war, resulting in one of the world's great history books and the first true historical narrative of Western literature. Thucydides' chronicle of the disastrous 27-year conflict between the Greek city-states resonates with tales of heroism and villainy, deeds of courage and desperation, and the eternal folly of human conflict.

As an insightful amateur historian, he traces the war's roots in prior hostilities between Greece and Persia and examines the relative merits of the Athenian League and the Spartan alliance. Scrupulously impartial and accurate, he presents detailed, knowledgeable accounts of the battles, in addition to dialogues reflecting the political atmosphere. This ancient tale of the rise and fall of a democratic empire bears numerous parallels with modern times. As the author remarked of his work, "I shall be satisfied if it be thought useful by those who wish to know the exact character of events now past which, human nature being what it is, will recur in similar or analogous forms."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781504062886
Publisher:	Open Road Media
Publication date:	05/05/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	820
Sales rank:	73,822
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Thucydides was an Athenian historian and general. His History of the Peloponnesian War recounts the war between Sparta and Athens during the fifth century BC.

Table of Contents

Book I
I.	The State of Greece from the earliest Times to the Commencement of the Peloponnesian War	1
II.	Causes of the War--The Affair of Epidamnus--The Affair of Potidaea	11
III.	Congress of the Peloponnesian Confederacy at Lacedaemon	28
IV.	From the end of the Persian to the beginning of the Peloponnesian War--The Progress from Supremacy to Empire	39
V.	Second Congress at Lacedaemon--Preparations for War and Diplomatic Skirmishes--Cylon--Pausanias--Themistocles	50
Book II
VI.	Beginning of the Peloponnesian War--First Invasion of Attica--Funeral Oration of Pericles	67
VII.	Second Year of the War--The Plague of Athens--Position and Policy of Pericles--Fall of Potidaea	87
VIII.	Third Year of the War--Investment of Plataea--Naval Victories of Phormio--Thracian Irruption into Macedonia under Sitalces	99
Book III
IX.	Fourth and Fifth Years of the War--Revolt of Mitylene	119
X.	Fifth Year of the War--Trial and Execution of the Plataeans--Corcyraean Revolution	140
XI.	Sixth Year of the War--Campaigns of Demosthenes in Western Greece--Ruin of Ambracia	155
Book IV
XII.	Seventh Year of the War--Occupation of Pylos--Surrender of the Spartan Army in Sphacteria	169
XIII.	Seventh and Eighth Years of the War--End of Corcyraean Revolution--Peace of Gela--Capture of Nisaea	187
XIV.	Eighth and Ninth Years of the War--Invasion of Boeotia--Fall of Amphipolis--Brilliant Successes of Brasidas	200
Book V
XV.	Tenth Year of the War--Death of Cleon and Brasidas--Peace of Nicias	229
XVI.	Feeling against Sparta in Peloponnese--League of the Mantineans, Eleans, Argives, and Athenians--Battle of Mantinea and Breaking up of the League	240
XVII.	Sixteenth Year of the War--The Melian Conference--Fate of Melos	267
Book VI
XVIII.	Seventeenth Year of the War--The Sicilian Campaign--Affair of the Hermae--Departure of the Expedition	275
XIX.	Seventeenth Year of the War--Parties at Syracuse--Story of Harmodius and Aristogiton--Disgrace of Alcibiades	290
XX.	Seventeenth and Eighteenth Years of the War--Inaction of the Athenian Army--Alcibiades at Sparta--Investment of Syracuse	303
Book VII
XXI.	Eighteenth and Nineteenth Years of the War--Arrival of Gylippus at Syracuse--Fortification of Decelea--Successes of the Syracusans	325
XXII.	Nineteenth Year of the War--Arrival of Demosthenes--Defeat of the Athenians at Epipolae--Folly and Obstinacy of Nicias	344
XXIII.	Nineteenth Year of the War--Battles in the Great Harbour--Retreat and Annihilation of the Athenian Army	349
Book VIII
XXIV.	Nineteenth and Twentieth Years of the War--Revolt of Ionia--Intervention of Persia--The War in Ionia	369
XXV.	Twentieth and Twenty-first Years of the War--Intrigues of Alcibiades--Withdrawal of the Persian Subsidies--Oligarchical Coup d'Etat at Athens--Patriotism of the Army at Samos	387
XXVI.	Twenty-first Year of the War--Recall of Alcibiades to Samos--Revolt of Euboea and Downfall of the Four Hundred--Battle of Cynossema	403
	Maps	419