Thucydides and the peloponnesian war online resources the peloponnesian war. The history of the peloponnesian war chapter summaries course. The history of the peloponnesian war by thucydides book 1. Thucydides and the peloponnesian war hertog foundation. The history of the peloponnesian war by thucydides book 8. A comprehensive guide to the peloponnesian war by thucydides. Thucydides bilingual anthology studies thucydides in print. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of scientific history due to his strict standards of evidencegathering and analysis in terms of cause and effect. Thucydides history of the peloponnesian war is divided into eight books. His fourvolume history of the peloponnesian war is the leading scholarly work on the subject. Early in the spring of the following summer dercyllidas, a spartiate, was sent with a small force by land to the hellespont to bring about the revolt of. Thucydides on the four hundred and the fall of athens oxford. The news was brought to athens, but the athenians could not believe that the armament 1 had been so completely annihilated, although they had the positive assurances of 2 the very soldiers who 3 had escaped from the scene of action. The bitter rivalry between the two chief citystates, athens and sparta, and their respective allies ended with the ruin of athens naval hegemony and what the greek historian thucydides ca.
Book 8 shows why thucydides was right to conclude that the sicilian defeat was not enough to cause athens to lose the peloponnesian war. Hide browse bar your current position in the text is marked in blue. Alarm at athens, 42 bc chapters 15 athens reacts to the fate of the sicilian expedition with shock and disbelief but refuses to give in. The winter following the sicilian disaster, the whole of hellas turns against athens 539. Thucydides history of the peloponnesian war book 8. Read by librivox volunteers the history of the peloponnesian war is an account of the peloponnesian war in ancient greece, fought between the peloponnesian league led by sparta and the delian league led by athens in the 5th century bc. History of the peloponnesian war, by thucydides book viii the news was brought to athens, but the athenians could not believe that the armament had been so completely annihilated, although they had the positive assurances of the very soldiers who 1 had escaped from the scene of action. Epidaurus furnished five, hermione one, troezen two, leucas ten, and.
The history of the peloponnesian war chapter summaries. Review history of the peloponnesian war einternational relations. He uses this plague as a means to suggest that war teaches violence. Thucydides, history of the peloponnesian war, book viii, chapter 1. Although unfinished and as a whole unrevised, in brilliance of description and depth of insight this history has no superior. Analysis of the history of the peloponnesian war, by. Thucydides and the peloponnesian war online resources. He saw the rise of athens to greatness under the inspired leadership of pericles.
Written by one of the fathers of western history, thucydides history of the peloponnesian war is a landmark literary and scholarly achievement documenting the pivot point in the golden age of athenian democracy. The ancient greek historian thucydides captured this drama with matchless insight in his classic eyewitness account of what was arguably the greatest war in the history of the world up to that time. The history of the peloponnesian war by thucydides free. Chapter i the state of greece from the earliest times to the commencement of the peloponnesian war thucydides, an athenian, wrote the history of the war between the peloponnesians and the athenians, beginning at the moment that it broke out, and believing that it would be a great war and more worthy of relation than any that had preceded it. Librivox recording of the history of the peloponnesian war, by thucydides. The history of the peloponnesian war by thucydides book 1 complete audiobook ancient times. Thucydides was an athenian and achieved the rank of general in the earlier stages of the war, and in this detailed, firsthand contemporary account he writes as both a soldier and a historian. Thucydidess the history of the peloponnesian war chapter summary. Donald kagan is the sterling professor emeritus of classics and history at yale university. And this winter ended, and with it ended the twentieth year of this war of which thucydides is the historian. Twentieth and twentyfirst years of the warintrigues of alcibiadeswithdrawal of the persian subsidiesoligarchical coup detat at athenspatriotism of the army at samos chapter xxvi. Book two includes the first major speech of the history in pericles.
Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the peloponnesian war. Click anywhere in the line to jump to another position. Chapter xxiv nineteenth and twentieth years of the war. He describes the enthusiasm for the sicilian expedition, however, in ominous terms redolent. Thucydides begins this chapter by emphasizing the athenians widespread ignorance of sicily, thus distinctly foreshadowing the disaster that will befall them in book 7, chapter 23. Thucydides history of the peloponnesian war book 8 complete the eight books of thucydides history, translated by r. The conflict begins when the spartans attack attica, the surroundings of athens, and lay siege to athens. And the winter ended, and with it ended also the nineteenth year of this war of which thucydides is the historian. This 2,500 yearold translated book the history of the peloponnesian war is a wealth of details for the researcher or historical scholar but difficult to read and comprehend in its. Nineteenth and twentieth years of the warrevolt of ionia intervention of persiathe war in ionia chapter xxv. Thucydides history of the peloponnesian war 8 vols.
The peloponnesian war is broken into eight books and is a detailed account of the conflict. In 430, the second year of the peloponnesian war, he caught and survived the horrible plague which he described so graphically. His history of the peloponnesian war recounts the fifthcentury bc war between sparta and athens until the year 411 bc. The peloponnesian war was really three conflicts 431421, 4154, and 4404 bce that thucydides was still unifying into one account when he died some time before 396 bce. The history of the peloponnesian war, by thucydides 431 bc. There is thucydides the son of milesias, an athenian, of the town of alope, of whom plutarch speaketh in the life of pericles. The history of the peloponnesian war by thucydides. The state of greece from the earliest times to the commencement of the peloponnesian war. The history of the peloponnesian war is an account of the peloponnesian war in ancient greece, fought between the peloponnesian league led by sparta and the delian league led by athens in the 5th century bc. A wikipedia article about this author is available thucydides, contrib the english works of thomas hobbes of malmesbury 11 volumes. War chapter summary chart to help you understand the book. He is also the author of many books on ancient and modern topics, including on the origins of war and the preservation of peace, the great dialogue.
Thucydides, history of the peloponnesian war, book viii. It was written by thucydides, an athenian historian who also happened to serve as an athenian general during the war. This text was converted to electronic form by optical character recognition and has been. This study guide consists of approximately 49 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of history of the peloponnesian war. The spartans are eager to defeat athens and assume leadership of hellas. The state of greece from the earliest times to the commencement of the peloponnesian war thucydides, an athenian, wrote the history of the war between the. Book 2, chapter 8, this chapter begins with an account of the peloponnesians attack on plataea. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of scientific history due to his strict standards of evidence. And the winter ended, and with it ended the sixteenth year of this war of which thucydides is the historian. The history of the peloponnesian war by thucydides written 431 b. Thucydides the history of the peloponnesian war chap. Thucydides explores many themes within his work, the history of the peloponnesian war.
This 2,500 yearold translated book the history of the peloponnesian war is a wealth of details for the researcher or historical scholar but difficult to read and comprehend in its present form for the lay person. He applies a passion for accuracy and a contempt for myth and romance in compiling a factual record of a ruinous conflict that would eventually destroy. Thucydides writes that most athenians had no idea of sicilys geographical extent or the size of its population. Thucydides of athens, one of the greatest of historians, was born about 471 bce. The news was brought to athens, but the athenians could not believe that the armament had been so completely annihilated, although they had. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of scientific history by those who accept his claims to. Thucydides, history of the peloponnesian war, book iv. Features 917 chapter summaries and 5 sections of expert analysis. Morris, commentary on thucydides book 1, introduction thucydides, history of the peloponnesian war, thuc. History of the peloponnesian war, volume iv thucydides. Thucydides, the peloponnesian war, book 1, chapter 1. The history of the peloponnesian war book 6 chapter 18.
Narrative artistry in the account of the ionian war. The best account of the peloponnesian war now available. History of the peloponnesian warbook 6 wikisource, the. The history of the peloponnesian war by thucydides book 6 complete audiobook duration. The conflict, fought between the athenianled delian league and the spartanled peloponnesian league, signaled the end of athenian dominance in greece at the close of the fifth.
It was written by thucydides, an athenian historian who also served as an. The history of the peloponnesian war is a historical account of the peloponnesian war 431404 bc, which was fought between the peloponnesian league led by sparta and the delian league led by athens. The peloponnesian war pitted athens and its allies against a league of citystates headed by sparta. A prominent theme can be found in book 2 chapter 53, in which, thucydides describes athens after it had been hit with a devastating plague. Thucydides, history of the peloponnesian war, volume iv. Earl61y in the spring of the summer following, dercyllidas, a spartan, was sent with a small force by land to the hellespont to effect the revolt of abydos, which is a. History of the peloponnesian warbook 8 wikisource, the free. Megara prepared to accompany them with eight ships, pale in cephallonia with four. History of the peloponnesian war thucydides, finley, m.