Thucydides, with an English Translation, Vol. 1 of 4: History of the Peloponnesian War, Books I and II (Classic Reprint)

By Thucydides

Book Overview

Classic political realism. Thucydides of Athens was born about 471 BC. He saw the rise of Athens to greatness under the inspired leadership of Pericles. In 430, the second year of the Peloponnesian... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1331925649
• ISBN13: 9781331925644
• Release Date: August 2018
• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Length: 502 Pages
• Weight: 1.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Quite fascinating, but it needed time to trudge through.

When you buy by the volume, be sure they are the same set. I once was in the U.S. Army. As part of our job, we were always encouraged to study history to see how people thought and how wars were executed. No war is ever the same, so what we are reading to learn is the why. There are also how people responded to different tactics and strategies. I found this easy to read as the translation made it appear like we were reading today’s news. Not just the actions but the politics of the time. There are great descriptions of the time and place. The only thing that is missing is visual maps to put the places in perspective. Luckily, you can get maps of the time off the net as a supplement. There is enough detail that it may require a second reading after you have digested the first. I am also looking for some good books to tell me what I would have noticed in this book. Be aware that translation is also very important, and you may want to read some different translations to get a better picture of the war.

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.

An entertaining and well-written history

This is the most objective and readable contemporary history ever written. Only in classical Greece could a work at once so sympathetic and objective be created. Thucydides was an Athenian and served as a general in their army, but first and foremost he was a Greek. Because of this he did not slander Athens' enemies or feel the need cast the Athenians' actions in a glorious, righteous light. Every chapter shines with brilliance and humanity, particularly the section on the plague which hit Athens when it was already in a crisis. I'm actually tempted to call this 2,000 year old history a page-turner.