The history places great importance upon naval supremacy, arguing that a modern empire is impossible without a strong navy. Professor rhodes continues his edition of thucydides books on the archidamian war with his edition of book iii, providing an introduction on thucydides history and on the peloponnesian war, greek text with selective critical apparatus and facing translation, and a commentary which should be useful not only to specialists but also to readers. He was even called to make a presentation to the national security council about it. The skull of an eleven year old girl, victim of the plague, found in the kerameikos cemetery. History of the peloponnesian war, volume ii thucydides. Ten years into the struggle, the athenian general thucydides was dismissed for a military failure that led to a triumph for posterity. Vanderspoel, department of greek, latin and ancient history, university of. Ancient greek, the latin greek institute, the graduate center, cuny. His account of the conflict is widely considered to be a classic and regarded as one of the earliest scholarly works of history. The funeral oration was recorded by thucydides in book two of his famous history of the peloponnesian war.
Thucydides discovered that history cannot be told as it has been. Avoiding thucydides iceberg thus, protracted economic distress, economic conflicts or another financial crisis could lead to military confrontation by the protagonists, even if unintended. What can thucydides and the plague of athens teach us in. Some summaries accompany the text, very numerous and similar to those in a and b for books 1 2, different. In all essence, the episode is most likely from a later greek or roman account of his. 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 second book of thucydides is of particular interest because it contains important sections on the funeral oration, the account of the plague at athens and the. Thucydides of athens, one of the greatest of historians, was born about 471 bce.
The state of greece from the earliest times to the commencement of the peloponnesian war. Although thucydides records the speech in the first person as if it were a word for word record of what pericles said, there can be little doubt that he edited the speech at the very least. Books by thucydides author of history of the peloponnesian war. Funerals after such battles were public rituals and pericles used the occasion to make a classic statement of the value of democracy. Thucydides died before the history could be completed. Thucydides pursued a political career under pericles and served as a general in the great peloponnesian war of 431404 b. The history of the peloponnesian war by thucydides free ebook. Thucydides, history of the peloponnesian war, book ii. The history of the peloponnesian war by thucydides. Thucydides books list of books by author thucydides thriftbooks. Pelop war book 2 cambridge greek and latin classics.
Thucydides s most popular book is history of the peloponnesian war. Dec 01, 2004 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Mar 14, 20 thucydides history of the peloponnesian war is divided into eight books that together cover twentyone of the twentyseven years of the peloponnesian war the war fought between athens, and its empire, and the peloponnesian league, led by sparta at the end of the 5 th century bc. One of the greatest ancient historians, thucydides c.
Some have argued for independent publication of thucydides book 1, or 1 through 5. Thucydides was one of the greatest of the ancient greek historians because of his attention to accurate research. Apr 16, 2018 the landmark thucydides, free press strassler, r. Thucydides the history of the peloponnesian war books. Marchantwas editor ofxenophon, books i, ii, iii, v. Thucydides description of the great plague at athens. Called the father of modern history, thucydides between 460 and 455 b. The first book 245k the second book 190k the third book 187k the fourth book 220k the fifth book 169k the sixth book 187k. Mar 21, 2020 statue portrait of historian thucydides outside the austrian parliament in vienna.
English translation of thucydides history of the peloponnesian war book 2, by r. Thucydides awareness of his predecessor appears in his inclusions for example. History of the peloponnesian war summary and study guide. Mar 21, 2014 thucydides lone book is his account of the 27year war pitting a coalitionled by sparta against athens and its allies a war in which thucydidesfought for athens as a naval commander. The best books on thucydides five books expert recommendations. The book concludes with an insightful discussion of thucydides as a thinker and philosophic historian. He states that this is the result of the development of. In book 2, the war begins with thebes invasion of plataea and athens involvement on its behalf. See all books authored by thucydides, including history of the peloponnesian war, and the landmark thucydides.
Pelop war book 2 cambridge greek and latin classics rusten. The book ends with sparta and its allies voting to declare war on athens. Thucydides anthology in english and greek side by side. Most editions of single books of thucydides are nearly 100 years old, and concentrate heavily on textual and linguistic matters. The second book of thucydides, london, rivingtons, 1854 page images at hathitrust thucydides. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of scientific history due to his strict standards of. Thucydides has been called the father of scientific history, and of political realism. Thucydides bilingual anthology studies thucydides in print table of contents book 1 chapter i. Thucydides states that his work would be found profitable by.
Besides the political causes of the war, thucydides was interested in and emphasized the conflict between two types of character. Book vi greek texts greek and english edition 9781853995873. Such a life had been characteristic of them, more than of any other hellenic. And thucydides, not only the best historian of the ancient greece, perhaps the only real of the era and even somehow comparable with many of the good modern timers. Despite flaws, the book is a monumental,unprecedented work.
Although unfinished and as a whole unrevised, in brilliance of description and depth of insight this history has no superior. He saw the rise of athens to greatness under the inspired leadership of pericles. Causes of the warthe affair of epidamnusthe affair of potidaea. Thucydides, the scientific historian, was known for having a strict code of being impartial, carefully gathering evidence, and not considering deities in his history korabkarpowicz. With an english translation by charles forster smith. This book is a concise, readable introduction to the greek author thucydides, who is widely regarded as one of the foremost historians of all time. Pericles funeral oration from the peloponnesian war book 2. The nature of the plague described by thucydides in book 2, chapter 49, has long been discussed both by medical and by classical scholars. It was written by thucydides, an athenian historian who also served as an athenian general during the war. The first book on your list is by vincent azoulay, and its called pericles of athens. The history of the peloponnesian war is a historical account of the peloponnesian war, which was fought between the peloponnesian league and the delian league.
History of the peloponnesian war by thucydides free ebook. Designed to introduce both students and general readers to a work that is an essential part of a liberal education, this book seeks to encourage readers to explore thucydides one of the worlds greatest historians for themselves. Hey policy wonks, this is how you should read thucydides. A comprehensive guide to the peloponnesian war, and more on. Marchant, originally published in 1891, and the introduction is by thomas wiedemann, who takes into account the needs of the modern student and up. Slayers, the remainder of the history books 2 through 8 rigidly. Thucydides, history of the peloponnesian war, volume ii. The history emphasizes the development of military technologies.
His exceptionally complex structure and techniques make thucydides one of the most difficult as well as one of the most profound of ancient historians. Westlake, individuals in thucydides 1968, is an outstanding study of the leading individuals in the history, and his essays on the greek historians and greek history 1969 deals primarily with specialized topics in thucydides. It covers the first three years of the war and is characterized by skirmishes and battles among allied states stretching across the hellenicoccupied region. Geoffrey woodhead, thucydides on the nature of power 1970. In the introduction to your book, you mentioned harvard political scientist graham allisons book destined for war, which predicts war between china and the united states based on his idea of there being a thucydides trap. This edition, like its companions thucydides ll and iv, is intended primarily for undergraduates and candidates taking alevel examinations. It is also meant to be used with the abridged edition of liddell and scotts greek english lexicon, which reliably contains nearly all of the vocabulary of book i of thucydides. Thucydides, history of the peloponnesian war, volume i. Beginning of the peloponnesian warfirst invasion of atticafuneral oration of pericles chapter vii.
The rise of the athenian empire from thucydides book i. History of the peloponnesian war 15930809 book cover. Oct 07, 2020 plaster cast bust of thucydides in the pushkin museum from a roman copy located at holkham hall of an early fourthcentury bc greek original. Some modern historians remain persuaded by thucydides s portrait of pericles and the athenian democracy, but others argue from thucydides s own testimony that pericles led athens into an unnecessary war in the belief that the opportunity had arrived to advance athenian domination over the whole of the greek world. Lets talk about the books youve chosen to better understand thucydides and his time. Perez zagorin answers this question by examining thucydides landmark history of the peloponnesian war, one of the great classics of western civilization. In 430, the second year of the peloponnesian war, he caught and survived the horrible plague which he described so graphically. Third year of the warinvestment of plataeanaval victories of phormiothracian irruption into macedonia under sitalces. Of numerous suggested identifications none has found general approval. This new edition of book ii, the book in which thucydides main narrative of the peloponnesian war begins, contains an introduction, a greek text, an english translation, and a commentary which should be useful not only to specialists but also to readers who know. Thucydides has 458 books on goodreads with 95494 ratings. Awarded best first book prize by the foundations section of the american political science association, 2001.
The second book of thucydides history is of particular literary interest, containing as it does such important sections as the funeral oration, the account of the plague at athens and the obituary of pericles. Archidamus, the spartan king, leads a lacedaemonian force into attica. But this provisional assertion is placed strangely by thucydides. Shutterstock plague narratives about 270 years after the iliad, or thereabouts, plague is the centrepiece of two great classical athenian works sophocles oedipus the king, and book 2 of thucydides history of the peloponnesian war. Thucydides history of the peloponnesian war complete the eight books of thucydides history, translated by r. The second book of thucydides is of particular interest because it contains important sections on the funeral oration, the account of the plague at athens and the obituary of pericles. Pericles was a general, the leader we most associate with athens golden age, but he ended up dying of plague before the end of the peloponnesian war. Beginning of the peloponnesian warfirst invasion of attica funeral oration of pericles theban forces try to take the city of plataea, but are routed from the town. Less than a decade after the great depression started, the second world war had begun as the axis powers challenged the earlier entrenched colonial powers. A composite manuscript, containing first two treatises of dio chrysostom and some sentences from the greek anthology, then herodotus, except for book 5. The narrative is arranged according to summers and winters and follows the order of events. It will also be useful to students who are approaching a book of thucydides for the first time, or studying the peloponnesian war from a more general, historical perspective. Among the most famous parts of thucydides history of the peloponnesian war is his account of the plague that killed nearly a third of the athenian population in the summer of 430 and caused greater loss of human life than the rest of the archidamian war.
Greek text with english translation includes index vol. Feb 01, 2021 overall, the book does a good job in showing how thucydides text has been reduced to a few sound bites, such as the strong do what they want, and the weak suffer what they must, and that these ideas are not necessarily reflective of thucydides thought or the events of greek history in the fifth and fourth centuries bce. Second year of the warthe plague of athensposition and policy of periclesfall of potidaea chapter viii. Thucydides books list of books by author thucydides. His account of the 5th century bc struggle between athens and sparta is one of the first works of history to combine political and ethical reflections with history writing. Aug 28, 2017 the least avowed, though truest cause of the war, according to thucydides, is packaged by allison into the alleged thucydides trap. This book, like its companions on thucydides books i and iv, is published primarily for students approaching a book of thucydides for the first time or studying the peloponnesian war in a more general way. The history of the peloponnesian war by thucydides free. Henceforward the struggle was uninterrupted, and they communicated with 2 one another only by heralds. Photo by shakko, wikimedia commons in spite of his stature as a historian, modern historians know relatively little about thucydides s life. The state of greece from the earliest times to the commencement of the peloponnesian war chapter ii.
History of the peloponnesian war is a real history, the best of the ancient times. Yale professor of classics kagan thoroughly examines thucydides life and work to successfully demonstrate that the athenian historian was the first to utilize a truly professional i. Thucydides history of the peloponnesian war book 2. And now the war between the athenians and peloponnesians and the allies of both 1 actually began. Thucydides chronicle of the disastrous 27year conflict between the greek citystates resonates. This can be seen by an analysis of the topic modeling results of thucydides history of the peloponnesian war. After his death, thucydidess history was subdivided into eight books. Thucydides the history of the peloponnesian war books 2 5. And now the war between the athenians and peloponnesians and the. Thucydides, the peloponnesian war, book 2, chapter 2, section 1.
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