The History of the Peloponnesian War Revised Edition

by Thucydides; Warner, Rex (Translator)

• ISBN13: 9780140440393
• ISBN10: 0140440399
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1954-09-30
• Publisher: Penguin Classics

Summary

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.

Author Biography

Thucydides (c. 460 b.c.-400 b.c.) was a general who was exiled for his failure to defend the Greek city of Amphipolis in Thrace. During his exile, he began compiling histories and accounts of the war from various participants.

Rex Warner (1905-1986) was a classical scholar of Wadham College, Oxford, and served as university professor of the University of Connecticut.

M. I. Finley was a professor of ancient history and master of Darwin College, Cambridge. He died in 1986.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION	9	(24)
M. I. Finley
TRANSLATOR'S NOTE	33	(2)
Rex Warner
BOOK I	35	(89)
Introduction	35	(14)
The Dispute over Epidamnus	49	(4)
The Dispute over Corcyra	53	(15)
The Dispute over Potidaea	68	(4)
The Debate at Sparta and Declaration of War	72	(15)
The Pentecontaetia	87	(16)
The Allied Congress at Sparta	103	(5)
The Stories of Pausanias and Themistocles	108	(10)
The Spartan Ultimatum and Pericles' Reply	118	(6)
BOOK II	124	(70)
Outbreak of War	124	(12)
The First Year of the War	136	(7)
Pericles' Funeral Oration	143	(8)
The Plague	151	(5)
The Policy of Pericles	156	(9)
The Fall of Potidaea	165	(3)
The Siege of Plataea	168	(5)
Victories of Phormio	173	(14)
Thrace and Macedonia	187	(7)
BOOK III	194	(71)
Revolt of Mytilene	194	(18)
The Mytilenian Debate	212	(11)
The End of Plataea	223	(13)
Civil War in Corcyra	236	(9)
Operations in Sicily and Greece	245	(10)
End of Sixth Year of War	255	(10)
BOOK IV	265	(83)
Athenian Success at Pylos	265	(13)
Final Victory at Pylos	278	(12)
Further Athenian Successes	290	(8)
Peace in Sicily	298	(5)
Fighting at Megara	303	(7)
Brasidas in Thrace	310	(8)
Athenian Defeat at Delium	318	(8)
Brasidas Captures Amphipolis	326	(8)
Armistice between Athens and Sparta	334	(5)
End of Ninth Year of War	339	(9)
BOOK V	348	(61)
Battle of Amphipolis	348	(8)
Peace of Nicias	356	(7)
Negotiations with Argos	363	(10)
Alliance between Athens and Argos	373	(9)
Campaigns in the Peloponnese	382	(6)
Battle of Mantinea	388	(12)
The Melian Dialogue	400	(9)
BOOK VI	409	(69)
Sicilian Antiquities	409	(5)
Launching of the Sicilian Expedition	414	(16)
The Debate at Syracuse	430	(7)
The Athenians Arrive in Sicily	437	(5)
The Story of Harmodius and Aristogiton	442	(5)
Recall of Alcibiades	447	(2)
Athenian Victory before Syracuse	449	(6)
The Debate at Camarina	455	(10)
Alcibiades in Sparta	465	(6)
More Athenian Successes at Syracuse	471	(7)
BOOK VII	478	(60)
Gylippus Arrives in Syracuse	478	(5)
Letter of Nicias	483	(5)
Fortification of Decelea	488	(8)
Athenian Defeat in the Great Harbour	496	(7)
Athenian Defeat at Epipolae	503	(13)
Syracusan Victory at Sea	516	(9)
Destruction of the Athenian Expedition	525	(13)
BOOK VIII	538	(69)
Alarm at Athens	538	(3)
Beginning of Persian Intervention	541	(21)
The Oligarchic Coup	562	(37)
Athenian Victory at Cynossema	599	(8)
Appendices	607	(14)
Bibliography	621	(4)
Maps	625	(8)
Index	633