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Summary: A Timeless Classic and Warning
Comment: Thucydides (c.460-c.400 BC) was an insider during the Peloponesian War. He was an Athenian
commander who was dismissed after his men lost a battle in spite of the fact of his previous
successes. This book was an attempt at an honest historical assessment of the Peloponesian War
which was not only destructive to the Athenians and eventually the Spartans, but the war was also
ruinous to their allies. The important theme of this book is that Athenian hubris replaced
practicle thinking leading to Athenian imperialism and war.

Thucydides investigated
this war by examining battle sites, interviewing both Athenian and Spartan commanders, and
inspecting the limited sources that existed for historians at that time. He was clear that the
primary cause of the Peloponesian War was fear of Athenian imperialism especially among the Spartans
and their allies. One should note that the Athenians not only made enemies of the Peloponeisan
League (The Spartans and their allies), but the Athenians made enemies of those Greeks who were
neutral but were driven by necessity to join the Peloponesian League.

An important
part of theis book which is found in the Penguin Classics edition can be found on pages 242-244.
Thucydides made some poignant remarks regarding how thought and language are corrupted during times
of revolution and war. He comments that manners and civility collapsed during the Peloponesian War.
He also warned readers that during such crises that thoughtful, intelligent men are destroyed
because too many people are willing to commit violence on behalf of demogogues rather than engage in
calm reflection. This is in line with the chapter on Von Hayek's THE ROAD TO SERFDOM titled "Why
the Worst get on top."

If one follows Thucydides THE HISTORY OF THE PELOPONESIAN WAR
carefully, they will discover that the Athenians had considerable power and wealth. Yet, Athenian
arrogance and greed resulted in a useless war that resulted in the loss of Athenian power and
wealth. This book is a microcosm of the adage that, "The bigger an empire is, the weaker it
is."

This book is useful in examination of the catostophic wars and revolutions of the
20th century. George Orwell made comment on the corruption of language in his essays and novels,
expecially 1984. Crane Briton cites Thucydides' book in Briton's book title ANATOMY OF REVOLUTION.
In other words, while this book was written c. 410 B.C., this book is still timely which makes it a
classic.

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Summary: A Masterpiece of Historical Writing
Comment: Why should we take an interest in a war that happened four centuries before the birth of Christ? It
is because this disastrous 27-year war between Athens and Sparta had a major impact on the
development of the Western world. It finally ended in 404 B.C.E., and recent evidence suggests that
Athens finally succumbed not to force of arms, but to typhoid. The result of the war was to put an
end to hopes of Greek unification, and it was only a matter of time before the weakened Greek cities
would fall victim to foreign conquest and lose the freedoms that were the vital essence of Greek
civilization, and their greatest gift to the world. The triumph of Spartan oligarchy over Athenian
democracy left a long shadow over the development of Western civilization.

Thucydides
is considered by many to be the first great critical Western historian. He was a wealthy Athenian
who was born around 460 B.C.E. and died around the age of sixty. He is chiefly remembered for this
important book, and for a few pithy epigrams and quotations: "History is philosophy teaching by
examples;" and "Be convinced that to be happy means to be free and that to be free means to be
brave. Therefore do not take lightly the perils of war."

When the Peloponnesian War
broke out, he is thought to have been about 28 or 29 years old, and rose to the rank of general
before being exiled for his military failure at the Battle of Amphilpolis. In those days, military
failure was counted a crime.

This book is a meticulous chronicle of the disastrous war.
Until this work, historians simply recorded events. But his was different: an attempt to find inside
information from people on both sides, and to interpret some of the turning points of the whole war
and some of the terrible decisions that ultimately changed history.

There will always
be squabbles about different translations and versions of a classic text, but this one is as good as
they come, and well worth looking at for its insights into some of the events that fashioned our
world.

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Summary: An excellent work but the translation has some problems
Comment: Thucydides' "The History of the Peloponnesian War" is a wonderful source for any thoughtful study of
Ancient Greek History. I'm proud to put this copy on my book shelf next to Homer, Herodotus and
Catullus, all my favorite ancient writers. Thucydides writes for what is the first time an
objective historical work. This, along with Herodotus, is the birth of History. Yet there are a
couple of troubling problems with the translation. For one thing it is full of Cold War lingo that
makes it hard not to draw connections from Athens and Sparta to the United States and the USSR.
Phrases like "reactionary elements" are out of place and don't mesh well with the actual Greek. In
addition the translator uses the word "empire" for the Greek word "arche". Now my Greek isn't the
best but my dictionary tells me that arche means province or territory, or literally a place that is
ruled over. Empire has a lot of strong emotions attached to it, and its not a good translation for
"arche". Hence the translator adds an element that Thucydides didn't intend when he uses "Athenian
Empire." Besides those elements it's a great translation.

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Summary: Incomparable
Comment: Few works survive two and a half thousand years and remain a masterpiece. This is one of them. />
Thucydides crisp account of the long struggle that brought disaster to his native Athens is
remarkable for it's candor, despite events that must have been tragically painful. The text includes
legendary personalities (Pericles, Alcibiades, Demosthenes, Nicias, etc): their actions, words, and
fate. Facts license readers to decide what's important, and the events described are worthy of
discerning the essence of humanity.

Who would have thought the promise of Persian
defeat (told by Herodotus) would be squandered in a tedious contest that ultimately proved grave for
all involved? Athens' distinction as the first democracy makes it a vital epic (given recent
attempts to democratize the Middle East). Melos destiny at Athens' hands may give pause. As may the
Syracuse expedition (especially Book Seven).

I read Warner's translation thirty years
ago (it was 50p then), and still turn to it from time to time. Also recommended: `The Landmark
Thucydides' (Robert Strassler, Victor Davis Hanson). This is a volume for those willing to spend a
bit more to obtain the history matched with maps and footnotes.

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Summary: The Greeks defeat themselves in Civil War
Comment: The first true 'objective' historian tells the story of the long- war between his native Athens and
Sparta for domination of Greece. The work is one of the foundation-stones in historical writing. />The work makes great uses of ' speeches of persuasion' in its depiction of democratic Athens at
war. The most famous of these is Pericles great funeral oration in which he lauds Athenian
democracy.
Thucydides shows the Athenians triumphantly marching out to war, and the result
many years later when beaten and broken , dispirited and defeated they return home.
He too
shows how the overall bickering among the Greeks themselves, the civil war itself, undermined the
Greek city- states and led them to weakness and decline.
Here the political price of
diviseness is shown to be tragically great.

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