Thucydides has 384 books on goodreads with 74129 ratings. Thucydides writes prose, not verse as homer and sophocles do, and he worked in the comparatively new field of history meaning inquiry or research in greek. Read the fulltext online edition of thucydides vol. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. In the first book of his history of the peloponnesian war, thucydides gave the background information for the conflict, culminating with pericles first speech in athens. In a second preface, or introduction, he says he also wrote the history of the wars continuation, and he remarks that the total duration of the conflict was 27 years. Sophocless oedipus the king and book 2 of thucydidess history. Literature study guides the history of the peloponnesian war book 1 chapter 2 summary.
And now the war between the athenians and peloponnesians and. Marchant, originally published in 1891, and the introduction is by thomas wiedemann, who takes into account the needs of the modern student and up. Thucydides, history of the peloponnesian war, the sixth. Thucydides of athens, one of the greatest of historians, was born about 471 bce.
This is a shortened version of his fourvolume book about the same war, for the popular reader. Thucydides, the peloponnesian war, book 2, chapter 35. The history of the peloponnesian war book 1 chapter 2. Thucydides writes that most athenians had no idea of sicilys geographical extent or the size of its population. The earliest surviving works of ancient greek literature, dating back to the early archaic period, are the two epic poems the iliad and the odyssey, set in the mycenaean era. For more than seventy years, penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature. His narrative of the great war between athens and sparta in the fifth century bc is now seen as a highly sophisticated study of the nature of political power itself. But thucydides is more than simply an account of the war. These works range from the oldest surviving written works in the greek language until works from the fifth century ad. It was written by thucydides, an athenian historian who also served as an. History of the peloponnesian warbook 8 wikisource, the. Thucydides was still at work on this when the war spread to sicily and into a conflict 4154 likewise.
The digital loeb classical library extends the founding mission of james loeb with an interconnected, fully searchable, perpetually growing virtual library of all that is important in greek and latin literature. For now all intercourse except through the medium of heralds ceased, and hostilities were commenced and prosecuted without intermission. It was written by thucydides, an athenian historian who also served as an athenian general during the war. Thucydides, the peloponnesian war, book 2, chapter 34. Kagan is basically a military historian, and a conservative. Winter thus ended, and with it the eighteenth year of this war of which thucydides is the historian. And now the war between the athenians and peloponnesians and the allies of both 1 actually began. His exceptionally complex structure and techniques make thucydides one of the most difficult as well as one of the most profound of ancient historians. The speech was delivered by pericles, an eminent athenian politician, at the end of the first year of the peloponnesian war 431404 bc as a part of the annual public funeral for the war dead. Chapter summary for thucydides s the history of the peloponnesian war, book 1 chapter 2 summary. The history of the peloponnesian war book 2 chapter 6 summary. 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. Mar 23, 2020 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.
This edition, like its companions thucydides ll and iv, is intended primarily for undergraduates and candidates taking alevel examinations. All theogony and works and days herodotus book 1 aeschylus. The greek language arose from the protoindoeuropean language. Thucydides books list of books by author thucydides.
About 270 years after the iliad, or thereabouts, plague is the centerpiece of two great classical athenian works. In the fifteenth, in the fortyeighth year of the priestessship of chrysis at argos, in the ephorate of aenesias at sparta, in the last month but two of the archonship of pythodorus at athens, and six months after the battle of potidaea, just. One of the remarkable things about it is how focused it is on the general social response to the pestilence, both those who died from it and those who survived. Lets talk about the books youve chosen to better understand thucydides and his time.
Greek literature dates back from the ancient greek literature, beginning in 800 bc, to the modern greek literature of today ancient greek literature was written in an ancient greek dialect, literature ranges from the oldest surviving written works until works from approximately the fifth century ad. Chapter vi beginning of the peloponnesian war first invasion of attica funeral oration of pericles the war between the athenians and peloponnesians and the allies on either side now really begins. He saw himself as recording an event, not a period, and went to considerable lengths to exclude what he deemed frivolous or extraneous. Sophocless oedipus the king and book 2 of thucydides s history. Thucydides peloponnesian war book ii classical literature. The history of the peloponnesian war the internet classics. Thucydides omits discussion of the arts, literature, or the social milieu in which the events in his book take place and in which he grew up. Mar 19, 2020 thucydides description of the plague that struck athens in 430 bc is one of the great passages of greek literature.
Book i greek texts paperback june 1, 1991 by thucydides author. His history of the first conflict, 431421, was nearly complete. Mar 21, 2020 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. Thucydides description of the plague that struck athens in 430 bc is one of the great passages of greek literature.
The narrative is arranged according to summers and winters and follows the order of events. It focusses on the social response, both of those who died and those who. His focus was the peloponnesian war fought between athens and sparta, and their respective allies, between 431 and 404 bc. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. The history of the peloponnesian war book 2 chapter 6. Pericles funeral oration is a famous speech from thucydides history of the peloponnesian war.
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. 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. Feb 03, 20 winter thus ended, and with it the eighteenth year of this war of which thucydides is the historian. History of the peloponnesian war summary and study guide. Mar 23, 2020 thucydides description of the plague that struck athens in 430 bc is one of the great passages of greek literature. He saw the rise of athens to greatness under the inspired. The history of the peloponnesian war book 5 chapter 16. The peace, which after the winning of euboea was concluded for thirty years, lasted fourteen years. Third year of the war investment of plataea naval victories of phormio thracian irruption into macedonia under sitalces.
The best books on thucydides five books expert recommendations. Morris, commentary on thucydides book 1, speech of the corcyraean ambassadors at athens. Thucydides s most popular book is history of the peloponnesian war. Thucydides, the peloponnesian war, book 1, chapter 1. Thucydides, an athenian, wrote the history of the war waged by the peloponnesians and the athenians against one another. History of the peloponnesian warbook 2 wikisource, the.
Read more about the sites features thucydides of athens, one of the greatest of historians, was born about 471 bce. Chapter summary for thucydides s the history of the peloponnesian war, book 5 chapter 16 summary. Ancient greek literature refers to literature written in ancient greek dialects. His account of the conflict is widely considered to be a. 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. Find a summary of this and each chapter of the history of the peloponnesian war. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of scientific history due to his strict standards of. Thucydides classic work is a foundational text in the history of western political thought. The history of the peloponnesian war by thucydides. Thucydides, history of the peloponnesian war, volume i. In book 1, chapter 2 thucydides refers to the two assembly meetings at.
History of the peloponnesian warbook 6 wikisource, the. Book 2, chapter 6 begins thucydides s coverage of the war proper, which commenced in 431 bce with a conflict between thebes and plataea and with a spartan invasion of attica, the region of athens, led by king archidamus ii. Thucydides, history of the peloponnesian war, book ii. Greek text with english translation includes index vol. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of scientific history due to his strict standards of evidencegathering and analysis in terms of cause and effect. Such were the events of the winter, and so ended the second year of this war of which thucydides was the historian. Thucydides and the plague of athens what it can teach us. History of the peloponnesian war, volume ii thucydides. Selections from the history of the peloponnesian war, and more on.
History of the peloponnesian war, volume i thucydides. The bitter rivalry between the two chief citystates, athens. Thucydides himself, as i understand it, was not the plainest writerhis own style is complex and layered, and it seems as though all the translations i was able to look at reflect this. Wealth and power are themes that preoccupy much of greek literature from homer on, and this book unravels the. Click to read more about thucydides, book 2 by thucydides. His work was the first recorded political and moral analysis of a nations war policies.
The war was really three conflicts with one uncertain peace after the first. History of the peloponnesian warbook 7 wikisource, the. Greek literature graduate reading list web hosting. He describes the enthusiasm for the sicilian expedition, however, in ominous terms redolent. This 70page guide for history of the peloponnesian war by thucydides includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 917 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Jul 16, 2012 2 the thirty years truce which was entered into after the conquest of euboea lasted fourteen years. The first book on your list is by vincent azoulay, and its called pericles of athens.
The state of greece from the earliest times to the commencement of the peloponnesian war. The original account of the war by an athenian general. Pelop war book 2 cambridge greek and latin classics. Classics and philosophy classics track greek literature. Thucydides, greatest of ancient greek historians and author of the history of the peloponnesian war, which recounts the struggle between athens and sparta in the 5th century bc. Henceforward the struggle was uninterrupted, and they communicated with 2 one another only by heralds. These two epics, along with the homeric hymns and the two poems of hesiod. Variations from his text are indicated in footnotes. For those readers who are only interested in the events of the war itself, donald kagans the peloponnesian war might be a better choice. He began the task at the very outset of the war, in the belief. Thucydides, history of the peloponnesian war, the second. But in the fifteenth year, being the fortyeighth of the priesthood of chrysis in argos, aenesias being then ephor at sparta and pythadorus, archon of athens, having then two months of his government to come, in the sixth month after the battle at potidaea and in the beginning of the spring. In the first book of his history, thucydides picks that up and shows how that position that athens had, largely through the athenians own behaviour, went on to breed a huge amount of resentment amongst the people who were allies of athens and throughout greece in general.
See all books authored by thucydides, including history of the peloponnesian war, and on justice, power and human nature. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of scientific history due to his strict standards of evidencegathering and analysis in terms of cause and effect without refere. 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. Book i greek texts paperback june 1, 1991 by thucydides author visit amazons thucydides page. Thucydides and the plague of athens what it can teach us now. Most editions of single books of thucydides are nearly 100 years old, and.
Ancient greek literature refers to literature written in the ancient greek language from the earliest texts until the time of the byzantine empire. A comprehensive guide to the peloponnesian war, by thucydides, with commentary by robert b. Home browse books book details, thucydides thucydides vol. Along with a pep talk delivered to his troops by archidamus, thucydides asserts that the spartan king was heavily criticized for his delaying tactics and lack of. The history follows the chronological order of events by. And the winter ended, and with it ended the sixteenth year of this war of which thucydides is the historian. The older men, however, stopped the persons running up and down the town and making for the stands of arms. An athenian, born probably in about 460 bc, he is a young man when war is renewed between athens and sparta in 431, after a peace of sixteen years.
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