History of the Peloponnesian War

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.

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.

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.

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.

As I began to read this book, and the insightful remark that people tend to find the past grander than the present was made, I thought I was reading an introduction by a modern author. Thucydides is not only a good author, but an admirably resourceful and analytical philosopher. For instance, when tidal waves were destroying towns, he was keen enough to realize that they were the result of earthquakes, instead of mindlessly writng it off to the wrath of the gods. But this history is by know means dry. His account of the plague in Athens, and the speeches and battles he recorded were all very interesting and at times extroardinarily dramatic. I think this book is the lost treasure of the library, exiled to some remote shelf, not having been checked out since 1985, binding shredded and falling off, but as they say, never judge a book by it's cover.P.S. I'm not flaming any one, but when I read the top review on this page, I was offended. The fact that they (he, she, it)condemned this book without basis, and most likely, without reading it, probably made someone decide not to read this masterpiece.