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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Other Pelopennesian War, August 2, 2000
This review is from: Diodorus Siculus: The Library of History, Volume V, Books 12.41-13 (Loeb Classical Library No. 384) (Hardcover)
Plutarch tends to be moralistic and tangential. Thucydides slows down his narrative with an abundance of detail and set speeches. If you want a good, straightforward "rumpty tumpty" presentation of exciting and dramatic historical events, then Diodorus is your man. He doesn't shy away either from describing violence and brutality when necessary. Although Plutarch's characterization and Thucydides's clarity are beyond compare, Diodorus's history can compete because its sweep is so much grander. This volume from the Loeb Classical Library, Greek on one page, English on the other, covers the period 431 BC to 405 BC. This, of course, is the period of the Pelopennesian War and so, in a sense, Diodorus's history is clashing head-to-head with that of Thucydides. In the event it stands up quite well. Although Thucydides presents a much better account of events in Greece, Diodorus edges him in his account of the Athenian expedition against Syracuse. He also finishes the war whereas the history of Thucydides breaks off in the year 411. The most important event of the so-called Pelopennesian War happened very far from the Pelopennese. This was the Athenian attempt to capture Syracuse, which, although well planned and supported, ended in disaster. After initial victories, the Athenians just failed to wall off the city, then a run of bad luck saw them reduced to fighting for their survival until another fleet and army arrived to reinforce them. This sudden advantage, however, was thrown away in a single night by a confused attack in the dark on the heights above the city. After this, still confident in the strength of their 'invincible armada,' the Athenians saw even this, their last hope, whittled away in a series of naval battles. When there was still hope of escaping with their remaining ships, their superstitious commander, Nicias, delayed the attempt because of an eclipse of the Moon. This allowed the Syracusans to finally trap and destroy their would-be conquerors. Following these exciting events, the drama of the book is maintained by Athen's attempt to survive the onslaught of its enemies. For a while the brilliant political and military talents of Alcibiades succeed in reviving Athenian power, but following his undeserved exile, the Athenian fleet is decisively defeated and Athens is helpless. Diodorus rounds off events in Sicily by describing Carthage's response to the Syracusan victory - a massive invasion of Western Sicily - and the advantage taken of these events by the Syracusan general Dionysius, who used this emergency to seize power and set up his famous dictatorship. As Always with Loeb editions, each page is dated in the side margin so that the chronology of events is always clear. Also, this volume comes with two maps showing the area around Syracuse in detail.
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1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The "GREATEST" OF THE "GREAT", February 10, 2006
This review is from: Diodorus Siculus: The Library of History, Volume V, Books 12.41-13 (Loeb Classical Library No. 384) (Hardcover)
Alexander the Great, was born on or around July 20, 356 B.C.E., and is my favorite personality to read about in history. To me he is the whole package general, statesman, conqueror, and philosopher. The smartest man who ever lived, Aristotle, tutored him. Alexander conquered more of the known world than any other figure in history, accomplishing all this before he dies at the ripe old age of 33. Some people called him conqueror and violent overlord. Some other called him civilizer and even God! All of them yet, called him "The Great". He was the first man in modern history that took this name, "The Great"! Even as a young boy, he shows great promise. Diodorus a Greek historian who lived from 80-20 BCE wrote 40 books of world history. He is an uncritical compiler who used good sources and produced them faithfully. His work is one of the oldest works available and is based on eyewitness accounts. He does a better job than most in explaining the battle scenes, and seems to be more balanced in his admiration and criticism of Alexander then any of the other early biographers. I love his Bucephalus Story, and I recount it here so you get a flavor of the promise this young Alexander shows. The legend begins with Philoneicus, a Thessalian, bringing a wild horse to Philip for him to buy. None of the hands was able to handle it, and Philip grew upset at Philoneicus for bringing such an unstable horse to him. Alexander, however, publicly defied his father and claimed that he could handle the horse. The bet between Philip and Alexander was that if Alexander could ride the horse, Philip would buy it, if not, Alexander would have to pay the price of the horse, which was 13 talents, an enormous sum for a boy of Alexander's age to have. Alexander apparently noticed that the horse had been shying away from its own shadow, and so he led it gently into the sun, so that its shadow was behind it, all the while stroking it gently and whispering into its ear, (Alexander seems to be the original horse whisperer). Eventually the horse let Alexander mount him, and Alexander was able to show his equestrian skill to his father and all who were watching. The incident so impressed Alexander's father, King Philip that he told the boy "Look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of you, for Macedonia is too little for thee". He named the horse Bucephalus, which means Ox head, and rode it across Asia, founding a city in its honor in India after its death. This story gives you an inkling about the man. This book is a necessary read for students of Alexander, I also recommend Plutarch's and Arrian's work, and from contemporary writers, J. F. C. Fuller and Tarn. Most of Alexander's greatest military traits are in the area of military logistics and to understand his genius in this area I highly recommend reading, "Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army," by Donald W. Engels. As a retired U. S. Army Major, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in ancient warfare, and history.
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