The History of the Peloponnesian War [Audio CD]

Thucydides (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 078615909X | ISBN-13: 978-0786159093 | Publication Date: June 1, 2007 | Edition: Unabridged

Thucydides's classic chronicle of the war between Athens and Sparta from 431 to 404 B.C. persists as one of the most brilliant histories of all time. This watershed event concerns not only military prowess, but also perennial conflicts between might and right, between imperial powers and subject peoples.

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About the Author

Thucydides (c. 460 B.C.E.-400 B.C.E.) was an Athenian general of Thracian decent. After failing to prevent the surrender of the city of Amphipolis to the Spartan commander Brasidas during the Peloponnesian War, he was exiled, when he began compiling his history of the war. He is generally acclaimed as the creator of scholarly history as we know it today.

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From Donald Lateiner's Introduction to The History of the Peloponnesian War

 

Though a highly idiosyncratic writer and thinker, like any author Thucydides betrays the influences of the literature and research of his day. Books have traced his connections to contemporary medicine, sophistic rhetoric and argumentation, philosophy, and drama (Cochrane, Finley, Solmsen, Cornford, Hunter, etc.), as well as to his historical predecessor, Herodotus (484–414). Thucydides’ polemical historiographical strictures on the methods of historical research and presentation are not necessarily directed against Herodotus, since other authors, in poetry and in prose, treated the same prior events that Herodotus also mentions. For instance, in the case of the comments on the notorious Delian earthquake, the two authors seem to pass each other in the night—oblivious to the specifics that the other has mentioned. But then why is it that Thucydides’ speeches rarely refer to any past event not found in Herodotus’ text (Hornblower, A Commentary on Thucydides, vol. 2, p. 123)? When did Thucydides obtain the text of the Ionian historian? Around 424 or a decade later? Did either or both of these historians publish their histories in chunks rather than as the full text that we have today? Some have argued for independent publication of Thucydides’ book 1, or 1 through 5.24 (the events leading to the war and the course of the Ten Years’ War) or books 6 and 7 (the Sicilian Expedition, as Athenian sympathizers call it, rather than the Invasion). Thucydides’ awareness of his predecessor appears in his inclusions (for example, important battles and pre-battle harangues) and exclusions (such as ominous names). The two historians share many qualities, but they differently characterize prominent individuals and events. Their accounts of pivotal battles differ not least because of Thucydides’ superior field experience as Athenian soldier and commander. Thucydides’ debt to Herodotus, nevertheless, involves much more than the existence of speeches and battles—for example, inclusions of colonization, myth, and geography (see Pearson, “Thucydides and the Geographical Tradition”). Thucydides never mentions Herodotus by name, although he names the less important fifth-century historian Hellanicus (the citation is isolated, and perhaps to be excised; see Parke, “Citation and Recitation”). Is this a slight to Herodotus or a compliment? In the fifth century, no one memorized prose authors or had a wish to look up a reference. Thucydides, unlike Herodotus, does not cite the poets; as with many of his contributions, he excluded materials that others previously included.

Thucydides shares many of Herodotus’ interests. They both focus on military history. They both want to report names of places and people, although the Athenian shows less interest in “coincidences” such as nomen-omen—for example, Hegesistratus, a name that a Spartan king identified as meaningful, when looking for a guide, because it translates as “Leader of the Expedition.” Both also suppress names and make explicit or implicit decisions not to specify individuals—for example, the Spartan commander and the five Spartan judges at Plataea (3.52)—and other officers and speakers are left anonymous.

Thucydides is likely to have known several sophists, and his antithetical writing style shows the influence of the Sicilian Gorgias, whose interests included epistemology and rhetoric. He is also likely to have known Sophocles, a general as well as a tragedian. He mentions neither these two nor Socrates, a notorious Attic gadfly of Pericles and the next generation.

Thucydides states his objective in his History for practicing “history.” He wants to be useful (1.22) to those interested in how humans behave and in what will happen repeatedly, given certain constants of human nature (compare 3.83). He makes no claim to prophecy, but, clearly, he saw “his” war as the negative exemplar for inter- and intra-state conflict. He sardonically presents orators’ high-flown words that often contrast with the facts of historical events that they report, or with their predictions for the future, or with many speakers who decried fancy rhetorics (for example, 1.73; 2.41; 5.89). Nevertheless, the funeral oration that he puts in the mouth of Pericles, at a moment just before plague strikes, surpasses all possible competition in patriotic oratory. The Greeks believed not in historical cyclicity but in patterns of human behavior. Both Plato, the idealist, and Aristotle, the realist, belittle finding any universal message in specific events (see Aristotle’s Poetics 9.1451b, with specific reference to what Alcibiades did and said), but Thucydides (and Hobbes in his wake) thought otherwise. Thucydides, like Macchiavelli later, was a historian as well as a political theorist.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Blackstone Audio Inc.; Unabridged edition (June 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078615909X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786159093
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 6.2 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,139,606 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing., March 9, 2011

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Sylvia Wadlington (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The History of the Peloponnesian War (Kindle Edition)

The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides is a joy to read because it is so well structured and written, even though it is several thousand years old. Don't mistake this for some antique text that is full of the romantic past, if you changed the people and place names it could have been written last week. The analysis of the political problems that led to this war are so clearly and well reported by the writer that even beyond its historical value is the value of its literary quality. Today's journalists and historians would do well to study this work, if not to improve their own work or to use as an example, but for the sheer pleasure of reading something so well formed and thought out.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Greatest Of All Greek Historians, April 23, 2011

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Michael A Neulander "Political Philosophy" (VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The History of the Peloponnesian War (Kindle Edition)

A very good translation of the greatest of all Greek historians the Athenian general Thucydides (455-400 B.C.E.). Thucydides' classic work, "History Of The Peloponnesian War", provides us with the historical framework for 5th century Greece, a golden age of intellectual achievement and creativity rarely equaled in human history. This history is by far the best account of the bitter war between Athens and Sparta as well as the only surviving contemporary record of the rise of the Athenian empire. Thucydides as a master storyteller does not just cover the battle scenes; he records the great political speeches of Pericles, leader of Athens, and Lysander leader of Sparta with great acumen. He is recognized as the first historian to actually go and get eyewitness accounts, visit battlefields and research documents and records. This work took him over 20 years and it shows!

The lessons he teaches about imperial over reaching and unreasonable peace settlements are prescient today as they were during his times. President Woodrow Wilson, read this book on his voyage across the Atlantic to the Versailles Peace Conference and vociferously fought the other Allies in making unreasonable demands of the Germans. Wilson learned the dangers that the world would be placed in by backing the Germans into a corner politically and economically from Thucydides book.

I heartily recommend this timeless classic to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history. I also recommend you read it with David Cartwright's "A Historical Commentary On Thucydides."

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Review of the Barnes & Noble Edition, January 24, 2008

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QT - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The History of the Peloponnesian War (Barnes & Noble Classics) (Paperback)

I'm very much in agreement with the other reviewers in term of Thucydides' great writing and the timeless lessons about human nature. I will instead review this Barnes & Noble edition. B&N Classics is known for publishing old translations that are now public property or commissioning relatively unknown translators (sometimes those who have only a Master's in the field they are translating) and then having some well known specialists to either edit or write the introduction to lend some credential to the work. The translating quality might or might not be of a high caliber.

This particular edition of The History of the Peloponnesian is translated by Richard Crawley. Crawley's translation is a master work. The language flows easily and fluidly. It's easy to comprehend and a joy to read. It's a modern translation so no Victorian words to stump you. You can really jump right in and read without any problem. One problem with this translation, as with most translations, is that it does not contain enough maps. Thucydides meticulously details and records each location that major or minor events took place. It's extremely necessary to have maps of these locations in order to understand their strategic significance, not only their military significance, but also what these places mean for the people who are fighting over it. It would be like studying the Nazi invasion of Russia without knowing the where Russia is, what its geographical layout looks like, and what kind of climate it has. Richard Crawley is also the translator for the "Landmark Thucydides" which is two times more expensive than this edition. That particular edition contains extensive notes and maps that will make non-experts have a true experience of Thucydides. Overall, the B&N is an excellent bare bone edition to just read.

And finally, the paper quality is quite good for such an inexpensive edition. It's much better quality than Penguin or some of the other publishers out there. It will last on your shelf a lot longer than some other editions.