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T. is very dry reading for most people. However, he occassionally gives very vivid, empathic images of the human condition. For that he is worth being read over and over again.
This version of the History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides appears to be a reprint excerpted from an older work -- "Thucydides, translated into English, to which is prefixed an essay on inscriptions and a note on the geography of Thucydides", by Benjamin Jowett. The key point I want to make is that there are neither translator notes nor historical commentary in this reprint. Other reviewers have commented extensively on the significance of Thucydides' History and its place in the pantheon of historical literature. Jowett was a prolific translator of Greek texts. In summary, this book is a complete translation of Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War by a well-regarded translator. Second edition. The 1960 Bantam Classics edition of the History claimed Jowett's translation as definitive.
Furthermore, all of the editorial comments on the Amazon page for this book refer to **other** editions, not the one you are purchasing from this page, and which might erroneously lead one to believe that there is historical background included in this particular book. Given a choice of translators and publishers, my focus is on some of the characteristics of this particular edition to aid in making a purchasing decision. There is also no publisher information anywhere in this book, making it difficult to track down the sources for this edition. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1900. A search on his name on the Amazon site will yield a huge number of hits. Finally, this book is available as an e-book for free under Creative Commons License, according to the terms of which, I believe, this reprint should have included the original attribution that I've given here. It is however, a bare-bones edition without additional historical background on either the author or the content of this work.
This translation by Rex Warner is excellent--highly readable and lucid. Building upon the foundation laid by his predecessor, Thucydides refines and sharpens the art of history into what it should have been all along. If Herodotus is the Father of History, Thucydides is the first truly great historian. The introduction and appendices offer lots of helpful information and can be read either before or after the History itself, depending on the reader's prior knowledge or preference. He is one of a few ancient historians whose reputation has almost never suffered among subsequent generations of historians.Thucydides begins his history with the causes of The Peloponnesian War, a 27-year struggle between imperialist, democratic Athens, oligarchic Sparta, and the scores of constantly shifting allies that fought along with them. Though left incomplete at the time of his death, Thucydides's history spans the years 433-411 BC, encompassing the beginning of the war and its escalation through battle and political machination, Athens's ill-fated Sicilian expedition, and the interference of the Persians in Asia Minor. If I have any complaint about this edition, it is that the maps are too small and too few, leaving some important locations unmarked.Full of real-life drama and moving tales of wartime desperation, Thucydides is just as relevant today as he was when he first perfected the art of history. Reading Thucydides is well worth your time.Highly recommended.
The descriptions of the debates within the assemblies shows the considerations that both the Athenian and Spartan led leagues and their populations had to consider.This is the first book on international relations known and is the first work to utilize a realist interpretation of international politics. I especially like the stories concerning Athens and Sparta's fighting on the island of Sicily.
In opposition to Herodotus who wrote earlier, to whom Thucidydes was a student and reader of, Thucidydes was a realist and discussed the interests, positions, and power politics that occurred between the Athens and Sparta and their respective leagues (allies; combined military operations by treaty). Thucidydes' History of the Peloponnesian War was one of the most important books ever written in the history of Western civilation and world history.
are vivid, detailed, and make for compelling reading. As opposed to Herodotus, who is sometimes known as the father of history as Herodotus was arguably the first person to write history in the sense that we know it today, and who still utilized unseen forces, gods, spirits, etc., as guiding world history, Thucidydes focused more on the human aspect and what he could gleem from his travels and research.
Thus, many historians point to Thucidydes as being the true progenitor of history as we know it today.The political intrigue, the military and political strategic considerations, the actual boots-on-the-ground description of the battles, etc. All students of rhetoric will also find some of the finest examples of it within its pages (i.e., Pericles' funerary oration, etc).
It is studied at the war colleges and by all scholars of international relations, and by all serious students of grand strategy.This book is excellent, in the Greek sense, that is Arete.
etc. The reason books become classics is they convey wisdom pertanent to all ages. This history is one such classic example of Rhetoric, RealPolitik, Politics of Personality, as well as the higher themes of Honor, Loyalty, Duty, Courage. I'd give the book five stars but this translation is only adequate. I loved having the greek on the page opposite the english translation, as well as the convenient, carry-anywhere size of the text.A must read if you wish to be considered truely educated.
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