The Landmark Thucydides

A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War

Robert B. Strassler

• Publisher: Free Press
• Year: 1998
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781439106594
• Subtopic: Greek Ancient History
• Index: History

Thucydides called his account of two decades of war between Athens and Sparta "a possession for all time, " and indeed it is the first and still the most famous work in the Western historical tradition. Considered essential reading for generals, statesmen, and liberally educated citizens for more than 2, 000 years, The Peloponnesian War is a mine of military, moral, political, and philosophical wisdom.However, this classic book has long presented obstacles to the uninitiated reader. Written centuries before the rise of modern historiography, Thucydides' narrative is not continuous or linear. His authoritative chronicle of what he considered the greatest war of all time is rigorous and meticulous, yet omits the many aids to comprehension modern readers take for granted—such as brief biographies of the story's main characters, maps and other visual enhancements, and background on the military, cultural, and political traditions of ancient Greece.Robert Strassler's new edition amends these omissions, and not only provides a new coherence to the narrative overall but effectively reconstructs the lost cultural context that Thucydides shared with his original audience. Based on the venerable Richard Crawley translation, updated and revised for modern readers, The Landmark Thucydides includes a vast array of superbly designed and presented maps, brief informative appendices by outstanding classical scholars on subjects of special relevance to the text, explanatory marginal notes on each page, an index of unprecedented subtlety and depth, and numerous other useful features. Readers will find that with this edition they can dip into the text at any point and be immediately oriented with regard to the geography, season, date, and stage of the conflict.In any list of the Great Books of Western Civilization, The Peloponnesian War stands near the top. This handsome, elegant, and authoritative new edition will ensure that its greatness is appreciated by future generations.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Dedication
• Introduction
• Editor’s Note
• Key to Map Symbols
• Calendar of the Peloponnesian War
• Book One
• Book Two
• Book Three
• Book Four
• Book Five
• Book Six
• Book Seven
• Book Eight
• Epilogue
• Theaters of Operation in the Peloponnesian War
• Appendix A. The Athenian Government in Thucydides
• Appendix B. The Athenian Empire in Thucydides
• Appendix C. Spartan Institutions in Thucydides
• Appendix D. The Peloponnesian League in Thucydides
• Appendix E. The Persians in Thucydides
• Appendix F. Land Warfare in Thucydides Victor Davis Hanson
• Appendix G. Trireme Warfare in Thucydides
• Appendix H. Dialects and Ethnic Groups in Thucydides
• Appendix I. Religious Festivals in Thucydides
• Appendix J. Classical Greek Currency in Thucydides
• Appendix K. Calendars and Dating Systems in Thucydides
• Glossary
• Bibliography of Ancient Sources
• Concise Bibliography of Modern Sources
• Acknowledgments
• About Robert B. Strassler
• Index
• Reference Maps
• Copyright