The Landmark Thucydides

The Landmark Thucydides offers a masterful chronicle of the epic conflict between Athens and Sparta, known as the Peloponnesian War. The narrative intricately details the strategic battles, political manoeuvres, and the profound consequences that shaped ancient Greece over two decades. Thucydides captures the brutality and complexity of war in a way that reveals the timeless nature of human conflict, leaving readers with deep reflections on power, justice, and human nature. Thucydides called his account of these years of warfare "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 treasure trove 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 Civilisation, The Peloponnesian War stands near the top. This handsome, elegant, and authoritative new edition will ensure that its greatness is appreciated by future generations. Whether you are a student of history, a scholar, or a keen reader, The Landmark Thucydides provides an unparalleled reading experience that brings one of the most influential historical texts vividly to life.