The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War Paperback – Illustrated, September 10, 1998

Don't let the fact this book was written over 2,000 years ago sway you from reading it! I'll admit I was hesitant about reading Thucydides because I'm not a big fan of non-fiction or a serious military history buff, and more specifically, was never that interested in ancient Greek history.However, after I happened to watch the movie 300 (I know, that movie is basically all fantasy and action Hollywood style, but it was still good!) I became instantly fascinated by the history behind the movie and started buying books on the ancient Greeks to learn more.Prior to investing the money into purchasing this version of the History of the Peloponnesian War, I borrowed a different version at the library that didn't include maps or appendices to explain about ancient Greek society and life. That was a wrong move for a novice! It is imperative that you read Thucydides with lots of maps of ancient Greece so you can follow the narrative of battles taking place around Attica, Peloponnese, and surrounding islands. It is easier to understand what is going on if you have good maps. The Landmark Thucydides was very helpful in that regard. There are enough maps scattered throughout the book, in addition, with side margins and footnotes that I felt were very helpful for the beginner. The book is quite hefty so you'll have a hard time lugging it around, but all you really need is a quiet spot to settle down and read.I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book didn't really read as a "history book". It had a story-like quality and feel to the narrative that I enjoyed immensely and I found myself quickly enthralled. At times I had to stop and remember that this author has been dead and gone for over 2,000 years. Thucydides' words literally came alive from the pages, and it was eerie how many things he observed so long ago still hold true today.I have only read this translation (Crawley), and although it isn't written in a direct style of English, I found it was surprisingly easy to read. It took me a few pages to become accustomed to it, but I became so engrossed in Thucydide's narrative that it wasn't really an issue for me. I would recommend reading this book slowly, it's not meant to be read quickly, but to savor and ponder over what you have just read.If you've ever had a passing interest in ancient Greek history, in particular ancient military battles, Thucydides would be a good starting point.

Thucydides understood the importance of the events he both witnessed and took part in and for that reason he understood why others should know about them. It is quite remarkable to think that twenty-five hundred years later, Thucydides's account of the Peloponnesian War is still being widely read. But I suppose that's natural considering his account provides so much of the fairly limited evidence we have of the events of that tragic period. We can be thankful for his foresight and appreciation of educating those of us who came much later.Strassler has put together a very accessible book on studying both Thucydides's own account (the most valuable part of the book) as well as adding to it with maps of the areas in question, notes, and appendices following the text that help illuminate some of the military, political, some social and economic aspects of the Greek world. Thucydides's account covers mainly the military side of the twenty-seven year long conflict known as the Peloponnesian War, although his account ends in 411 BC, some seven years before Athens's ultimate defeat. But his narrative gives us at least some important glimpses of other aspects of life in the Hellenic world at that time, though precious little especially on the social side.There is so much to learn in this narrative, despite the horrendous conflict that engulfed nearly twenty-seven years between the two chief city-states, Athens and her allies versus Sparta and her allies. We learn very little of the author; he seems to believe that his part is very minor compared to everything else that occurred and therefore is not worth discussing. As others have noted, he seems not to have had a profound religious side, at least it seems the notions of oracles and omens and the likes aren't as widely discussed as others have written, e.g. Herodotus's Histories. The author displays a fairly balanced view of the conflict, though he was an Athenian.The speeches that he includes are quite remarkable, though you have to doubt the veracity of all of these in terms of word for word accuracy, maybe some were conjured, but who can say for sure, we weren't there. It seems hard to find fault with his careful examination of events and his efforts to provide a fairly accurate account of that tragic war. He was a participant, and like any writer of history, is influenced by his own prejudices and his own experiences, to some extent at least. Without his account we would know far less.There are many memorable and very human episodes that will strike you in this account, such as the effects of the Plague on Athens's population, the oratory of Pericles, the Athenian disaster at Sicily, the civil strife erupting between people who shared the same homeland, and so forth. You'll learn of the growth of the Athenian empire and the problems possessing an empire can lead to, the nature of the Spartan military, the strategies and battles fought, public leaders like Pericles, Hermocrates, Nicias, Cleon, Brasidas, Alcibiades and so many others.Accounts like Thucydides's prove that human nature doesn't really change that much, despite all the evident technological, political, economic and cultural changes that have occurred, we still possess the same strengths and weaknesses innate to human nature from time immemorial. This account is invaluable and this edition by Strassler makes it imminently accessible. A true classic.

If you are going to tackle this wonderful piece of history, this book is the better of the two that I ordered. Great maps, footnotes, glossary, and appendices making it harder to get lost in the wonderful detailed history.

The Landmark Series is superb and contains many added maps, diagrams, timelines and mini-biographies of key historical players. Sadly, the chronicle of the Peloponnesian Wars, in which Thucydides fought, ends abruptly with the historian's untimely death. A more or less seamless continuation of recorded events and their aftermath can be found in a companion Landmark volume, Hellenika by Xenophon. abh