Peloponnesian War by Thucydides (Penguin Classics)

Description

The Peloponnesian War was fought amongst the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta, when Greek civilisation was shrouded under a cloak of destruction and calamity for 27 long years. The account of this legendary war was recorded in the History Of The Peloponnesian War (Penguin Classics) by Athenian historian, Thucydides. The war that took place 400 years before the birth of Christ was a result of the conflicts amongst the two Greek nations over the growing arrogance of the Athenian state in ancient Greece. The power with which Athens wished to rule trade, shipping and other economical realms of the Kingdom was alarming for the Spartans and they decided to stand up against them.

In the book, Thucydides gives an unbiased political view of the war, although he himself was the admiral general of Athens during the events. His work is regarded as one of the more truthful accounts of the Peloponnesian war, widely read and accepted by historians. The basis of the History Of The Peloponnesian War was the reasons and causes behind the war and the events that followed. The subsequent end of Athens and establishment of Sparta as the strongest empire in Greece have been depicted in the words of Thucydides through speeches, recollections and personal views.