“Self-control is the chief element in self-respect, and self-respect is the chief element in courage.”

“Most people, in fact, will not take the trouble in finding out the truth, but are much more inclined to accept the first story they hear.”

This is a masterful account of power, ambition, and the human condition set against the backdrop of a brutal conflict between Athens and Sparta. This text is not only foundational to the study of history but also a timeless analysis of political strategy, human motivations, and the cyclical nature of war.

Thucydides' approach to historical writing is impressive for its objectivity and depth. He avoids mythological explanations, choosing instead to focus on cause and effect, political intrigue, and the interplay of human decisions and broader societal forces. His detailed accounts of key events like the plague in Athens and the disastrous Sicilian Expedition are both gripping and tragic, showing how hubris and poor leadership can lead to ruin.

The speeches, particularly Pericles’ Funeral Oration, are highlights of the text, blending rhetoric with philosophical reflections on democracy, citizenship, and the costs of war. At times, however, the dense prose and exhaustive detail can make for a challenging read, but the reward lies in Thucydides’ unflinching portrayal of human nature.

While the text lacks the flair of Herodotus’ storytelling, it stands out for its rigorous analysis and critical perspective. It’s a work that requires patience but rewards readers with insights that remain strikingly relevant to discussions about politics and war today.

For anyone studying history, political science, or international relations—or simply looking to understand the complexities of power and conflict—Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War is essential reading. It’s a challenging yet worthwhile exploration of a defining period in ancient history.

Interesting how everything played out.

Bellissimo racconto sulla Guerra del Peloponneso, un dipinto storico e realistico del mondo classico che mette in luce le sue affinità con il mondo occidentale moderno. Descrizioni meravigliose, una narrazione fluida, un testo lungo ma appassionato. 8

Part of the reading challenge I got at the end of feb was to read a hard book. I picked this one, which is a relatively new (2013) translation of the Peloponnesian war. History is not a strong suit of mine. Neither is reading old translations. Got up and read this for a couple hours a morning for just under a month, ipad beside me looking up every second place name lol. All in all it was worthwhile. Pretty amazing to read the first ever written history book. It has definitely piqued an interest in reading more history!

77th book of 2023.

I began this, without realising, exactly two months ago in April. I then stopped for a duration of time as my girlfriend and I flew to Athens and I spent the next two weeks exploring, island-hopping, etc., those who follow me already know all this. At one point, on an island, I was right across from the Peloponnesian region of the mainland; in fact, it was so close between the mainland and this island, it looked swimmable. It's taken me some time to get back into it, and I've mostly read the rest of this book whilst at work in short but concentrated bursts around, well, work.

The fact that we can read this is fascinating enough, some two-thousand odd years later. Thucydides was a general in the Peloponnesian War (an Athenian), and dedicated himself to writing an unbiased history book* about the 20+ years of the War. He mostly succeeds, though certain scholars far smarter than I am see through his supposed unbiasedness. The most interesting fact about the text are the many speeches, that are like Shakespearean monologues, littered throughout, from generals and politicians. Many of these Thucydides would have heard in the flesh, others by word-of-mouth; the world was still very much orientated around the oral tradition, so though their validity can be questioned, I imagine the essence of the speeches are very much intact. Thucydides takes us through the war chronologically, apparently a fairly modern concept in history telling, and reports as the seasons pass. In many respects, large portions of this are dry, dense and crammed with information and names. I'm no stranger to ancient texts or names as I studied Classical Civilisation for three years myself at college, though my focus was on the Romans and my study revolved around writers like Cicero, Suetonius and Tacitus (the last of whom I dreaded). Suetonius and Cicero were more readable and compelling, particularly the former, and I would recommend both of them as ancient writers before Thucydides, though they are of course Roman. My trip to Greece has fuelled my interest in Ancient Greece and I will explore more primary sources in the years to come. In my final year of college I did study The Odyssey, but that's as far as I got with Greek history/epics. I'd say this is a book for those who are truly interested and not an easy window into the primary sources; that said, I found it worthwhile and interesting, if not long and slow-going.

After mooching around on some islands my girlfriend and I went back to Athens and went to the park where Socrates's prison is held. Not far from there is the entrance to a tomb, where two bodies were buried. One of these was Thucydides himself. Below is the single photograph I took of the site.



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*This is, by many, considered one of the earliest 'history books' ever, if not the first. Thucydides is, as we would understand, a sort of 'modern' historian in his unbiased and chronological telling of the War and its events.

Herodotus gets credit for being the first historian but Thucydides is only a little later and much more reliable he doesn't spin tall tales. His history reads like many histories in modern times. His voice is not alien to modern ears. The story of battles, wars, and politics doesn't sound weird. We can imagine headlines around his type of narrative in NYT. Not saying he is perfect but he looks a lot like a historian as we have come to know them. Anyway, the Peloponnesian war weakened the powers of Athens and Sparta, and the infighting of the Greek city-states made for easy pickings later by Philip of Macedon. This book has been historically revived because the rivalry between two major powers is a perennial problem so the history of great power clashes is always relevant. As a cold war kid, I can personally attest to the high drama of such narratives.

I shall refrain from rating this simply because I am sure it is objectively better than I subjectively think it is -- or thought it was three years ago.

Unfortunately it was one of the most insufferably boring books I have ever read. I'll give Thucydides this: at least he's honest. At least he tells you at the beginning that he intends to tell history as it happened, without any embellishment or deviation. Absolutely no rabbit trails or engaging anecdotes for him.

Thus, I (slightly) preferred Herodotus.

Thucydides seems both very distant and very near to us. Distant in the sense that the battle techniques, modes of communication, names of people and of places are details mostly confusing and foreign. Near in that the broader strategic and historical conclusions sound painfully familiar. Thucydides' opening paragraphs about the Sicilian Expedition could have been read by any aspiring imperial power as proof that yhtheir attempts at overreach will always fail - but that they'll always be attempted anyhow.

Thucydides' resigned wisdom seems like this book's most distinctive and valuable quality. It's depressing, of course, that 2400 years ago someone already had figured this out, but somehow also reassuring. The details are often hard to follow, and the narrative thread wears thin by going on so any directions at once, and many sentences are train wrecks, but the grander parts still struck me as universal.

Not reading, just skimming. Much further study needed.