Peter J. Ahrensdorf is the James B. Duke Professor of Political Science and Affiliated Professor of Classics at Davidson College. The recipient of fellowships from the Carl Friedrich Siemens Foundation, the Fulbright Commission, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, he is the author of several books, most recently Homer on the Gods and Human Virtue (2014) and Homer and the Tradition of Political Philosophy (2022).

• 1. The character of Thucydides' book; 2. The case for Athens: the natural city; 3. The case against Athens: the power of passion and piety; 4. The case for Sparta: the righteous and godly city; 5. The case against Sparta: the weakness of justice; 6. The character of Thucydides; Bibliography.

'This extraordinarily fine study of Thucydides easily ranks among the best book-length treatments of this classic text known to me. … One of this study's outstanding features is the great power and even beauty with which it is written. … The author has a marvelous way of drawing the reader in, making fine use of the richness, even the excitement, characteristic of the primary text.' Robert Bartlett, Behrakis Professor of Hellenic Political Studies, Boston College