Thucydides: The Peloponnesian War Book I

The Greek historian Thucydides is not only the preeminent historian of the ancient world but in many ways a remarkably modern political analyst and reporter. Book I contains his statement of methodology, his account of the build-up to war and especially the speeches giving the motivations of the combatants. It is constantly cited not only by classicists, but also by political and military thinkers in general. Although unjustly denigrated as "chaotic", it contains experiments in different kinds of historical writing far ahead of their time. However, his difficult style requires linguistic commentary for accurate interpretation. This book provides concise but complete guidance to his style, grammar and vocabulary. The commentary is a literary one, elucidating connections with Homeric interpretation, Herodotus, and the contemporary intellectual and political life of Athens. It should become the standard edition for advanced undergraduate and graduate students and offers much of value to the scholar too.