Overview

Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War is one of the earliest and most influential works in the western historiographical tradition. It provides an unfinished account of the war between Athens and her allies and Sparta and her allies which lasted from 431 to 404 BC, and is a masterpiece of narrative art and of political analysis. The twenty chapters in this Companion offer a wide range of perspectives on different aspects of the text, its interpretation and its significance. The nature of the text is explored in detail, and problems of Thucydides' historical and literary methodology are examined. Other chapters analyse the ways in which Thucydides' work illuminates, or complicates, our understanding of key historical questions for this period, above all those relating to the nature and conduct of war, politics, and empire. Finally, the book also explores the continuing legacy of Thucydides, from antiquity to the present day.

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9781107107052

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Reviews

'The chapters of the Companion are informative, concise (about fifteen pages), well written, and accessible to non-specialists. In addition to the lengthy general bibliography, each essay includes a discursive Further Reading section. The volume also includes an index locorum and a subject index. All of these features make The Cambridge Companion to Thucydides a desirable addition to libraries, including (given its reasonable price) private libraries.' Paula Debnar, Histos: The Online Journal of Ancient Historiography '... assembles engaging and valuable essays from an impressive list of contributors in the fields of classics, ancient history, and political theory ... this volume is an excellent, accessible place to start in understanding the richness of Thucydides's work ... Recommended.' J. D. Lyons, Choice

'... assembles engaging and valuable essays from an impressive list of contributors in the fields of classics, ancient history, and political theory ... this volume is an excellent, accessible place to start in understanding the richness of Thucydides's work ... Recommended.' J. D. Lyons, Choice

Author Information

Polly Low is a Professor in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at Durham University. Her publications include Interstate Relations in Classical Greece (Cambridge, 2007) and (as editor) The Athenian Empire (2008).

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