History of the Peloponnesian War

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Overview

Thucydides wrote an account of the war between Athens and Sparta and their allies, fought from 431 to 404 BCE. It is often called the first analytical history because it tries to explain causes from evidence and human behaviour, without appeal to the gods. The work stops unfinished in the year 411 BCE. It matters because it describes how power, fear, self-interest and rhetoric shape decisions in crisis, and how even a strong democracy can lose its judgement under pressure.

Context

Thucydides was an Athenian who served as a general and was exiled after failing to save the city of Amphipolis in 424 BCE. He lived among both sides during the war. His method is distinct from Herodotus, who included legend and wonders. He sought what he called accuracy, even where it made his book less entertaining, and he intended it as a possession for the future.