The Peloponnesian War

The classic account of the struggle between Athens and Sparta that has fascinated readers of history for centuries

Thucydides's account of the war between Athens and Sparta, begun in 431 BCE when the war commenced, is considered by many to be the first work of serious history. Applying then-new standards of evidence, impartiality, and cause and effect-and, crucially, banishing the gods from his tale-Thucydides created a gripping, detailed narrative of the civilization-shaking clash of two i...