History of the Peloponnesian War — Thucydides
Ἱστορίαι, c. 400 BCE. Translated by Richard Crawley, 1874 (public domain).
Crawley remains the standard accessible English translation. Hobbes (1629) is older but harder; Hammond (Oxford, 2009), Landmark/Strassler (1996), and Lattimore (1998) are modern and in copyright.
Books
Book I. The Archaeology and Causes of War
- Chapter I — The State of Greece from the earliest Times to the Commencement of the Peloponnesian War
- Chapter II — Causes of the War—The Affair of Epidamnus—The Affair of Potidæa
- Chapter III — Congress of the Peloponnesian Confederacy at Lacedaemon
- Chapter IV — From the end of the Persian to the beginning of the Peloponnesian War—The Progress from Supremacy to Empire
- Chapter V — Second Congress at Lacedaemon—Preparations for War and Diplomatic Skirmishes—Cylon—Pausanias—Themistocles
Book II. The Pericles Years and the Plague
- Chapter VI — Beginning of the Peloponnesian War—First Invasion of Attica—Funeral Oration of Pericles
- Chapter VII — Second Year of the War—The Plague of Athens—Position and Policy of Pericles—Fall of Potidæa
- Chapter VIII — Third Year of the War—Investment of Plataea—Naval Victories of Phormio—Thracian Irruption into Macedonia under Sitalces
Book III. Mytilene, Plataea, Corcyra
- Chapter IX — Fourth and Fifth Years of the War—Revolt of Mitylene
- Chapter X — Fifth Year of the War—Trial and Execution of the Plataeans— Corcyraean Revolution
- Chapter XI — Year of the War—Campaigns of Demosthenes in Western Greece—Ruin of Ambracia
Book IV. Pylos and Sphacteria
- Chapter XII — Seventh Year of the War—Occupation of Pylos—Surrender of the Spartan Army in Sphacteria
- Chapter XIII — Seventh and Eighth Years of the War—End of Corcyraean Revolution— Peace of Gela—Capture of Nisaea
- Chapter XIV — Eighth and Ninth Years of the War—Invasion of Boeotia—Fall of Amphipolis—Brilliant Successes of Brasidas
Book V. The Peace of Nicias and Melian Dialogue
- Chapter XV — Tenth Year of the War—Death of Cleon and Brasidas—Peace of Nicias
- Chapter XVI — Feeling against Sparta in Peloponnese—League of the Mantineans, Eleans, Argives, and Athenians—Battle of Mantinea and breaking up of the League
- Chapter XVII — Sixteenth Year of the War—The Melian Conference—Fate of Melos
Book VI. The Sicilian Expedition — Book 1
- Chapter XVIII — Seventeenth Year of the War—The Sicilian Campaign—Affair of the Hermae—Departure of the Expedition
- Chapter XIX — Seventeenth Year of the War—Parties at Syracuse—Story of Harmodius and Aristogiton—Disgrace of Alcibiades
- Chapter XX — Seventeenth and Eighteenth Years of the War—Inaction of the Athenian Army—Alcibiades at Sparta—Investment of Syracuse
Book VII. The Sicilian Expedition — Book 2
- Chapter XXI — Eighteenth and Nineteenth Years of the War—Arrival of Gylippus at Syracuse—Fortification of Decelea—Successes of the Syracusans
- Chapter XXII — Nineteenth Year of the War—Arrival of Demosthenes—Defeat of the Athenians at Epipolae—Folly and Obstinancy of Nicias
- Chapter XXIII — Nineteenth Year of the War—Battles in the Great Harbour—Retreat and Annihilation of the Athenian Army
Book VIII. The Ionian War (unfinished)
- Chapter XXIV — Nineteenth and Twentieth Years of the War—Revolt of Ionia— Intervention of Persia—The War in Ionia
- Chapter XXV — Twentieth and Twenty-first Years of the War—Intrigues of Alcibiades—Withdrawal of the Persian Subsidies—Oligarchical Coup d’Etat at Athens—Patriotism of the Army at Samos
- Chapter XXVI — Twenty-first Year of the War—Recall of Alcibiades to Samos—Revolt of Euboea and Downfall of the Four Hundred—Battle of Cynossema
Why it Belongs in the Canon
- First work of realist international relations (Melian Dialogue).
- Origin of the ‘Thucydides Trap’ — rising power vs. ruling power.
- Permanent reference for war termination, plague-and-war, expeditionary overreach (Sicily).
- Reading list item at Annapolis, West Point, the Naval War College.