Thucydides’ account of the war between Athens and Sparta (431–404 BC) is one of the greatest works ever written — the founding text of political realism and scientific historiography. Where his predecessor Herodotus wove myth into history, Thucydides demanded evidence, motive, and cause. The Melian Dialogue, Pericles’ Funeral Oration, and the Sicilian Expedition remain among the most studied passages in all of Western literature.
This free EPUB edition is cleanly formatted for e-readers. Whether read for its narrative power, its political philosophy, or its tragic vision of democratic hubris, The History of the Peloponnesian War rewards every reading.