
Thucydides
A Very Short Introduction
Jennifer T. Roberts(Author)
Oxford University Press
Published on 28. November 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
160 pages
978-0-19-285582-4 (ISBN)
Description
Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring
In 432 BCE the powerful city-state of Sparta on the peninsula of the Peloponnesus in southwestern Greece declared war on Athens, head of a mighty naval coalition. The war would last until Sparta finally brough Athens to its knees in 404. The Athenian aristocrat Thucydides, suspecting the magnitude of the conflict that was unfolding before his eyes, at once undertook to record its history, exploring the causes and course of the war in the context of his great interest: human nature. An introduction to Thucydides' thought and background, this book examines Thucydides' account of the war in the context both of the international situation in the classical Greek world and of the intellectual traditions of the fifth century BCE, exploring the historian's connection to prose writers like Herodotus as well as poets like Homer and the tragedians, and investigating the complex dynamics of the war that changed the Greek world forever.
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
In 432 BCE the powerful city-state of Sparta on the peninsula of the Peloponnesus in southwestern Greece declared war on Athens, head of a mighty naval coalition. The war would last until Sparta finally brough Athens to its knees in 404. The Athenian aristocrat Thucydides, suspecting the magnitude of the conflict that was unfolding before his eyes, at once undertook to record its history, exploring the causes and course of the war in the context of his great interest: human nature. An introduction to Thucydides' thought and background, this book examines Thucydides' account of the war in the context both of the international situation in the classical Greek world and of the intellectual traditions of the fifth century BCE, exploring the historian's connection to prose writers like Herodotus as well as poets like Homer and the tragedians, and investigating the complex dynamics of the war that changed the Greek world forever.
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Reviews / Votes
Thucydides delivers a remarkably insightful overview of one of antiquity's most pivotal historians. Roberts provides an engaging and intellectually stimulating gateway into Thucydidean scholarship. An invaluable resource for students and general readers alike. * F. A. Grabowski, Choice *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Illustrations
8 B&W images
Dimensions
Height: 171 mm
Width: 107 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
140 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-285582-4 (9780192855824)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
11/2024
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€9.49
Available for download

E-Book
10/2024
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€9.49
Available for download
Person
Jennifer Roberts is Professor of Classics and History at the City College of New York and the City University of New York Graduate Center. A past president of the Association of Ancient Historians, she specializes in the theory and practice of democracy and in the intellectual and political history of Greece during the classical period. Her publications include Accountability in Athenian Government (1982), Athens on Trial: The Antidemocratic Tradition in Western Thought (1994), editions of Thucydides' Peloponnesian War (1998) and Herodotus' Histories (2013), both co-authored with Walter Blanco, and The Plague of War: Athens, Sparta, and the Struggle for Ancient Greece (2017).
Author
Professor of Classics and HistoryProfessor of Classics and History, City College of New York and City University of New York Graduate Center
Content
1: The world of Thucydides
2: The Peloponnesian war
3: Thucydides the historian
4: Epic, tragedy, history
5: Thucydides the narrator
6: Speeches in Thucydides
7: Thucydides the political scientist
8: Thucydides' legacy
References
Suggested readings
Index
2: The Peloponnesian war
3: Thucydides the historian
4: Epic, tragedy, history
5: Thucydides the narrator
6: Speeches in Thucydides
7: Thucydides the political scientist
8: Thucydides' legacy
References
Suggested readings
Index