Stories from Thucydides

Thucydides, 455？ BCE-395 BCEProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 376K words
Chapters: 38

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Stories from Thucydides by Thucydides. Author: Thucydides, 455? BCE–395 BCE. Language: English. Class: PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature. Release Date: October 1, 2005

Editor's review

Stories from Thucydides is an English reader adapted and selected from Thucydides' History, retelling the Peloponnesian War and the major events surrounding it in a more accessible narrative. Its value lies in lowering the threshold of classical historiography: readers need not first work through the entire History to grasp the basic outlines of famous passages such as the Melian Dialogue and the Sicilian Expedition, and to sense Thucydides' cold-eyed observation of power, fear, and the fate of city-states. As a public-domain work in classical languages and literature, it is better suited as an introductory step or classroom aid than as a substitute translation of the original. Readers should remain aware that the "story" form involves selection and retelling; where speeches and causal judgments are concerned, it is best to return to the original History to verify, preserving Thucydides' complex and restrained historical writing.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers seeking an initial understanding of the Peloponnesian War
Students of classical history who need an introductory text
Readers interested in ancient Greek politics and diplomacy
English learners who wish to approach classical historiography in English

Not a good fit for

Professional researchers who need the complete text of the History with rigorous annotation
Readers expecting modern historiographical frameworks and archaeological evidence
Those who prefer light fiction and have no interest in war and political narrative

Reading tips

Begin with a brief background introduction to the Peloponnesian War before entering the book's narrative of events.
After each chapter, review the causes and consequences of events and the choices of figures, and try to summarize them in your own words.
For famous passages such as the Melian Dialogue and the Sicilian Expedition, read alongside the original text of the History.
Draw timelines and city-state relationship maps as you read to help clarify the multi-stranded warfare.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a complete translation of Thucydides' original work?

No. Stories from Thucydides is an English reader that selects, adapts, and retells material from the History, intended to give readers easier access to the main events and famous passages; it is not a complete translation. When studying the structure of the original and its speeches, one should still consult a complete translation of the History.

Does reading this book require a foundation in ancient Greek history?

Not strictly, but a foundation helps. The book involves many names of city-states, generals, and battles, and complete unfamiliarity can easily lead to confusion. It is advisable to first understand the basic background of the confrontation between Athens and Sparta, and to use maps and timelines while reading; comprehension will improve markedly.

Is it suitable for learning English?

It can serve as English reading material, but the style is rather formal and proper names are numerous, so it is not a light language-learning text. It suits learners with some English foundation who are willing to look up words and organize proper names; if language learning is the main goal, selected close reading is preferable to reading it straight through.

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About the author

Thucydides, 455？ BCE-395 BCE Author

Thucydides (c. 455–395 BCE) was an ancient Greek historian, best known for his account of the Peloponnesian War. The library holds seven of his works, including The History of the Peloponnesian War as well as separate volumes (the fourth, first, second, and third), a Finnish translation titled Peloponneesolais-sota, and a selection titled Stories from Thucydides. His writing is distinguished by rigorous source criticism, a dispassionate narrative style, and speeches that dramatize political choices; it is regarded as a foundational work of Western historiography. Public information about his life is limited, and details such as nationality and exact dates remain to be verified.