The Peloponnesian War (Unabridged)
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4.0 • 10 Ratings
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- $25.99
Publisher Description
Historians universally agree that Thucydides was the greatest historian who has ever lived, and that his story of the Peloponnesian conflict is a marvel of forensic science and fine literature. That such a triumph of intellectual accomplishment was created at the end of the fifth century B.C. in Greece is, perhaps, not so surprising, given the number of original geniuses we find in that period. But that such an historical work would also be simultaneously acknowledged as a work of great literature and a penetrating ethical evaluation of humanity is one of the miracles of ancient history. For in the pages of Thucydides we find examples of every ethical and political problem ever faced by democratic governments in the last 2,400 years. And it was all organized and written with a breathtaking skill and dramatic intensity which have never been equalled.
Thucydides was an Athenian noble born around 455 B.C. whose antecedents could be traced back to the great Peisitratus and Cimon. In 424 B.C., Thucydides was in command of naval forces attempting to defend Amphipolis in Thrace. Although unsuccessful through no fault of his own, his enemies in Athens blamed him for failure and engineered his exile. It was a fortunate event, for it was upon this accident of history that Thucydides gained the opportunity to become the chronicler of events in Greece. In complete contrast to the furious passions which raged around him, he described events with a cool detachment and an absolute impartiality that is little short of miraculous. He is believed to have died violently, perhaps while writing, in about 400 B.C. His manuscript simply breaks off in mid paragraph.
The Peloponnesian War is organized into eight parts (“books”). This recording uses the highly esteemed translation of Benjamin Jowett. There are several essays preceding and following the work.
Customer Reviews
A Highly Detailed Account of an Interesting Time
For those listening to the audiobook version: the beginning of the book contains several essays and summaries written by contemporary authors. If you would like to skip past these straight into Book 1 of Thucydides's Peloponnesian War, skip to Part 1 Track 6.
Also, I have seen other reviews mention that they disliked the voice of the narrator. I suppose that is a matter of opinion because I enjoyed his elegant voice, as well as the little tribal chants in between books.
Now for my review of the subject matter.
Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War is unlike any other book that I have experienced. It is packed to the gills with any and all information that you could ever possibly desire to learn about the ancient showdown between Sparta and Athens. Almost everything. You will know what I mean after you read.
I would only recommend this book to someone who wants to know every single detail about the Peloponnesian War. The sheer amount of names of people and cities is almost impossible to keep up with if you don't have a decently firm background in Greek history and geography. I will admit that more than a few generals and landmarks slipped by me, but I still had a good time; so I will amend my previous statement by adding that you should also read this if you are passionate about history in general.
I could muster up enough words if I sat here for the next week to give the proper respect owed to Thucydides for the way that he presents the facts of the War. He had more than one reason to skew events in the favor of one side or the other, or to not even write anything at all! But instead, he sat down - for Athene knows how long - and composed a completely unbiased and thorough account of what occurred so that he could pass it down to future generations; and here I am, writing a review about the product of his talent almost two and a half millennia later. If you find this at all inspiring or at least thought-provoking, give the book a try and continue to preserve the knowledge that he captured for our safekeeping all those years ago.
Great material!
I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of Thucydides. Both the translation and the quality of the narration were excellent, and there is helpful supplementary material in the form of a number of essays at both the beginning and the end of the audio book.
My only complaint is that the essays at the beginning of the audio book are several HOURS long, before you get to the beginning of book 1 proper. There is also no break in audio tracks between the essays and book itself, and there are no notes saying what time the essays stop and the book starts. I enjoyed the first few, but after a while I wanted to get to book one itself. It was frustrating to keep having to fast forward, listen for a while, and try to figure out if we were still in the essay material or if we’d started the history proper.
My thoughts: Either move the essays to the end of the audio book or (even better), make a break in audio tracks between the essays and the beginning of book one.
In any event, I want to thank the publisher and iTunes for this offering.
The narrator's voice is insufferable.
Like a cartoonish parody of a Victorian-era English person. Almost unlistenable.