History of the Peloponnesian War
The History of the Peloponnesian War (Greek: Ἱστορίαι, "Histories") is a historical account of the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), which was fought between the Peloponnesian League (led by Sparta) and the Delian League (led by Athens). It was written by Thucydides, an Athenian historian who also happened to serve as an Athenian general during the war. His account of the conflict is widely considered to be a classic and regarded as one of the earliest scholarly works of history. The History is divided into eight books.
Translated by Richard Crawley
Book I
CHAPTER I. The State of Greece from the earliest Times to the Commencement of the Peloponnesian War
Thucydides, an Athenian, wrote the history of the war between the Peloponnesians and the Athenian...
CHAPTER II. Causes of the War—The Affair of Epidamnus—The Affair of Potidaea
The city of Epidamnus stands on the right of the entrance of the Ionic Gulf. Its vicinity is inha...
CHAPTER III. Congress of the Peloponnesian Confederacy at Lacedaemon
The Athenians and Peloponnesians had these antecedent grounds of complaint against each other: th...
CHAPTER IV. From the end of the Persian to the beginning of the Peloponnesian War—The Progress from Supremacy to Empire
The way in which Athens came to be placed in the circumstances under which her power grew was thi...
CHAPTER V. Second Congress at Lacedaemon—Preparations for War and Diplomatic Skirmishes—Cylon—Pausanias—Themistocles
After this, though not many years later, we at length come to what has been already related, the ...
Book II
CHAPTER VI. Beginning of the Peloponnesian War—First Invasion of Attica—Funeral Oration of Pericles
The war between the Athenians and Peloponnesians and the allies on either side now really begins....
CHAPTER VII. Second Year of the War—The Plague of Athens—Position and Policy of Pericles—Fall of Potidaea
Such was the funeral that took place during this winter, with which the first year of the war cam...
CHAPTER VIII. Third Year of the War—Investment of Plataea—Naval Victories of Phormio—Thracian Irruption into Macedonia under Sitalces
The next summer the Peloponnesians and their allies, instead of invading Attica, marched against ...
Book III
CHAPTER IX. Fourth and Fifth Years of the War—Revolt of Mitylene
The next summer, just as the corn was getting ripe, the Peloponnesians and their allies invaded A...
CHAPTER X. Fifth Year of the War—Trial and Execution of the Plataeans— Corcyraean Revolution
During the same summer, after the reduction of Lesbos, the Athenians under Nicias, son of Nicerat...
CHAPTER XI. Year of the War—Campaigns of Demosthenes in Western Greece—Ruin of Ambracia
Summer was now over. The winter following, the plague a second time attacked the Athenians; for a...
Book IV
CHAPTER XII. Seventh Year of the War—Occupation of Pylos—Surrender of the Spartan Army in Sphacteria
Next summer, about the time of the corn's coming into ear, ten Syracusan and as many Locrian vess...
CHAPTER XIII. Seventh and Eighth Years of the War—End of Corcyraean Revolution— Peace of Gela—Capture of Nisaea
The same summer, directly after these events, the Athenians made an expedition against the territ...
CHAPTER XIV. Eighth and Ninth Years of the War—Invasion of Boeotia—Fall of Amphipolis—Brilliant Successes of Brasidas
The same summer the Mitylenians were about to fortify Antandrus, as they had intended, when Demod...
Book V
CHAPTER XV. Tenth Year of the War—Death of Cleon and Brasidas—Peace of Nicias
The next summer the truce for a year ended, after lasting until the Pythian games. During the arm...
CHAPTER XVI. Feeling against Sparta in Peloponnese—League of the Mantineans, Eleans, Argives, and Athenians—Battle of Mantinea and breaking up of the League
After the treaty and the alliance between the Lacedaemonians and Athenians, concluded after the t...
CHAPTER XVII. Sixteenth Year of the War—The Melian Conference—Fate of Melos
The next summer Alcibiades sailed with twenty ships to Argos and seized the suspected persons sti...
Book VI
CHAPTER XVIII. Seventeenth Year of the War—The Sicilian Campaign—Affair of the Hermae—Departure of the Expedition
The same winter the Athenians resolved to sail again to Sicily, with a greater armament than that...
CHAPTER XIX. Seventeenth Year of the War—Parties at Syracuse—Story of Harmodius and Aristogiton—Disgrace of Alcibiades
Meanwhile at Syracuse news came in from many quarters of the expedition, but for a long while met...
CHAPTER XX. Seventeenth and Eighteenth Years of the War—Inaction of the Athenian Army—Alcibiades at Sparta—Investment of Syracuse
The Athenian generals left in Sicily now divided the armament into two parts, and, each taking on...
Book VII
CHAPTER XXI. Eighteenth and Nineteenth Years of the War—Arrival of Gylippus at Syracuse—Fortification of Decelea—Successes of the Syracusans
After refitting their ships, Gylippus and Pythen coasted along from Tarentum to Epizephyrian Locr...
CHAPTER XXII. Nineteenth Year of the War—Arrival of Demosthenes—Defeat of the Athenians at Epipolae—Folly and Obstinancy of Nicias
In the meantime, while the Syracusans were preparing for a second attack upon both elements, Demo...
CHAPTER XXIII. Nineteenth Year of the War—Battles in the Great Harbour—Retreat and Annihilation of the Athenian Army
While the Athenians lingered on in this way without moving from where they were, Gylippus and Sic...
Book VIII
CHAPTER XXIV. Nineteenth and Twentieth Years of the War—Revolt of Ionia— Intervention of Persia—The War in Ionia
When the news was brought to Athens, for a long while they disbelieved even the most respectable ...
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
The Peloponnesians now determined to sail to Rhodes, upon the invitation of some of the principal...
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
In the same summer, immediately after this, the Peloponnesians having refused to fight with their...