Cover of Stories from Thucydides by Thucydides Ebook Stories from Thucydides
Ebook · Sovereign

Stories from Thucydides

Author
Thucydides
Language
English
Length
182 pages
ISBN
9781787363182
Published
23 October 2021
Imprint
Sovereign
  • Thucydides
  • history
  • scientific history
  • war
  • politics
  • Greece
  • culture
  • humanity
  • conflict
  • Athens

Description

Stories from Thucydides distills key episodes from the History of the Peloponnesian War into accessible narratives. It recounts the brutal conflict between Athens and Sparta, highlighting power struggles, political ambition, and the fragility of democracy. Through speeches, battles, and moral dilemmas—like the Melian Dialogue and the Plague of Athens—it reveals timeless insights into human nature, justice, and the costs of war. A foundational work of realism, it explores how fear, honor, and interest drive nations and individuals, offering enduring lessons on leadership, ethics, and the cyclical nature of history.

Author

Thucydides (c. 460–400 BCE) wrote the History of the Peloponnesian War, a cold eye on empire, plague, and the Melian dialogue. Athens and Sparta grind each other down; speeches become weapons; pity is optional. Five titles here. He claimed to write for those who wanted the truth of what happened, not a story that pleased. The first political realism in prose — and it still feels like a warning left on the table overnight.

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