The Fifth Book of Thucydides (Classic Reprint): Edited With Notes: Edited with Notes (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

Thucydides, Thucydides

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1333895437 ISBN 13: 9781333895433

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

The Fifth Book of Thucydides brings the shadowed peace years to life, tracking renewed power plays and fierce battles in Thrace, Sicily, and beyond. This edition surveys the later part of the war, including Cleon’s leadership, the fall of Amphipolis, and the Melian dialogue, while offering notes on how the text was revised and interpreted over time. It frames the period as a mix of intrigue, strategy, and shifting loyalties, with a focus on what Thucydides aimed to capture about Athenian policy and Spartan opposition.

The introduction and running notes illuminate how scholars view this book’s composition, age, and perspective. They discuss differences in detail, language, and possible interpolations, helping readers understand the historical context and the editor’s approach. The narrative itself covers campaigning, diplomacy, and turning points that shaped the war’s middle years, including key moves by Brasidas and Cleon and the transition from open conflict to more complex alliances.

What you’ll experience
- A focused narrative of Thrace campaigns, naval actions, and inter-state plotting.
- Insights into the book’s revision history and how scholars interpret its passages.
- Closer look at pivotal episodes, from sieges to the famous Melian dialogue.
- Clarified notes that connect events to broader themes of power, justice, and policy.

Ideal for readers of classical history who want a clear, guided view of the war’s late stages and the editorial perspective that shapes this edition.

About this title

About the Author

Thucydides (c. 460 BC400 BC) was a general who was exiled for his failure to defend the Greek city of Amphipolis in Thrace. During his exile, he began compiling histories and accounts of the war from various participants.Rex Warner was a Professor of the University of Connecticut from 1964 until his retirement in He was born in 1905 and went to Wadham College, Oxford, where he gained a first in Classical Moderations, and took a degree in English Literature. He taught in Egypt and England, and was Director of the British Institute, Athens, from 1945 to 1947. He has written poems, novels and critical essays, has worked on films and broadcasting, and has translated many works, of which Xenophon s History of My Time and The Persian Expedition, Thucydides The Peloponnesian War, and Plutarch s Lives (under the title Fall of the Roman Republic) and Moral Essays have been published in Penguin Classics.M. I. Finley was a professor of ancient history and master of Darwin College, Cambridge. He died in 1986. M. I. Finley was a professor of ancient history and master of Darwin College, Cambridge. He died in 1986.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1333895437
• ISBN 13: 9781333895433
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 292