Second book of my freshman seminar. I went into reading this with low expectations, thinking that a history of some random war. But it was actually kinda interesting!

"...they reversed the usual way of using words to evaluate what they did. Ill-considered boldness was counted as loyal manliness; prudent hesitation was held to be cowardice in disguise, and moderation merely the cloak of an unmanly nature. A mind that could grasp the good of the whole was considered wholly lazy. Sudden fury was accepted as part of manly valor, while plotting for one’s own security was thought a reasonable excuse for delaying action. A man who expressed anger was always to be trusted, while one who opposed him was under suspicion."

Any translation, especially one of a nearly forgotten language, is not just the authors words but the impression brought by the translator. And yet, I am always impressed with how a voice from long ago can speak so directly to us today.

Woodruff's work is easily read and well footnoted although some of his points become repetitive. I wished he had offered a bit more context on Thucydides' himself but I realize not a great deal is actually known.

Summary: Pericles fangirling over Athens

Thuc certainly has his opinions on human nature. Most of them are correct. Fascinating history of the Peloponnesian war & how human reactions stem from fear.

Illuminating

Well done besides the author's refusal to entertain political science and philosophy

Great for learning, but something that I wouldn't necessarily take on vacation. More like bedside reading.

Ok I didn’t actually read the whole thing, but I read enough of it to say I did... and I actually kind of liked it... discussing it in class really made me feel like I got it and was really rewarding

Had to read for a class. Hated during the read bc was on a schedule but through reflection the translations and inserts of Woodruff adding context where extremely helpful and the insight made reading easier. Now Thucydides is trying to be a historian but he’s more of a philosopher hiding as a historian (from modern viewpoint). He does a couple things that in modern day are big no nos for historians but considering the time- not bad. How we view history has to evolve throughout it.

Me when a once powerful democracy is weakened by a terrible plague leading the the rise of a populist movement which propels the country into oligarchy:

better than herodotus
I read the intro and chapters 1-3 for my humanities class

This was a surprise for me because I really liked this book. Normally I am extremely intimidated by ancient sources like this. Though Thucydides writes in an extremely dense fashion that can be a slow read, the information he provides is fascinating. He is surprisingly scientific considering the time period and is kind of like a father to scientific historical writing. Give it a try and don't get discouraged if at first it seems unapproachable, it'll grow on you if you give it a chance!