A New History of the Peloponnesian War

This stimulating new study provides a narrative of the monumental conflict of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta, and examines the realities of the war and its effects on the average Athenian. A penetrating new study of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta by an established scholar Offers an original interpretation of how and why the war began Weaves in the contemporary evidence of Aristophanes in order to give readers a new sense of how the war affected the individual Discusses the practicalities and realities of the war Examines the blossoming of culture and intellectual achievement in Athens despite the war Challenges the approach of Thucydides in his account of the war

List of illustrations viii List of maps x List of abbreviations xi Chronology xiii Acknowledgments xix Preface xxi Prelude – a band of brothers 1 1 ‘From this the Corinthians developed their bitter hatred for the Athenians’ 4 2 ‘Give the Greeks their freedom’ 25 3 ‘Our city is an education to Greece’ 44 4 ‘War is a violent teacher’ 67 5 ‘Spindles would be worth a lot’ 85 6 ‘Weeping for joy’ 111 7 ‘The strong do what they have the power to do’ 132 8 ‘What of us then who for our children must weep?’ 144 9 ‘The whole of Greece against Athens’ 165 10 ‘Ships gone . . . don’t know what to do’ 186 11 ‘Athens is taken’ 205 12 ‘Here’s to the noble Critias!’ 223 Epilogue 241 Appendix A: A note on sources 243 Appendix B: Who’s who in the Peloponnesian War 248 Appendix C: A Peloponnesian War glossary 258 Bibliography 263 Index 275