Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Kindle
$14.42 - $27.99

Available instantly

Hardcover
$71.46 - $79.42

Paperback
$16.98 - $34.58

$79.42 with 32 percent savings

List Price: $116.00

FREE Returns

FREE delivery

Select delivery location

Temporarily out of stock.
Order now and we'll deliver when available. Details

Want it faster? The Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app.

$$79.42 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.

Read full return policy

Payment

Secure transaction

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Details

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

$71.46

Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used textbooks may not include companion materials such as access codes, etc. May have some wear or writing/highlighting. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used textbooks may not include companion materials such as access codes, etc. May have some wear or writing/highlighting. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! See less

$3.99 delivery June 10 - 14. Details

Or fastest delivery June 6 - 11. Details

Arrives before Father's Day

Select delivery location

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

$$79.42 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Ships from and sold by HPB-Red.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (16) from $71.46 + $3.99 shipping

Follow the author

Thucydides

Follow

Thucydides: The War of the Peloponnesians and the Athenians (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought) 1st Edition

by Thucydides (Author), Jeremy Mynott (Translator)

4.6 88 ratings

See all formats and editions

Sorry, there was a problem loading this page. Try again.

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$79.42","priceAmount":79.42,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"79","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"42","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"VtK5Ju1plX%2FjLCZHg%2BaTvOcpL%2B5%2BQlMU9wdtHKqffgKG52cP6c2bki44bWtMNJ0rQxK3b%2Fj5jBe0SmCsBSwQ7CjiCZTPcYT8witBICNLvrBHvdBPiOU0E9OMoMn9toaacTyOioVun2c%2Bh0u3kl3XKw%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$71.46","priceAmount":71.46,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"71","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"46","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"VtK5Ju1plX%2FjLCZHg%2BaTvOcpL%2B5%2BQlMU7refQspD119VpowUwdWqXdQzvFFmf630A0vGac7%2BrUSUSZ7KclMCBKxFHum1PjUbSm3Ryv%2BXJzuGGdG7g1h26CxGay7nh2mM3J279hOx526rhZqh8WkFt33JS9sfkpZRfxij6y64dt88zzo6bN5%2FgHF8sG23klkj","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Thucydides' classic work is a foundational text in the history of Western political thought. His narrative of the great war between Athens and Sparta in the fifth century BC is now seen as a highly sophisticated study of the nature of political power itself: its exercise and effects, its agents and victims, and the arguments through which it is defended and deployed. It is therefore increasingly read as a text in politics, international relations and political theory, whose students will find in Thucydides many striking contemporary resonances. This edition seeks to present the author and the text in their proper historical context. The new translation is particularly sensitive to the risks of anachronism, and the notes and extensive reference material provide students with all the necessary historical, cultural and linguistic background they need to engage with the text on its own terms.

ISBN-10

0521847745
ISBN-13

978-0521847742
Edition

1st
Publisher

Cambridge University Press
Publication date

May 20, 2013
Language

English
Dimensions

5.75 x 1.75 x 9 inches
Print length

762 pages
See all details

Thucydides
796
Paperback
143 offers from $2.99
Thucydides
148
Paperback
7 offers from $17.99
Thucydides
76
Paperback
57 offers from $5.06
Herodotus
458
Paperback
87 offers from $1.99
Plutarch
213
Paperback
55 offers from $5.33
Aristotle
46
Paperback
30 offers from $9.95

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Altogether, this edition in a crowded field offers many unique annotations complementing its fresh and accurate translation."
Donald Lateiner, Ancient History Bulletin

"… an extremely useful edition for its re-situation of Thucydides in his own context, especially for the large numbers of readers of Thucydides in disciplines outside the classics. It is no small achievement to convey in modern English the literary qualities of this most political of ancient historians."
Liz Sawyer, Oxonian Review

"…a fine addition to the Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought series … its excellent footnotes will make it a worthy [addition] to any reading list."
Benjamin Earley, The Classical Review

Book Description

A new translation of Thucydides, a foundational text in the history of Western political thought, with extensive student reference material.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge University Press; 1st edition (May 20, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 762 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0521847745
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0521847742
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.47 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1.75 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,723,946 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,951 in Ancient Greek History (Books)
- #5,452 in European Politics Books
- #104,329 in Schools & Teaching (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 88 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Thucydides

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

88 global ratings

2 star

0%

1 star

4%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

R. Decker

Excellent new translation makes events of 2500 years ago feel like they happened yesterday

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2016

Verified Purchase

My book club decided to read The Peloponnesian War for its January 2016 meeting, and I selected this edition of Thucydides since I wanted to have the most modern version available. Since this is the only translation of Thucydides that I've read, I can't say how it compares to the others. All I know is that it was very easy to read and did such a good job of bringing to life the events and people of this ancient conflict that it was like reading about something that took place a couple of years ago. This is thanks in part to the magnificent job of translation, thanks in part to a great introductory section that does a very good job of explaining what the book is about and why it's significant, and thanks in part to a book that was highly innovative to begin with. This is not some dry treatise about one battle after another. It's the original clash of democracy versus oligarchy, empire versus empire, Greek versus Greek, and the complicated people who brought it about and fought it on battlefields from Asia Minor to Sicily. For me, it was one of the great reading experiences of my life.

24 people found this helpful

Helpful

Usha

Forget Landmark – Get this Cambridge Edition

Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2016

Verified Purchase

I read Thucydides for two different classes at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. One professor assigned the classic Landmark translation while the other assigned this newer, Cambridge version.

As someone who read both versions, I recommend newcomers to Thucydides start with THIS version by Cambridge. It was translated by Jeremy Mynott and released in 2013, while the Landmark version was translated by Richard Crawley in 1874. Now, I love Victorian literature as much as the next guy, but Crawley’s phrasing is dense and at times impenetrable. Sentences drag on for line after line; single paragraphs span pages.

Here's an example from the famous “Melian Dialogue.” In this scene, Athenian emissaries confront representatives from the small island of Melos, insisting they join Athens as allies (and taxpayers) or suffer the consequences. The Melians resist these strong-arm tactics, declaring that justice is on their side, and that they will not abandon hope.

Landmark’s rendition of the Athenian response:

"Hope, danger’s comforter, may be indulged in by those who have abundant resources, if not without loss, at all events without ruin; but its nature is to be extravagant, and those who go so far as to stake their all upon the venture see it in its true colors only when they are ruined."

Cambridge version:

"Well, hope is certainly an encouragement in time of danger, and those who rely on hope when they have other resources may be damaged but are not destroyed by it. Hope, however, is prodigal by nature, and those who stake everything they have on it see the truth only at the moment of disaster."

As you can see, the Cambridge version is easier to read.

That said, the Cambridge version sometimes loses some of Landmark’s oratory power, as in this translation of one of Thucydides’s most famous lines (also from the Melian Dialogue):

“…the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.” -- Landmark

“…the possibilities are defined by what the strong do and the weak accept.” -- Cambridge

It’s sad to lose out on lyricism, but the Cambridge version makes up for any losses with plain old readability. Besides, the Cambridge version still achieves plenty of drama, whether describing the final tragedy at Melos, the breakdown of civil order in Corcyra, or the complete destruction of the Athenian army in Sicily. Frankly, I would have zoned out through many riveting battles and speeches had I been trudging through the Landmark version.

A few other pros and cons:

The Cambridge editor and translator, Jeremy Mynott, helps out the reader with abundant footnotes. His asides are interesting and even funny (in a restrained, British way, of course). His maps are less numerous than Landmark’s, but do the job. The font is sharp enough for those who refuse to buy reading glasses. Landmark wins on cover design and paper texture, but who cares about cosmetics?

In the end, I have Dr. Mynott and Cambridge to thank for enriching my life with Thucydides’s history and insights. Spend a few hours in 400 B.C. with this Greek soldier, and the way you see the world will change forever.

164 people found this helpful

Helpful

Jindrich Zapletal

A great translation and commentary

Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2019

Verified Purchase

I looked at a couple of translations available for free or nearly free in various corners of the internet. You get what you pay for and much more with Mynott's translation. I would have never gotten anywhere in this book if it were not for the lucid prose and helpful commentary of Mynott's. Now I can appreciate the timelessness of Thucydides' achievement, and I am a better man for it.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Roberto Torretti

Best modern translation I know of

Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2016

Verified Purchase

I think this is BY FAR the best translation of Thucydides into a modern language that I know of. I am acquainted with several English, French and Spanish translations, plus one German one (Landmann) and one Italian one (Piccolo). I've had to compare them in specific places, as I prepare my own Spanish translation of the Melian dialogue. Mynott is faithful, concise, agile and writes in today's English.

32 people found this helpful

Helpful

Mickey

Excellent for serious history buffs

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2018

Verified Purchase

Haven't read many translations from ancient Greek, but this is among the best of what I have read. The Landmark edition seems to be the standard in college classics courses, so I compared a few pages. I found this Cambridge edition very readable, with helpful footnotes and maps that clarify ambiguities, geography and other anomalies in this impressive history. Lots of names, places, battles, speeches, tactics, strategies and attitudes. It's one of the earliest recorded histories and it's fairly comprehensive. Sometimes hard to follow all the detail and names but it's the primary source historians have used for charting that tumultuous period.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

The Cox’s

Quick Rating

Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2018

Verified Purchase

This is a foundational text to Western Civilization. Although the book can be dense in many areas (not always intellectual complexity), the book has been incredibly helpful for seeing the beginnings of political, international relations, and warfare thoughts put into text. Although, it must be said, I’m not expert on any of these matters or of classic. I’m just a man who loves to read.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Customer

Extremely readable

Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2015

Verified Purchase

Extremely readable, contributed greatly to my understanding of the Peloponnesian War.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Thomas M. Carpenter

Excellent background for anyone who really wishes to watch the ...

Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2017

Verified Purchase

Excellent background for anyone who really wishes to watch the development of political writing, and the history of political science.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Adam Woodbridge

Bait and Switch

Reviewed in Canada on October 24, 2022

Verified Purchase

According to the Cambridge University Press, this book ought to be printed in the United Kingdom by MPG Books Group. The copy I received, however, does not list the printer on the copyright page but instead says "made by Amazon.ca in Ontario" on the very last page of the book.

One person found this helpful

L. D. Otter

The Best on the Market!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 2, 2023

Verified Purchase

Menotti gives extensive maps and context that are vital understanding the original work. This is the best there is right now.

Amazon Customer

Vivid history

Reviewed in Germany on November 6, 2019

Verified Purchase

Great book for people who love to read the primary sources.
Speeches are the most fampus part. However, I found the general description of warfare a very good lecture. Sometimes I wish some field commanders in light infantry would reach such things.
Translation is vivid, lots of background info. High quality paper and print.

Took me 4 weeks to chew the brick with reading before sleep...

Rick Dorland

The best maps ever

Reviewed in Australia on March 8, 2022

Verified Purchase

It's not easy to stay engaged with Thucydides without understanding where he's talking about. This book has great maps, and lots of them, so the continuously changing venues of war are located very clearly. For the first time I've managed to read it all, because I could see the relevance of where the conflict was occurring. I wish I'd had this book 40 years ago so my geographical knowledge of the ancient Greek world wouldn't have been so ill defined and laboriously obtained. Many of the footnotes seemed, to me, to be directed to staving off criticism by other academics of the translator's choice of words.

See more reviews

Return this item for free

Image Unavailable

Follow the author