Circa 455-Circa 395 B.C.E.
Historian And General

Great Work. Thucydides, an Athenian historian and general, wrote History of the Peloponnesian War, which is widely regarded as the greatest historical work of the ancient world. He was born of a wealthy family with strong Thracian connections, but became a strong supporter of Pericles, the democratic leader whose figure overshadows all subsequent Athenian politicians in Thucydides' work. Thucydides caught the plague that ravaged Athens early in the war, but recovered. He was elected general but in 424 B.C.E. failed to prevent the Spartan general Brasidas from taking Amphipolis in Thrace. Exiled for this failure, Thucydides returned to Athens at the end of the war and seems to have died shortly afterwards.

Deeds and Words. Thucydides' account of the war is unfinished and ends in mid-narrative, describing the events of 411 B.C.E., but there are references in...