Book I - Against Polemides (Chapters I-V) Summary

Tides of War by Steven Pressfield is a historical novel set during the events of the Peloponnesian War, a twenty-seven year conflict between the great city-states of Athens and Sparta in ancient Greece. The novel follows the story of Polemides, a soldier who lived through the greatest events and fought alongside the key figures of the conflict. It is told by Polemides to his legal counsel Jason as he sits in prison, awaiting trial for the assassination of the great Athenian general Alcibiades.

In Chapter I, an unnamed narrator begins daily visits to his ailing grandfather, Jason. He listens to Jason's tales about his life and experiences. Jason had known great men like Socrates, the philosopher and Alcibiades, the general but he confides to his grandson that his thoughts always returned...