Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 edition. Excerpt: ... THUCYDIDES BOOK I Thucydides, an Athenian, wrote the history of the war in which the Peloponnesians and the Athenians fought against one another. He began to write when they first took up arms, believing that it would be great and memorable above any previous war. For he argued that both states were then at the full _ ..., Greatness of the war. height of their military power, and he saw the rest of the Hellenes either siding or intending to side with one or other of them. No movement ever stirred Hellas more deeply than this; it was shared by many of the Barbarians, and might be said even to affect the world at large. The character of the events which preceded, whether immediately or in more remote antiquity, owing to the lapse of time cannot be made out with certainty. * But, judging from the evidence which I am able to trust after most careful enquirya, I should imagine that former ages were not great either in their wars or in anything else. The country which is now called Hellas was not 2 regularly settled bin ancient times11. The people were * Or, connecting Sir with /laKpiraror: 'But after carrying the enquiry to the furthest point at which any trustworthy evidence can be obtained.' k Or, taking ou ircUai closely together: 'until recent times.' VOL. I. B migratory, and readily left their homes whenever they were overpowered by numbers. There was no commerce, Weahuss of ancient and they could not safely hold interHellas: readiness of course with one another either by land the early tribes to _, . ., ... ., migrate: the richer or sea- The several tribes cultivated districts the more Mm- their own soil just enough to obtain settled; some of the a maintenance from it. But they had poorer, like Attica, in, .. r ..., ... reality...