Thucydides: The Peloponnesian War Book VII
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In Books 6 and 7 Thucydides' narrative is, as Plutarch puts it, 'at its most emotional, vivid, and varied' as he describes the Sicilian Expedition that ended so catastrophically for Athens (415-413 BCE). Book 7 opens with Athens seemingly on the point of victory, but the arrival of the Spartan commander Gylippus marks a change in fortunes and the Athenian commander Nicias is soon sending home a desperate plea for reinforcements. Three narrative masterpieces follow their arrival, first the eerie confusion of the night battle on the heights, then the naval clash in the Great Harbour, and finally the desperate attempt to escape and the slaughter at the river Assinarus. Following the sister commentary on Book 6, the Commentary offers students considerable help understanding the Greek while the Introduction discusses Thucydides' narrative skill and the part these books play in the architecture of the history.
Christopher Pelling
Christopher Pelling was Regius Professor of Greek at Oxford University from 2003 to 2015 and is now an Honorary Fellow of University College; he is also a Fellow of the British Academy and a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales. He has held visiting positions at Utah State University, Washington and Lee University, and the University of North Carolina. His numerous previous books include Literary Texts and the Greek Historian and Plutarch and History. Most recently, he coauthored Twelve Voices from Greece and Rome: Ancient Ideas for Modern Times and a commentary on Herodotus 6.
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