New History of the Peloponnesian War

This stimulating new study provides a narrative of the monumental conflict of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta, and examines the realities of the war and its effects on the average Athenian. * A penetrating new study of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta by an established scholar* Offers an original interpretation of how and why the war began* Weaves in the contemporary evidence of Aristophanes in order to give readers a new sense of how the war affected the individual* Discusses the practicalities and realities of the war* Examines the blossoming of culture and intellectual achievement in Athens despite the war* Challenges the approach of Thucydides in his account of the war