The Peloponnesian War: Athens and Sparta in Savage Conflict, 431–404 BC

Donald Kagan reconstructs the Peloponnesian War, the twenty-seven-year conflict that drew Athens, Sparta and their allies into fighting across the Greek world. From the first campaigns in 431 BCE, the war became entangled with revolt, plague, shifting alliances and rival claims to leadership.

His account brings Thucydides into conversation with the wider ancient evidence, looking closely at choices made by commanders and statesmen on both sides. The destruction of Athens’ Sicilian expedition changed the balance of power, but the struggle continued for years before Sparta’s final victory in 404 BCE.