Greek and Roman History (320-0-1)

Topic

Thucydides The Peloponnesin War

Instructors

Robert W Wallace
847/491-8042
Kresge Hall 4367
Office Hours: by appointment (rwallace@northwestern.edu)

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-430: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM

Overview of class

Thucydides' account of the war between Athens and Sparta is widely considered one of the world's greatest histories, and a foundational text for Political Science. In addition, current work has progressively exposed the writer Thucydides as highly charged and a remarkable literary artist. Thucydides' literary brilliance, including his drive to tell a great story, has contributed to an increasing unease about his historical judgments and even his representations of fact. What factors shaped Thucydides' account? And how far can we reconstruct a history of this war independent of his testimony? Weekly two-page papers. No midterm or final exam.

Class Materials (Required)

The Landmark Thucydides, edited by Robert B. Strassler ISBN: 978-0684827905

Class Attributes

Historical Studies Distro Area