History of the Peloponnesian War

And it may well be that the absence of the fabulous from my narrative will seem less pleasing to the ear; but whoever shall wish to have a clear view both of the events which have happened and of those which will some day, in all human probability, happen again in the same or a similar way—for these to adjudge my history profitable will be enough for me. And, indeed, it has been composed, not as a prize-essay to be heard for the moment, but as a possession for all time.

The greatest achievement of former times was the Persian war, and yet this was quickly decided in two sea-fights[*](Artemisium and Salamis.) and two land-battles.[*](Thermopylae and Plataea.) But the Peloponnesian war was protracted to a great length, and in the course of it disasters befell Hellas the like of which had never occurred in any equal space of time.

Never had so many cities been taken and left desolate, some by the Barbarians,[*](As Colophon (3.34), Mycalessus (7.29.) and others by Hellenes[*](e.g. Plataea (68.3, Thyrea (4.57.) themselves warring against one another; while several, after their capture, underwent a change of inhabitants.[*](2.30, Potidea (2.70, Anactorium (4.49, Scione (5.32, Melos (5.116.) Never had so many human beings been exiled, or so much human blood been shed, whether in the course of the war itself or as the result of civil dissensions.