The Peloponnesian War, fought between the Peloponnesian League (headed
by Sparta) and the Delian League (431-404 BC), is chronicled in The
History of the Peloponnesian War (led by Athens). It was written by the
Athens-born historian Thucydides, who served as a general in the battle
for his nation. One of the first academic histories, and largely
regarded as a classic, is his account of the battle. Eight books make up
the history discipline. History analysis typically falls into one of two
categories. On the one hand, the work is viewed as impartial and
scientific by some academics, including J. B. Bury. Bury's assessment of
history is consistent with the conventional idea that it should be
"severe in its detachment, written from a strictly intellectual point of
view, unfettered with cliches and moral judgments, frigid and critical."
On the other hand, History can be understood as a work of literature
rather than an impartial account of historical events, in line with more
modern readings that are related to reader-response criticism. W. R.
Connor's description of Thucydides as "an artist who responds to,
selects and expertly arranges his material, and develops its symbolic
and emotional potential" embodies this point of view.
