This is a historical account of the Peloponnesian war, which was fought between Sparta and Athens in Ancient Greece (431 - 404 BC). The war ended with Sparta being established as the leading power of Greece. It also brought about the devastation of Athens, as well as widespread poverty. Thucydides was an Athenian historian who was also a general during the war. This book is regarded as one of the earliest scholarly works of history, and in contrast to Herodotus, Thucydides uses a strict standard of chronology. He also differs from Herodotus in that he doesn't mention the role of the gods.