description Donald Kagan Overview
Donald Kagan (1932-2021) was an American historian and classicist who specialized in ancient Greece and the history of the Peloponnesian War. His four-volume History of the Peloponnesian War was published between 1969 and 1987 and reconstructs the conflict through political, military, and strategic analysis of the surviving ancient evidence. Kagan taught at Yale University and also wrote on classical political thought and the relationship between history and public life.
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Who was Donald Kagan?
Donald Kagan was an American historian and classicist who specialized in ancient Greece and the Peloponnesian War. He taught at Yale University and wrote both academic history and broader works on classical political thought.
How many volumes are in Donald Kagan's History of the Peloponnesian War?
Kagan's History of the Peloponnesian War is a four-volume study published between 1969 and 1987. It traces the conflict between Athens and Sparta from its origins through Athens's defeat in 404 BCE.
How does Kagan use Thucydides?
Thucydides is a central ancient source, but Kagan tests his account against other evidence and develops his own interpretation of strategy and causation. The result is a modern analysis of the war rather than a simple retelling of Thucydides.
What subjects does Kagan emphasize in the Peloponnesian War?
He examines diplomacy, naval power, domestic politics, military decisions, and the strategic choices of Athens and Sparta. The four-volume structure gives particular attention to how short-term decisions changed the course of the war.
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