Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped Ancient Greece

From an award-winning historian, the definitive history of classical Greece and the rivalry between its two greatest cities.

“Packed with intrigue and the politics of empire, revolution, and war, this accessible history of a tangled relationship between nations might strike some readers, the author warns, as ‘uncomfortably relevant.’” —New York Times

No period has more profoundly influenced the Western world than classical Greece, and at its center stood two cities: Athens and Sparta. Side by side, they beat the Persians, the only superpower of that age. Yet later, they spread conflict and destruction throughout the eastern Mediterranean, culminating in the horrors of the Peloponnesian War. 

Athens and Sparta tells the definitive history of the relationship between brutal, militaristic Sparta and brash, radically democratic Athens. Eminent historian Adrian Goldsworthy narrates their incredible rise to prominence and how they became allies, rivals, and enemies. Ultimately, Goldsworthy shows that Athens and Sparta were more than competitors vying for power. They were polar opposites in ideology and culture, both driven by the Greek longing to excel, who led radically different experiments in how to run a state. 

A remarkable account of ancient Greece at its height, this is the tale of the two cities that helped build it—before almost tearing it apart. 

Adrian Goldsworthy received his DPhil in ancient history from Oxford and has taught at Cardiff University, King’s College, and the University of Notre Dame in London. The author of numerous books, including Caesar; Augustus; Rome and Persia; Philip and Alexander; and Pax Romana, he lives in South Wales, UK.