The German archaeologist Ernst Curtius (1814-1896) published this seminal work in three volumes between 1857 and 1867. It quickly became a bestseller and was republished in numerous German editions. The work was translated into English by the eminent British historian Adolphus William Ward (1837-1924) who divided it into five volumes, published between 1868 and 1873. Volume 3 covers the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE), focussing on the role of key figures such as Pericles; Athens' Sicilian expedition and the Peace of Nicias; Greek colonisation; and the Decelean war. Curtius' History was a pioneering work of nineteenth-century classical scholarship. For many generations it provided an indispensable guide through the complex history of the ancient Greek world, and it continues to inspire researchers today.
