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.