The greatest historian who ever lived. This was Macaulay's judgment on Thucydides (c. 460-400 BC) and his History of the Peloponnesian War, the significant conflict between Athens and Sparta as rival powers and political systems, which lasted from 431 to 404 BC, involved nearly the entire Greek world, and ended with the fall of Athens. Thucydides himself was a participant in the war; in his history, he brings an impressive intellect, brilliant narrative skill, and a profound analysis of the nature of power as it affects both states and individuals. Regarding his own work, Thucydides wrote: "I will be satisfied if [my history] is considered useful by those who want a clear understanding of what has happened – and, such is human nature, will happen again. It was written as a lasting legacy, not as a spectacle for a one-time hearing." Thus, it has proven itself.