Naturally, this internal compositio

Naturally, this internal composition is all the more readily and powerfully marked as the role of analysis becomes greater, and that of the narrative proper is reduced. Thus the description of the preparations for winter following the episode of Gylippus offers an example of a particularly developed composition. Specifically, this includes the offensive and defensive projects of the Athenians first, and then of the Peloponnesians; and even the terminology underlines the parallel construction. Yet this group of projects is followed by a discussion of the measures effectively taken, by the Peloponnesians first, then by the Athenians. The chiasmus completes the parallelism; and a particularly formal order thereby presides over the entire exposition.