Today's Passage
This passage is from Pericles' final speech to the Athenians in 430 BCE, during the second year of the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
“If you shrink before the exertions which the war makes necessary, and fear that after all they may not have a happy result, you know the reasons by which I have often demonstrated to you the groundlessness of your apprehensions. If those are not enough, I will now reveal an advantage arising from the greatness of your dominion, which I think has never yet suggested itself to you, which I never mentioned in my previous speeches, and which has so bold a sound that I should scarce adventure it now, were it not for the unnatural depression which I see around me. You perhaps think that your empire extends only over your allies; I will declare to you the truth. The visible field of action has two parts, land and sea. In the whole of one of these you are completely supreme, not merely as far as you use it at present, but also to what further extent you may think fit: in fine, your naval resources are such that your vessels may go where they please, without the King or any other nation on earth being able to stop them. So that although you may think it a great privation to lose the use of your land and houses, still you must see that this power is something widely different; and instead of fretting on their account, you should really regard them in the light of the gardens and other accessories that embellish a great fortune, and as, in comparison, of little moment. You should know too that liberty preserved by your efforts will easily recover for us what we have lost, while, the knee once bowed, even what you have will pass from you. Your fathers receiving these possessions not from others, but from themselves, did not let slip what their labour had acquired, but delivered them safe to you; and in this respect at least you must prove yourselves their equals, remembering that to lose what one has got is more disgraceful than to be balked in getting, and you must confront your enemies not merely with spirit but with disdain. Confidence indeed a blissful ignorance can impart, ay, even to a coward’s breast, but disdain is the privilege of those who, like us, have been assured by reflection of their superiority to their adversary. And where the chances are the same, knowledge fortifies courage by the contempt which is its consequence, its trust being placed, not in hope, which is the prop of the desperate, but in a judgment grounded upon existing resources, whose anticipations are more to be depended upon.
Modern Translation
If you recoil from the hardships that war demands, fearing that despite all your efforts the outcome may still prove unfortunate, you are well aware of the arguments I have repeatedly used to demonstrate that your fears are baseless. But if those arguments are insufficient, I will now reveal to you an advantage that stems from the sheer magnitude of your empire—one that I believe has never occurred to you before, which I have not mentioned in my earlier speeches, and which sounds so audacious that I would hardly dare voice it now, were it not for the unnatural despondency I observe among you. You may believe that your empire encompasses only your allied states; but I will tell you the truth. The entire sphere of human action consists of two domains: land and sea. Over one of these—the sea—you exercise complete supremacy, not just to the extent you currently utilize it, but to whatever further limits you might choose. Indeed, your naval power is such that your fleets can sail wherever they wish, and neither the Persian King nor any other nation on earth can prevent them. Therefore, although you may consider it a terrible loss to abandon your lands and homes, you must recognize that this maritime power is something of an entirely different order. Rather than lamenting over property, you should view these possessions as mere ornamental gardens and luxuries that decorate a great estate—trivial by comparison. You must also understand that the freedom you preserve through your own efforts will readily restore what you have lost, whereas once you submit, even your current possessions will slip away. Your fathers did not inherit these territories from others but won them through their own efforts, and they did not allow what they had earned through toil to be lost, instead passing it intact to you. In this regard at least, you must show yourselves their equals, bearing in mind that losing what one possesses is more shameful than failing to acquire it in the first place. You must face your enemies not merely with courage but with contempt. Certainly, even ignorant bliss can give confidence—even to a coward—but contempt is the prerogative only of those who, like ourselves, have through careful consideration confirmed their superiority over their opponents. And when circumstances are equal, knowledge strengthens courage through the disdain it produces, placing trust not in hope—the crutch of the desperate—but in rational calculation based on existing capabilities, whose predictions prove more reliable.
Historical Context
This passage is from Pericles' final speech to the Athenians in 430 BCE, during the second year of the Peloponnesian War. The Spartans have invaded Attica, forcing the rural population to evacuate to Athens, while plague ravages the overcrowded city. Public morale has plummeted, and some Athenians are questioning Pericles' strategy of avoiding land battles while relying on naval supremacy. Pericles, still the dominant political figure despite growing opposition, delivers this speech to restore confidence. He articulates for the first time the full implications of Athenian thalassocracy (naval empire), arguing that Athens' control of the sea represents a form of power so absolute that temporary losses on land are insignificant. This speech represents both the high-water mark of Athenian imperial confidence and a tragic irony, as Pericles himself would die of plague shortly afterward.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Athenian Naval Empire
Athens' thalassocracy (sea power) was built on its fleet of approximately 300 triremes and control of the Delian League. This naval dominance allowed Athens to project power throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, control trade routes, and maintain its empire through a combination of military force and economic leverage.
Learn more →The Persian King
The reference to 'the King' means the Persian Emperor, at this time Artaxerxes I. Despite Persia's vast resources, Athens had demonstrated naval superiority over Persia since the Battle of Salamis (480 BCE). This comparison emphasizes Athens' achievement in surpassing even the greatest land empire in naval power.
Learn more →Periclean Strategy
Pericles' strategy involved avoiding land battles with superior Spartan forces while using Athens' navy to raid the Peloponnese and maintain the empire. This required abandoning the Attic countryside to Spartan devastation, a psychologically difficult sacrifice that Pericles addresses in this speech by minimizing the importance of land compared to sea power.
Learn more →Ancient Greek Concept of Disdain
The Greek term 'kataphronesis' (contempt/disdain) represents a complex philosophical concept. For Pericles, it's not mere arrogance but a rational confidence based on careful analysis of power relationships. This intellectual approach to courage contrasts with unreflective bravery and reflects the rationalist values of Periclean Athens.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Pericles (33.5-6)
Plutarch describes the same period when Athenians grew angry with Pericles for the strategy of abandoning their lands. He notes how Pericles offered his own estates to the city if Archidamus spared them, showing his commitment to the naval strategy.
Read passage →Aristotle: Constitution of Athens (27.1)
Aristotle discusses how Athens' naval power transformed its democracy, as the common people who rowed the ships gained political influence. This provides context for understanding why Pericles could appeal to popular sovereignty through naval supremacy.
Read passage →Pseudo-Xenophon: Constitution of the Athenians (2.1-8)
This contemporary text analyzes Athens' naval empire from a critical perspective, explaining how sea power allowed Athens to control allies and accumulate wealth while being relatively invulnerable to land-based retaliation.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Pericles' argument about the relative unimportance of land versus sea power reflect specifically Athenian values and circumstances? Would this argument work for any other ancient state?
- What are the potential dangers in Pericles' extremely confident rhetoric about Athenian invincibility at sea? How might this speech appear in hindsight after Athens' eventual defeat?
- How does Pericles distinguish between confidence based on 'blissful ignorance' and the 'disdain' he advocates? What role does rational calculation play in his conception of courage?
- Is Pericles' dismissal of homes and lands as mere 'gardens and accessories' a realistic psychological strategy, or does it reveal a disconnection from ordinary Athenians' concerns?