Today's Passage
This passage occurs in 429 BCE, the third year of the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
The next summer the Peloponnesians and their allies, instead of invading Attica, marched against Plataea, under the command of Archidamus, son of Zeuxidamus, king of the Lacedaemonians. He had encamped his army and was about to lay waste the country, when the Plataeans hastened to send envoys to him, and spoke as follows: “Archidamus and Lacedaemonians, in invading the Plataean territory, you do what is wrong in itself, and worthy neither of yourselves nor of the fathers who begot you. Pausanias, son of Cleombrotus, your countryman, after freeing Hellas from the Medes with the help of those Hellenes who were willing to undertake the risk of the battle fought near our city, offered sacrifice to Zeus the Liberator in the marketplace of Plataea, and calling all the allies together restored to the Plataeans their city and territory, and declared it independent and inviolate against aggression or conquest. Should any such be attempted, the allies present were to help according to their power. Your fathers rewarded us thus for the courage and patriotism that we displayed at that perilous epoch; but you do just the contrary, coming with our bitterest enemies, the Thebans, to enslave us. We appeal, therefore, to the gods to whom the oaths were then made, to the gods of your ancestors, and lastly to those of our country, and call upon you to refrain from violating our territory or transgressing the oaths, and to let us live independent, as Pausanias decreed.”
Modern Translation
The following summer, the Peloponnesians and their allies chose not to invade Attica but instead marched on Plataea. Their commander was Archidamus, son of Zeuxidamus, the Spartan king. After setting up camp and preparing to devastate the countryside, he was met by Plataean ambassadors who hurried out to address him: 'Archidamus and men of Sparta, by invading Plataean land you commit an injustice unworthy of both yourselves and your ancestors. Remember how Pausanias, son of Cleombrotus—your own countryman—after liberating Greece from Persian rule alongside those Greeks brave enough to risk battle near our city, made sacrifices to Zeus the Liberator in Plataea's marketplace. There, assembling all the allies, he restored our city and territory to us, proclaiming our independence sacred and inviolable. He declared that any attempt at conquest would be met by allied resistance to the fullest extent of their capabilities. Your fathers honored our courage and loyalty during that critical moment with these guarantees. Yet now you do the opposite, arriving alongside the Thebans—our most bitter enemies—to subjugate us. We therefore invoke the gods who witnessed those oaths, the gods of your forefathers, and the deities of our homeland. We implore you: do not violate our territory, do not break your oaths, and allow us to maintain the independence that Pausanias himself ordained.'
Historical Context
This passage occurs in 429 BCE, the third year of the Peloponnesian War. Archidamus leads a Spartan-allied force against Plataea, Athens' oldest ally and the site of the famous Greek victory over Persia in 479 BCE. The Plataeans desperately invoke the memory of that battle and the subsequent oath sworn by Pausanias, the Spartan commander, guaranteeing Plataea's independence. This appeal represents a crucial moment where historical precedent and religious obligation clash with current political alliances. Sparta now allies with Thebes, Plataea's traditional enemy, against Athens. The Plataeans' speech exemplifies Greek diplomatic rhetoric, combining legal arguments, religious sanctions, and appeals to shared Hellenic identity to prevent an attack that would ultimately lead to one of the war's most notorious sieges.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
The decisive land battle that ended the Persian Wars, where Greek forces under Spartan leadership defeated the Persian army. The victory was commemorated with oaths protecting Plataea's independence, which the Plataeans now invoke against the Spartans themselves.
Learn more →Pausanias of Sparta
The Spartan regent and victor at Plataea who later fell from grace due to suspected Persian sympathies. His oath protecting Plataea created a religious and legal obligation that complicated Sparta's wartime strategy fifty years later.
Learn more →Greek Sacred Oaths
Oaths sworn before gods were considered inviolable in Greek culture. Breaking them invited divine punishment. The Plataeans invoke multiple deities to emphasize the religious gravity of Sparta's potential oath-breaking.
Learn more →Plataea's Strategic Importance
Located on the border between Attica and Boeotia, Plataea controlled key routes between Athens and Thebes. Its alliance with Athens since the 6th century BCE made it a perpetual target for Theban aggression and a flashpoint in Greek interstate relations.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Herodotus: Histories (Book 9.51-53)
Describes Pausanias's original oath after the Battle of Plataea, providing the historical foundation for the Plataean appeal. Shows how the oath was meant to protect Greek freedom.
Read passage →Plutarch: Life of Aristides (Chapter 21)
Offers additional details about the oath of Plataea and the establishment of Plataean independence, corroborating the religious and political significance of Pausanias's declaration.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (Book 11.29)
Provides another account of the post-battle settlement at Plataea, emphasizing the pan-Hellenic nature of the guarantees given to the city.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does the Plataean appeal demonstrate the tension between historical obligations and current political necessities? Can nations be bound by their ancestors' promises?
- What role does religious sanction play in Greek interstate relations? How effective are divine oaths in restraining state behavior during wartime?
- Compare the Plataean use of their Persian War service to modern nations invoking past alliances or shared struggles. What are the limits of such appeals?
- How does Thucydides present the conflict between justice (the oath) and power (Spartan military objectives)? Does he suggest which should prevail?