Today's Passage
This passage describes a major offensive against Acarnania in 429 BCE, during the second year of the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
The same summer, not long after this, the Ambraciots and Chaonians, being desirous of reducing the whole of Acarnania and detaching it from Athens, persuaded the Lacedaemonians to equip a fleet from their confederacy and send a thousand heavy infantry to Acarnania, representing that, if a combined movement were made by land and sea, the coast Acarnanians would be unable to march, and the conquest of Zacynthus and Cephallenia easily following on the possession of Acarnania, the cruise round Peloponnese would be no longer so convenient for the Athenians. Besides which there was a hope of taking Naupactus. The Lacedaemonians accordingly at once sent off a few vessels with Cnemus, who was still high admiral, and the heavy infantry on board; and sent round orders for the fleet to equip as quickly as possible and sail to Leucas. The Corinthians were the most forward in the business; the Ambraciots being a colony of theirs. While the ships from Corinth, Sicyon, and the neighbourhood were getting ready, and those from Leucas, Anactorium, and Ambracia, which had arrived before, were waiting for them at Leucas, Cnemus and his thousand heavy infantry had run into the gulf, giving the slip to Phormio, the commander of the Athenian squadron stationed off Naupactus, and began at once to prepare for the land expedition. The Hellenic troops with him consisted of the Ambraciots, Leucadians, and Anactorians, and the thousand Peloponnesians with whom he came; the barbarian of a thousand Chaonians, who, belonging to a nation that has no king, were led by Photys and Nicanor, the two members of the royal family to whom the chieftainship for that year had been confided. With the Chaonians came also some Thesprotians, like them without a king, some Molossians and Atintanians led by Sabylinthus, the guardian of King Tharyps who was still a minor, and some Paravaeans, under their king Oroedus, accompanied by a thousand Orestians, subjects of King Antichus and placed by him under the command of Oroedus. There were also a thousand Macedonians sent by Perdiccas without the knowledge of the Athenians, but they arrived too late. With this force Cnemus set out, without waiting for the fleet from Corinth. Passing through the territory of Amphilochian Argos, and sacking the open village of Limnaea, they advanced to Stratus the Acarnanian capital; this once taken, the rest of the country, they felt convinced, would speedily follow.
Modern Translation
That same summer, shortly after these events, the Ambraciots and Chaonians, eager to conquer all of Acarnania and separate it from Athenian control, convinced the Spartans to outfit a fleet from their alliance and dispatch a thousand heavy infantry to Acarnania. They argued that if they coordinated attacks by land and sea, the coastal Acarnanians would be unable to mobilize their forces, and that once Acarnania fell, Zacynthus and Cephallenia would easily follow. This would make it much harder for the Athenians to sail around the Peloponnese. They also hoped to capture Naupactus. The Spartans immediately sent a small squadron under Cnemus, who remained as admiral, carrying the heavy infantry aboard. They also ordered their allied fleet to prepare quickly and sail to Leucas. The Corinthians showed the most enthusiasm for this operation, since Ambracia was their colony. While ships from Corinth, Sicyon, and nearby cities were preparing, and those from Leucas, Anactorium, and Ambracia (which had already arrived) waited at Leucas, Cnemus and his thousand heavy infantry slipped past Phormio, the Athenian commander stationed at Naupactus, entered the gulf, and immediately began preparing for the land campaign. His Greek forces included Ambraciots, Leucadians, Anactorians, and the thousand Peloponnesians he brought with him. The non-Greek forces consisted of a thousand Chaonians—a people without kings, led by Photys and Nicanor, two members of the royal family who held the rotating annual leadership. Alongside the Chaonians came Thesprotians (also without a king), some Molossians and Atintanians led by Sabylinthus (guardian of the young King Tharyps), and some Paravaeans under King Oroedus, accompanied by a thousand Orestians, subjects of King Antichus who had placed them under Oroedus's command. Perdiccas also sent a thousand Macedonians without informing the Athenians, but they arrived too late. Cnemus advanced with this force without waiting for the Corinthian fleet. Marching through Amphilochian Argos and plundering the unfortified village of Limnaea, they pressed on toward Stratus, Acarnania's capital, convinced that once they captured it, the rest of the region would quickly surrender.
Historical Context
This passage describes a major offensive against Acarnania in 429 BCE, during the second year of the Peloponnesian War. The Ambraciots and their barbarian allies convinced Sparta to launch a combined land and sea operation to detach this strategically important region from Athenian control. Acarnania's location on Greece's western coast made it crucial for controlling sea routes around the Peloponnese. The expedition brought together an unusual coalition of Greek city-states and non-Greek tribes from Epirus and Macedonia. Cnemus, the Spartan commander, led this diverse force in what would become one of the war's early tests of Sparta's ability to coordinate complex operations far from home. The campaign's ultimate failure would demonstrate both Athenian naval superiority and the effectiveness of Acarnanian resistance.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Acarnania Strategic Importance
Acarnania controlled vital sea routes along Greece's western coast. Its alliance with Athens gave the Athenian fleet safe harbors and bases for operations in the Corinthian Gulf and around the Peloponnese, making it a prime target for Spartan strategy.
Learn more →Greek vs. Barbarian Forces
Thucydides carefully distinguishes between Hellenic (Greek) and barbarian (non-Greek) forces. The northern tribes like the Chaonians and Molossians, though speaking Greek dialects, were considered semi-barbarous due to their different political systems and customs.
Learn more →Phormio's Naval Command
Phormio was Athens' most brilliant naval commander, stationed at Naupactus with a small squadron. His presence forced Cnemus to slip past rather than challenge him directly, foreshadowing the naval battles that would follow this campaign.
Learn more →Kingless Tribes
Several Epirote tribes mentioned (Chaonians, Thesprotians) had replaced monarchy with annual magistracies from royal families. This political evolution interested Thucydides as it paralleled earlier Greek constitutional development.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (12.47-48)
Diodorus provides a condensed account of the same campaign, though with less detail about the tribal allies and focusing more on the ultimate Athenian victory.
Read passage →Xenophon: Hellenica (1.1.1-10)
While describing later events, Xenophon mentions how control of western Greek waters remained strategically vital throughout the war, validating the importance of this Acarnanian campaign.
Read passage →Strabo: Geography (10.2.1-25)
Strabo describes Acarnania's geography and peoples, providing context for understanding why the region was difficult to conquer and strategically important for naval operations.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Thucydides' distinction between 'Hellenic' and 'barbarian' forces reflect Greek attitudes toward cultural identity? What modern parallels might we draw?
- Why might the Spartans have agreed to this complex operation so far from their home territory? What does this suggest about their strategic thinking early in the war?
- The expedition includes both traditional monarchies and tribes with rotating leadership. What might this political diversity tell us about state development in ancient Greece?
- How does the failure to coordinate naval and land forces (with Cnemus proceeding without the fleet) illustrate challenges in ancient military operations?