Today's Passage
This passage describes the dramatic conclusion of the Mytilenean Debate in 427 BCE.
Crawley Translation (1910)
Such were the words of Diodotus. The two opinions thus expressed were the ones that most directly contradicted each other; and the Athenians, notwithstanding their change of feeling, now proceeded to a division, in which the show of hands was almost equal, although the motion of Diodotus carried the day. Another galley was at once sent off in haste, for fear that the first might reach Lesbos in the interval, and the city be found destroyed; the first ship having about a day and a night’s start. Wine and barley-cakes were provided for the vessel by the Mitylenian ambassadors, and great promises made if they arrived in time; which caused the men to use such diligence upon the voyage that they took their meals of barley-cakes kneaded with oil and wine as they rowed, and only slept by turns while the others were at the oar. Luckily they met with no contrary wind, and the first ship making no haste upon so horrid an errand, while the second pressed on in the manner described, the first arrived so little before them, that Paches had only just had time to read the decree, and to prepare to execute the sentence, when the second put into port and prevented the massacre. The danger of Mitylene had indeed been great.
The other party whom Paches had sent off as the prime movers in the rebellion, were upon Cleon’s motion put to death by the Athenians, the number being rather more than a thousand. The Athenians also demolished the walls of the Mitylenians, and took possession of their ships. Afterwards tribute was not imposed upon the Lesbians; but all their land, except that of the Methymnians, was divided into three thousand allotments, three hundred of which were reserved as sacred for the gods, and the rest assigned by lot to Athenian shareholders, who were sent out to the island. With these the Lesbians agreed to pay a rent of two minae a year for each allotment, and cultivated the land themselves. The Athenians also took possession of the towns on the continent belonging to the Mitylenians, which thus became for the future subject to Athens. Such were the events that took place at Lesbos.
Modern Translation
These were the arguments presented by Diodotus. The two speeches represented the most sharply opposing viewpoints in the debate. Despite their recent change of heart, the Athenians now called for a vote. The show of hands was nearly equal, but Diodotus's proposal narrowly prevailed. Immediately, they dispatched another trireme in urgent haste, fearing that the first ship might reach Lesbos before they could intervene and find the city already destroyed—the original vessel had approximately a day and night's head start. The Mytilenean envoys supplied the crew with wine and barley-cakes and promised substantial rewards if they arrived in time. This motivated the rowers to extraordinary efforts: they ate their meals of barley-cakes mixed with oil and wine while still rowing, and slept in shifts while others maintained the pace at the oars. Fortunately, they encountered no opposing winds. Since the first ship proceeded without urgency on its grim mission while the second raced forward as described, the first vessel arrived only moments before the second. Paches had barely finished reading the decree and was just preparing to carry out the executions when the second ship entered the harbor and prevented the slaughter. Mytilene had come perilously close to destruction.
Those individuals whom Paches had identified as the principal instigators of the revolt were executed by the Athenians on Cleon's proposal—more than a thousand men in total. The Athenians also razed Mytilene's fortifications and confiscated their fleet. Rather than imposing regular tribute on the Lesbians thereafter, they divided all the island's territory, except for Methymna's lands, into three thousand plots. Three hundred of these were consecrated to the gods, while the remainder were distributed by lot to Athenian citizen-shareholders who were sent to occupy the island. The Lesbians negotiated to pay these Athenian landlords an annual rent of two minae per plot while continuing to work the land themselves. The Athenians also seized the mainland territories that had belonged to Mytilene, which henceforth became Athenian subjects. These were the consequences that befell Lesbos.
Historical Context
This passage describes the dramatic conclusion of the Mytilenean Debate in 427 BCE. After Mytilene's failed revolt against Athens, the Assembly initially voted for harsh collective punishment—executing all adult males and enslaving women and children. The next day, many Athenians regretted this decision, leading to a second debate between Cleon (advocating severity) and Diodotus (counseling moderation). Diodotus narrowly won, and Athens dispatched a second ship to countermand the original execution order. The passage highlights both the volatile nature of Athenian democracy and the brutal realities of imperial control. While the mass execution was prevented, Athens still executed over 1,000 leaders, dismantled Mytilene's defenses, and imposed a form of colonial occupation through the cleruch system.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Athenian Democracy
The near-equal vote demonstrates the deeply divided nature of Athenian democratic decision-making. The ability to reconsider and reverse decisions, even on matters of life and death, shows both the flexibility and instability of direct democracy in classical Athens.
Learn more →Ancient Naval Speed
The dramatic race between the two triremes illustrates ancient naval capabilities. A trireme could sustain about 7-8 knots under normal conditions, but the second ship's extraordinary efforts—continuous rowing without normal breaks—demonstrates the maximum potential of these vessels under extreme motivation.
Learn more →Cleruchy System
The distribution of land to Athenian 'shareholders' (cleruchs) was a key tool of imperial control. These citizen-colonists retained Athenian citizenship while occupying foreign territory, creating a permanent Athenian presence and extracting wealth from subject states without formal annexation.
Learn more →Minae Currency
The rent of two minae per plot was substantial—a mina equaled 100 drachmas, and a skilled worker earned about one drachma daily. This arrangement effectively transformed Lesbos into a source of regular income for 2,700 Athenian citizens.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Aristotle: Constitution of Athens (Chapter 24)
Aristotle discusses how Athens used cleruchies and imperial revenues to provide economic benefits to its citizens, connecting to the land distribution system imposed on Lesbos.
Read passage →Plutarch: Life of Pericles (Chapter 11)
Describes earlier Athenian cleruchies and the economic motivations behind Athens' imperial policies, providing context for the treatment of Mytilene.
Read passage →Xenophon: Hellenica (Book 2.2.3)
Describes Athens' own fate in 404 BCE when Sparta considered similar collective punishment, showing how Athens later faced the same dire situation it nearly imposed on Mytilene.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- What does the narrow margin of victory for Diodotus suggest about Athenian attitudes toward empire and justice during wartime?
- How does the dramatic race between the two ships function as both historical narrative and literary device in Thucydides' account?
- Was the final settlement (executing 1,000+ leaders and imposing cleruchies) actually 'moderate' compared to the original decree? What does this reveal about the spectrum of ancient warfare?
- How might the Mytilenean farmers have experienced the new arrangement of paying rent to Athenian landlords on their ancestral lands?