Today's Passage
This passage marks a critical turning point in the fifth year of the Peloponnesian War (427 BCE).
Crawley Translation (1910)
Fifth Year of the War—Trial and Execution of the Plataeans— Corcyraean Revolution
During the same summer, after the reduction of Lesbos, the Athenians under Nicias, son of Niceratus, made an expedition against the island of Minoa, which lies off Megara and was used as a fortified post by the Megarians, who had built a tower upon it. Nicias wished to enable the Athenians to maintain their blockade from this nearer station instead of from Budorum and Salamis; to stop the Peloponnesian galleys and privateers sailing out unobserved from the island, as they had been in the habit of doing; and at the same time prevent anything from coming into Megara. Accordingly, after taking two towers projecting on the side of Nisaea, by engines from the sea, and clearing the entrance into the channel between the island and the shore, he next proceeded to cut off all communication by building a wall on the mainland at the point where a bridge across a morass enabled succours to be thrown into the island, which was not far off from the continent. A few days sufficing to accomplish this, he afterwards raised some works in the island also, and leaving a garrison there, departed with his forces.
About the same time in this summer, the Plataeans, being now without provisions and unable to support the siege, surrendered to the Peloponnesians in the following manner. An assault had been made upon the wall, which the Plataeans were unable to repel. The Lacedaemonian commander, perceiving their weakness, wished to avoid taking the place by storm; his instructions from Lacedaemon having been so conceived, in order that if at any future time peace should be made with Athens, and they should agree each to restore the places that they had taken in the war, Plataea might be held to have come over voluntarily, and not be included in the list. He accordingly sent a herald to them to ask if they were willing voluntarily to surrender the town to the Lacedaemonians, and accept them as their judges, upon the understanding that the guilty should be punished, but no one without form of law. The Plataeans were now in the last state of weakness, and the herald had no sooner delivered his message than they surrendered the town. The Peloponnesians fed them for some days until the judges from Lacedaemon, who were five in number, arrived. Upon their arrival no charge was preferred; they simply called up the Plataeans, and asked them whether they had done the Lacedaemonians and allies any service in the war then raging. The Plataeans asked leave to speak at greater length, and deputed two of their number to represent them: Astymachus, son of Asopolaus, and Lacon, son of Aeimnestus, proxenus of the Lacedaemonians, who came forward and spoke as follows:
Modern Translation
During the same summer, following the subjugation of Lesbos, the Athenians launched an expedition under Nicias, son of Niceratus, against the island of Minoa. This island lay just off Megara and served as a fortified outpost for the Megarians, who had constructed a defensive tower there. Nicias aimed to establish a closer base for the Athenian blockade, replacing the more distant stations at Budorum and Salamis. His objectives were to prevent Peloponnesian warships and privateers from slipping out undetected from the island—a practice they had regularly employed—and simultaneously to cut off all supplies reaching Megara. He began by deploying siege engines from ships to capture two towers that jutted out on the Nisaea side, thereby securing control of the channel entrance between the island and the mainland. Next, he severed all communication routes by constructing a wall on the mainland at the point where a bridge spanning a marsh had previously allowed reinforcements to reach the island, which lay close to the shore. This operation required only a few days to complete. Nicias then erected fortifications on the island itself before withdrawing with his forces, leaving behind a garrison.
Around this same period in the summer, the Plataeans, having exhausted their provisions and unable to withstand the siege any longer, surrendered to the Peloponnesians under the following circumstances. The Peloponnesians had launched an assault on the walls, which the weakened Plataeans could not repel. However, the Spartan commander, recognizing their desperate condition, chose not to take the city by force. He had received specific instructions from Sparta designed to ensure that if peace were ever negotiated with Athens—with terms requiring each side to return captured territories—Plataea could be claimed as having surrendered voluntarily and thus excluded from restitution. He therefore dispatched a herald to inquire whether they would willingly surrender their city to the Spartans and submit to their judgment, with the understanding that the guilty would face punishment, but only through proper legal proceedings. The Plataeans, reduced to utter helplessness, surrendered immediately upon receiving this message. The Peloponnesians provided them with food for several days while awaiting the arrival of five judges from Sparta. When these judges arrived, they brought no formal charges. Instead, they simply summoned the Plataeans and posed a single question: whether they had rendered any service to the Spartans and their allies during the current war. The Plataeans requested permission to speak at length in their defense and selected two representatives: Astymachus, son of Asopolaus, and Lacon, son of Aeimnestus, who served as proxenos of the Spartans. These men stepped forward and delivered the following speech:
Historical Context
This passage marks a critical turning point in the fifth year of the Peloponnesian War (427 BCE). Athens, fresh from crushing the revolt on Lesbos, seeks to tighten its stranglehold on Megara through the capture of Minoa. Meanwhile, the siege of Plataea reaches its tragic conclusion. The small city, Athens' oldest ally and site of the famous battle against Persia in 479 BCE, faces starvation after a two-year siege. The Spartans' legalistic approach to the surrender—ensuring it appears voluntary to avoid future treaty obligations—reveals the cold calculation underlying their actions. The passage sets up the famous Plataean debate, where the defendants will plead for their lives before Spartan judges in what amounts to a show trial, highlighting themes of justice versus expediency that permeate Thucydides' work.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Siege Warfare
The capture of Minoa demonstrates sophisticated Greek siege tactics, including the use of ship-mounted siege engines and strategic fortification. The blockade of Megara shows how Athens used its naval superiority to strangle enemy cities economically, a key element of Periclean strategy.
Learn more →Proxenos System
Lacon's role as proxenos (official host/representative) of Sparta while being a Plataean citizen illustrates the complex diplomatic networks of ancient Greece. This position, similar to a modern consul, created divided loyalties that complicated interstate relations.
Learn more →Plataea's Historical Significance
Plataea held unique symbolic importance as the site of the final Greek victory over Persia in 479 BCE. The Plataeans' special relationship with Athens dated from this battle, making their destruction particularly poignant and politically charged.
Learn more →Legal Formalism in Warfare
The Spartans' insistence on voluntary surrender reflects Greek concerns with legal precedent and future treaty negotiations. This legalistic approach to warfare shows how even brutal conflicts operated within established diplomatic frameworks.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Herodotus: Histories (Book 9.25-85)
Describes the Battle of Plataea (479 BCE) where Plataeans fought alongside Athenians against Persia, establishing the alliance that led to their destruction in this passage.
Read passage →Xenophon: Hellenica (Book 2.2.3)
Describes Athens' surrender to Sparta in 404 BCE with similar legalistic negotiations about terms, showing how such diplomatic formalities persisted throughout the war.
Read passage →Plutarch: Life of Nicias (Chapters 3-6)
Provides additional detail about Nicias' character and military leadership, contextualizing his methodical approach to the Minoa operation described here.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does the Spartan commander's insistence on 'voluntary' surrender reflect the relationship between power and legality in international relations?
- What does Nicias' methodical capture of Minoa reveal about Athenian strategic thinking and the importance of naval supremacy?
- Why might Thucydides emphasize the legal formalities surrounding Plataea's surrender when the outcome seems predetermined?
- How does the selection of Lacon, a proxenos of Sparta, to defend Plataea illustrate the complex loyalties in Greek interstate relations?