Today's Passage
This passage comes from the trial of the Plataeans before Spartan judges in 427 BCE.
Crawley Translation (1910)
“Consider also that at present the Hellenes generally regard you as a pattern of worth and honour; and if you pass an unjust sentence upon us in this which is no obscure cause, but one in which you, the judges, are as illustrious as we, the prisoners, are blameless, take care that displeasure be not felt at an unworthy decision in the matter of honourable men made by men yet more honourable than they, and at the consecration in the national temples of spoils taken from the Plataeans, the benefactors of Hellas. Shocking indeed will it seem for Lacedaemonians to destroy Plataea, and for the city whose name your fathers inscribed upon the tripod at Delphi for its good service, to be by you blotted out from the map of Hellas, to please the Thebans. To such a depth of misfortune have we fallen that, while the Medes’ success had been our ruin, Thebans now supplant us in your once fond regards; and we have been subjected to two dangers, the greatest of any—that of dying of starvation then, if we had not surrendered our town, and now of being tried for our lives. So that we Plataeans, after exertions beyond our power in the cause of the Hellenes, are rejected by all, forsaken and unassisted; helped by none of our allies, and reduced to doubt the stability of our only hope, yourselves.
Modern Translation
Consider this as well: at present, all Greeks look to you as models of excellence and honor. If you render an unjust verdict against us in this case—which is far from insignificant, given that you judges are as renowned as we defendants are innocent—beware that people will be outraged by an unworthy decision concerning honorable men, made by men supposedly more honorable still. They will be appalled to see spoils taken from the Plataeans, benefactors of Greece, dedicated in national shrines. How shocking it will be for Spartans to annihilate Plataea—the city whose name your ancestors inscribed on the tripod at Delphi in recognition of its noble service—and to erase it from the Greek world merely to gratify the Thebans. We have sunk to such depths of misfortune that while Persian victory would have meant our destruction, the Thebans have now displaced us from your former affections. We have faced two supreme perils: first, the threat of starvation had we not surrendered our city, and now this trial for our very lives. Thus we Plataeans, having strained beyond our capacity in service to the Greeks, find ourselves abandoned by all—forsaken, without aid, unsupported by any ally, and left to question the reliability of our sole remaining hope: you yourselves.
Historical Context
This passage comes from the trial of the Plataeans before Spartan judges in 427 BCE. After a long siege by Peloponnesian forces, the surviving Plataeans had surrendered their city. The Thebans, longtime enemies of Plataea, demanded their execution. The Plataeans are making their defense, reminding the Spartans of Plataea's heroic role in the Persian Wars, particularly at the Battle of Plataea (479 BCE) where Greeks defeated the Persians on Plataean soil. They contrast their past service to Greece with their current abandonment, highlighting the irony that their former allies, the Athenians, could not save them, while their enemies, the Thebans, now influence Spartan policy. This speech exemplifies Thucydides' interest in the tension between justice and expediency in wartime decision-making.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Battle of Plataea (479 BCE)
The decisive land battle where Greek forces defeated the Persian army, fought on Plataean territory. This victory ended the Persian invasion and established Plataea's reputation as a benefactor of Greece. The Plataeans' reminder of this service forms the moral foundation of their appeal.
Learn more →Delphic Tripod
A monument dedicated at Delphi after the Persian Wars, inscribed with the names of Greek cities that fought against Persia. The Plataeans invoke this as material evidence of their recognized service to Greece, contrasting past honor with present disgrace.
Learn more →Theban-Plataean Conflict
Thebes and Plataea were traditional enemies in Boeotia. The war began with a Theban attack on Plataea in 431 BCE. The Thebans' influence over this Spartan tribunal represents the corruption of interstate justice by local feuds and wartime alliances.
Learn more →Spartan Hegemony
Sparta's leadership role among Greeks, especially in the Persian Wars, gave them moral authority. The Plataeans appeal to this reputation for justice and honor, warning that an unjust verdict would damage Sparta's standing among all Greeks.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Herodotus: Histories (Book 9.28-85)
Describes the Battle of Plataea where Plataeans fought alongside Spartans against Persians, establishing the historical basis for Plataea's claim to Spartan gratitude and protection.
Read passage →Isocrates: Plataicus (Sections 1-62)
A later rhetorical exercise presenting the Plataean case, expanding on similar themes of past service, present injustice, and the moral obligations created by historical alliances.
Read passage →Demosthenes: On the Crown (Section 96-99)
References Plataea's destruction as an example of Theban cruelty and injustice, showing how this event became a rhetorical touchstone in later Greek political discourse.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does the Plataean appeal illuminate the tension between moral obligations based on past actions and present political necessities?
- What does this passage suggest about the role of historical memory and monuments in Greek interstate relations?
- To what extent does Thucydides present the Plataeans' argument as genuinely persuasive versus tragically futile?
- How might this trial scene reflect broader patterns in how wartime alliances override traditional friendships and obligations?