Today's Passage
This passage describes the brutal conclusion of the Siege of Plataea (429-427 BCE), a pivotal early event in the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
Such were the words of the Thebans. The Lacedaemonian judges decided that the question whether they had received any service from the Plataeans in the war, was a fair one for them to put; as they had always invited them to be neutral, agreeably to the original covenant of Pausanias after the defeat of the Mede, and had again definitely offered them the same conditions before the blockade. This offer having been refused, they were now, they conceived, by the loyalty of their intention released from their covenant; and having, as they considered, suffered evil at the hands of the Plataeans, they brought them in again one by one and asked each of them the same question, that is to say, whether they had done the Lacedaemonians and allies any service in the war; and upon their saying that they had not, took them out and slew them, all without exception. The number of Plataeans thus massacred was not less than two hundred, with twenty-five Athenians who had shared in the siege. The women were taken as slaves. The city the Thebans gave for about a year to some political emigrants from Megara and to the surviving Plataeans of their own party to inhabit, and afterwards razed it to the ground from the very foundations, and built on to the precinct of Hera an inn two hundred feet square, with rooms all round above and below, making use for this purpose of the roofs and doors of the Plataeans: of the rest of the materials in the wall, the brass and the iron, they made couches which they dedicated to Hera, for whom they also built a stone chapel of a hundred feet square. The land they confiscated and let out on a ten years’ lease to Theban occupiers. The adverse attitude of the Lacedaemonians in the whole Plataean affair was mainly adopted to please the Thebans, who were thought to be useful in the war at that moment raging. Such was the end of Plataea, in the ninety-third year after she became the ally of Athens.
Meanwhile, the forty ships of the Peloponnesians that had gone to the relief of the Lesbians, and which we left flying across the open sea, pursued by the Athenians, were caught in a storm off Crete, and scattering from thence made their way to Peloponnese, where they found at Cyllene thirteen Leucadian and Ambraciot galleys, with Brasidas, son of Tellis, lately arrived as counsellor to Alcidas; the Lacedaemonians, upon the failure of the Lesbian expedition, having resolved to strengthen their fleet and sail to Corcyra, where a revolution had broken out, so as to arrive there before the twelve Athenian ships at Naupactus could be reinforced from Athens. Brasidas and Alcidas began to prepare accordingly.
Modern Translation
This was the Theban speech. The Spartan judges determined that their question—whether they had received any benefit from the Plataeans during the war—was legitimate to ask. They reasoned that they had consistently invited the Plataeans to remain neutral, in accordance with Pausanias's original treaty after the Persian defeat, and had explicitly renewed this offer before the siege began. Since the Plataeans had rejected these terms, the Spartans believed they were now released from any treaty obligations due to their good-faith efforts. Moreover, they felt they had suffered harm at Plataean hands. So they brought in the Plataeans individually and posed the same question to each: had they provided any service to the Spartans and their allies during the war? When each answered no, they led them out and executed them without exception. At least two hundred Plataeans were killed in this massacre, along with twenty-five Athenians who had participated in the defense. The women were enslaved. The Thebans allowed some Megarian political exiles and the few surviving pro-Theban Plataeans to occupy the city for approximately a year, then demolished it completely to its foundations. Using the materials, they constructed a two-hundred-foot square hostel for Hera's sanctuary, with rooms on multiple levels, repurposing Plataean doors and roofing. From the remaining wall materials—bronze and iron—they fashioned dedicatory couches for Hera and erected a hundred-foot square stone temple in her honor. The land was confiscated and leased to Theban tenants for ten-year periods. The Spartans' hostility throughout the Plataean affair stemmed primarily from their desire to accommodate the Thebans, whom they considered valuable allies in the ongoing war. Thus ended Plataea, ninety-three years after becoming Athens's ally.
Meanwhile, the forty Peloponnesian ships that had sailed to assist Lesbos—which we last saw fleeing across open waters with Athenian pursuers—encountered a storm near Crete. Scattered by the tempest, they eventually reached the Peloponnese, where they discovered thirteen Leucadian and Ambraciot vessels at Cyllene, along with Brasidas son of Tellis, recently arrived as Alcidas's advisor. Following the Lesbian expedition's failure, the Spartans had decided to reinforce their fleet and sail to Corcyra, where civil war had erupted. They aimed to arrive before the twelve Athenian ships stationed at Naupactus could receive reinforcements from Athens. Brasidas and Alcidas began preparations accordingly.
Historical Context
This passage describes the brutal conclusion of the Siege of Plataea (429-427 BCE), a pivotal early event in the Peloponnesian War. After a two-year siege, the small city of Plataea—Athens's oldest ally—surrendered to Spartan and Theban forces. The Spartans conducted a mock trial, asking each defender whether they had aided Sparta during the war. This predetermined question ensured execution for all defenders, as Plataea had been Athens's ally. The massacre of 200+ Plataeans and the city's destruction marked a significant escalation in wartime brutality. Thucydides emphasizes how Spartan justice was corrupted by realpolitik—their need to please Thebes outweighed any moral considerations. The passage then shifts to naval operations, introducing Brasidas, who would become one of Sparta's most effective commanders.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Pausanias's Covenant
After the Greek victory at Plataea (479 BCE) against Persia, the Spartan general Pausanias established treaties guaranteeing the autonomy of Greek cities. The Spartans invoke this 50-year-old agreement to justify their actions, showing how legal precedents were manipulated for political ends.
Learn more →Sacred Warfare
The transformation of Plataea into a religious precinct for Hera represents a common Greek practice of dedicating conquered territory to gods. This gave religious sanction to territorial seizure while preventing the site's reoccupation, as violating sacred space would constitute sacrilege.
Learn more →Brasidas
This passage introduces Brasidas, who would become Sparta's most innovative and successful commander. His appointment as advisor to Alcidas signals Spartan recognition that new leadership and tactics were needed after repeated naval failures against Athens.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Isocrates: Plataicus (Sections 1-62)
Isocrates's speech, written as if delivered by a Plataean survivor, provides a counter-narrative to Thucydides, emphasizing Plataean loyalty to Greece and condemning Theban aggression throughout history.
Read passage →Xenophon: Hellenica (Book 3.5.16)
Xenophon describes how Plataea was later rebuilt (386 BCE) only to be destroyed again by Thebes, showing the cyclical nature of Greek interstate violence and the enduring Theban-Plataean hatred.
Read passage →Pausanias: Description of Greece (Book 9.1-4)
Pausanias provides archaeological details about Plataea's ruins and monuments, including the temple to Hera mentioned by Thucydides, offering physical evidence of the destruction described here.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does the Spartan treatment of Plataea challenge traditional Greek concepts of justice (dike) and law (nomos)? What does this reveal about the corruption of values during wartime?
- Analyze the transformation of Plataea into a religious sanctuary. How does sacred dedication serve political and strategic purposes?
- Compare the Spartan justification for executing the Plataeans with modern concepts of war crimes and collective punishment. What continuities and differences do you observe?
- Why does Thucydides emphasize that Sparta acted 'to please the Thebans'? What does this suggest about alliance politics versus moral principles in interstate relations?