Thucydides Daily Reader

Around this time, the Spartans established their colony of Heraclea in Trachis, with the following objectives in mind. The Malians consist of three distinct tribes: the Paralians, the Hiereans, and the Trachinians. The Trachinians, having suffered heavy losses in a war against their neighbors the Oetaeans, initially considered placing themselves under Athenian protection. However, doubting whether Athens could provide the security they needed, they dispatched an embassy to Sparta instead, selecting Tisamenus as their representative. The Dorians from Sparta's motherland joined this diplomatic mission with identical requests, as they too were suffering attacks from the same enemy. After deliberating on their petition, the Spartans resolved to establish the colony, motivated by a desire to aid the Trachinians and Dorians, but also recognizing the settlement's strategic value in their war against Athens. The location would enable them to prepare a fleet for operations against Euboea, benefiting from the short crossing to that island, while also serving as a crucial waystation on the route to Thrace. In sum, the Spartans were enthusiastic about founding this settlement for multiple reasons. Having first consulted the oracle at Delphi and received divine approval, they dispatched colonists comprising Spartans and Perioeci, while also welcoming volunteers from other Greek states—specifically excluding Ionians, Achaeans, and certain other peoples. Three Spartan leaders were appointed as founding magistrates: Leon, Alcidas, and Damagon. Once established, they rebuilt and fortified the city, now named Heraclea, situated approximately four and a half miles from Thermopylae and two and a quarter miles from the coast. They also began constructing naval facilities and sealed off the approach from Thermopylae at the pass itself to ensure strong defensive positions.

The establishment of this city, clearly intended to threaten Euboea (given the short sea crossing to Cenaeum on that island), initially alarmed the Athenians. However, subsequent events proved these fears unfounded, as the city never posed any real threat to Athens. The explanation for this failure was as follows: The Thessalians, who exercised hegemony over the region and viewed the new foundation as a threat to their territorial interests, feared it would become an overly powerful neighbor. Consequently, they continuously harassed and waged war against the new colonists, eventually exhausting them despite their initially substantial population—for people had flocked from everywhere to a settlement founded by the Spartans, assuming it would prosper. Moreover, the Spartans themselves, through their appointed governors, contributed significantly to the colony's decline and depopulation. Their harsh and often unjust administration frightened away most inhabitants, thereby weakening the settlement and making it vulnerable to pressure from hostile neighbors.