Today's Passage
This passage describes Athens' religious purification of the sacred island of Delos in 426/5 BCE, during the sixth year of the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
The same winter the Athenians purified Delos, in compliance, it appears, with a certain oracle. It had been purified before by Pisistratus the tyrant; not indeed the whole island, but as much of it as could be seen from the temple. All of it was, however, now purified in the following way. All the sepulchres of those that had died in Delos were taken up, and for the future it was commanded that no one should be allowed either to die or to give birth to a child in the island; but that they should be carried over to Rhenea, which is so near to Delos that Polycrates, tyrant of Samos, having added Rhenea to his other island conquests during his period of naval ascendancy, dedicated it to the Delian Apollo by binding it to Delos with a chain.
The Athenians, after the purification, celebrated, for the first time, the quinquennial festival of the Delian games. Once upon a time, indeed, there was a great assemblage of the Ionians and the neighbouring islanders at Delos, who used to come to the festival, as the Ionians now do to that of Ephesus, and athletic and poetical contests took place there, and the cities brought choirs of dancers. Nothing can be clearer on this point than the following verses of Homer, taken from a hymn to Apollo:
Phœbus, wherever thou strayest, far or near, Delos was still of all thy haunts most dear. Thither the robed Ionians take their way With wife and child to keep thy holiday, Invoke thy favour on each manly game, And dance and sing in honour of thy name.
That there was also a poetical contest in which the Ionians went to contend, again is shown by the following, taken from the same hymn. After celebrating the Delian dance of the women, he ends his song of praise with these verses, in which he also alludes to himself:
Well, may Apollo keep you all! and so, Sweethearts, good-bye—yet tell me not I go Out from your hearts; and if in after hours Some other wanderer in this world of ours Touch at your shores, and ask your maidens here Who sings the songs the sweetest to your ear, Think of me then, and answer with a smile, ‘A blind old man of Scio’s rocky isle.’
Homer thus attests that there was anciently a great assembly and festival at Delos. In later times, although the islanders and the Athenians continued to send the choirs of dancers with sacrifices, the contests and most of the ceremonies were abolished, probably through adversity, until the Athenians celebrated the games upon this occasion with the novelty of horse-races.
Modern Translation
That same winter, the Athenians carried out a purification of Delos, apparently in response to an oracle. The tyrant Pisistratus had previously purified the island, though only the area visible from the temple. Now, however, the entire island underwent purification through the following measures: all graves of those who had died on Delos were exhumed, and a decree was issued forbidding anyone to die or give birth on the island. Instead, the sick and pregnant were to be transported to Rhenea, an island so close to Delos that Polycrates, the tyrant of Samos, during his period of naval dominance, had symbolically united it with Delos by stretching a chain between them, dedicating it to Delian Apollo.
Following this purification, the Athenians instituted the quinquennial Delian festival for the first time. In ancient times, there had been a magnificent gathering of Ionians and neighboring islanders at Delos, who attended the festival much as Ionians now travel to Ephesus. Athletic and poetic competitions were held, and cities sent dancing choruses. Homer provides the clearest evidence of this in his Hymn to Apollo:
'Phoebus, though you wander everywhere, near and far, Delos remains your most beloved sanctuary. There the long-robed Ionians gather With their wives and children to honor your feast day, Seeking your blessing for their athletic contests, Dancing and singing to glorify your name.'
That poetic competitions were also held, with Ionians coming to compete, is demonstrated by these lines from the same hymn. After praising the Delian women's dance, Homer concludes his tribute with these verses, in which he references himself:
'May Apollo bless you all! And now, Dear maidens, farewell—but keep me in your hearts; And if some future traveler through our world Arrives at your shores and asks you women here Which singer's songs bring sweetest pleasure to your ears, Remember me and answer with a smile: "A blind old poet from rocky Chios."'
Homer thus confirms that a great assembly and festival existed at Delos in ancient times. In subsequent eras, while islanders and Athenians maintained the tradition of sending dancing choruses with sacrifices, the competitions and most ceremonies ceased, likely due to hardship, until the Athenians revived the games on this occasion, adding horse-racing as an innovation.
Historical Context
This passage describes Athens' religious purification of the sacred island of Delos in 426/5 BCE, during the sixth year of the Peloponnesian War. Following a devastating plague that had weakened Athens, the city sought divine favor through this ritual cleansing. The purification involved removing all human remains from the island and prohibiting future births and deaths there, effectively making Delos a space reserved purely for worship of Apollo. Athens then revived the ancient Delian festival, reasserting its role as leader of the Ionian Greeks and using religious authority to strengthen its imperial position. This act combined genuine religious sentiment with political calculation, as control over Delos—Apollo's birthplace and a major Panhellenic sanctuary—enhanced Athenian prestige and reinforced its claim to lead the Delian League, despite that organization having long since transformed into the Athenian Empire.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Delian League and Athenian Imperialism
The purification of Delos represents Athens' manipulation of religious tradition for imperial purposes. By reviving the festival, Athens reasserted its leadership of the Ionians and legitimized its control over the Delian League treasury, which had been moved to Athens in 454 BCE.
Learn more →Ancient Greek Purification Rituals
Ritual purification (katharsis) was essential in Greek religion. The removal of graves and prohibition of birth and death on Delos created a sacred space free from miasma (pollution), necessary for proper worship of Apollo.
Learn more →Pisistratus and Earlier Purification
The tyrant Pisistratus (c. 600-527 BCE) had partially purified Delos as part of his religious policy. Thucydides' reference shows how Athens claimed continuity with earlier traditions while surpassing them, legitimizing current actions through historical precedent.
Learn more →Homer and Historical Evidence
Thucydides' citation of Homer's Hymn to Apollo demonstrates his historical method, using poetry as evidence for ancient practices. This shows how Greek historians used literary sources to reconstruct the past, though Thucydides typically preferred eyewitness accounts.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Herodotus: Histories (Book 1.64)
Herodotus describes Pisistratus' earlier purification of Delos, providing background for Thucydides' account and showing the continuity of Athenian interest in controlling this sacred site.
Read passage →Plutarch: Life of Nicias (Chapters 3-4)
Plutarch describes Nicias' lavish dedication at Delos, including a bronze palm tree, showing continued Athenian investment in Delian prestige during this period of the war.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (Book 12.58)
Diodorus provides a parallel account of the Delian purification, offering additional details about the political motivations behind Athens' religious actions.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Athens' purification of Delos illustrate the intersection of religious practice and political power in ancient Greece?
- What does Thucydides' use of Homer as historical evidence reveal about Greek attitudes toward the past and historical methodology?
- In what ways might the prohibition on birth and death at Delos have affected the island's population and economy?
- How does this passage reflect the tension between traditional religious practices and imperial innovation in fifth-century Athens?