Today's Passage
This passage comes from Thucydides' introduction to his History, known as the 'Archaeology' (chapters 2-19 of Book 1).
Crawley Translation (1910)
There is also another circumstance that contributes not a little to my conviction of the weakness of ancient times. Before the Trojan war there is no indication of any common action in Hellas, nor indeed of the universal prevalence of the name; on the contrary, before the time of Hellen, son of Deucalion, no such appellation existed, but the country went by the names of the different tribes, in particular of the Pelasgian. It was not till Hellen and his sons grew strong in Phthiotis, and were invited as allies into the other cities, that one by one they gradually acquired from the connection the name of Hellenes; though a long time elapsed before that name could fasten itself upon all. The best proof of this is furnished by Homer. Born long after the Trojan War, he nowhere calls all of them by that name, nor indeed any of them except the followers of Achilles from Phthiotis, who were the original Hellenes: in his poems they are called Danaans, Argives, and Achaeans. He does not even use the term barbarian, probably because the Hellenes had not yet been marked off from the rest of the world by one distinctive appellation. It appears therefore that the several Hellenic communities, comprising not only those who first acquired the name, city by city, as they came to understand each other, but also those who assumed it afterwards as the name of the whole people, were before the Trojan war prevented by their want of strength and the absence of mutual intercourse from displaying any collective action.
Indeed, they could not unite for this expedition till they had gained increased familiarity with the sea. And the first person known to us by tradition as having established a navy is Minos. He made himself master of what is now called the Hellenic sea, and ruled over the Cyclades, into most of which he sent the first colonies, expelling the Carians and appointing his own sons governors; and thus did his best to put down piracy in those waters, a necessary step to secure the revenues for his own use.
For in early times the Hellenes and the barbarians of the coast and islands, as communication by sea became more common, were tempted to turn pirates, under the conduct of their most powerful men; the motives being to serve their own cupidity and to support the needy. They would fall upon a town unprotected by walls, and consisting of a mere collection of villages, and would plunder it; indeed, this came to be the main source of their livelihood, no disgrace being yet attached to such an achievement, but even some glory. An illustration of this is furnished by the honour with which some of the inhabitants of the continent still regard a successful marauder, and by the question we find the old poets everywhere representing the people as asking of voyagers—“Are they pirates?”—as if those who are asked the question would have no idea of disclaiming the imputation, or their interrogators of reproaching them for it. The same rapine prevailed also by land.
Modern Translation
There is another factor that significantly reinforces my belief in the weakness of ancient times. Before the Trojan War, there is no evidence of any unified action throughout Greece, nor was the name 'Hellenes' universally used. In fact, before Hellen, son of Deucalion, this designation didn't exist at all—the land was known by the names of various tribes, particularly the Pelasgians. Only when Hellen and his sons gained power in Phthiotis and were called upon as allies by other cities did these communities gradually adopt the name 'Hellenes' through their association, though it took considerable time before this name applied to everyone. Homer provides the clearest evidence for this. Writing long after the Trojan War, he never refers to all Greeks by this single name, using it only for Achilles' followers from Phthiotis, who were the original Hellenes. In his epics, he calls them Danaans, Argives, and Achaeans instead. He doesn't even employ the term 'barbarian,' likely because the Hellenes hadn't yet distinguished themselves from other peoples through a common name. Thus it seems that the various Hellenic communities—both those who first adopted the name city by city as they developed mutual understanding, and those who later took it as a collective designation—were prevented before the Trojan War from any joint enterprise due to their weakness and lack of interaction.
They couldn't even organize this expedition until they had become more familiar with seafaring. According to tradition, the first person to establish a navy was Minos. He gained control of what we now call the Hellenic Sea and dominated the Cyclades, sending colonists to most of these islands after driving out the Carians and installing his sons as governors. He worked hard to suppress piracy in these waters—a crucial step to secure his revenues.
In those early days, as maritime communication increased, both Hellenes and barbarians from coastal areas and islands turned to piracy, led by their most powerful citizens. Their goals were personal profit and supporting the poor. They would attack unwalled settlements—essentially clusters of villages—and plunder them. This became their primary means of survival, and far from being shameful, it carried a certain honor. We see this in how some mainland peoples still admire successful raiders, and in the old poets' universal depiction of people asking travelers, 'Are you pirates?'—as if neither the questioned would think to deny it nor the questioners to condemn it. Similar raiding occurred on land as well.
Historical Context
This passage comes from Thucydides' introduction to his History, known as the 'Archaeology' (chapters 2-19 of Book 1). Here, Thucydides is building his argument that the Peloponnesian War was the greatest conflict in Greek history by demonstrating that earlier periods, including the legendary Trojan War, involved smaller, less organized societies. He uses linguistic evidence (the evolution of the term 'Hellenes'), literary analysis (Homer's terminology), and historical tradition (Minos's thalassocracy) to show that early Greece lacked the unity, naval power, and resources that characterized his contemporary world. This methodological approach—using multiple types of evidence to reconstruct the distant past—was revolutionary and established Thucydides as a pioneer of historical analysis.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Minos and Minoan Thalassocracy
Minos was the legendary king of Crete who, according to Greek tradition, established the first naval empire (thalassocracy) in the Aegean. Archaeological evidence from Bronze Age Crete (Minoan civilization) suggests there was indeed a powerful maritime culture, though the historical Minos remains elusive. Thucydides presents him as a rational ruler who suppressed piracy to secure trade revenues.
Learn more →Hellenic Identity Formation
Thucydides traces the development of Greek ethnic identity through the spread of the name 'Hellenes' from a small group in Thessaly to all Greek-speakers. This linguistic approach to understanding identity formation was innovative and reflects his interest in how political communities develop over time through shared language and culture.
Learn more →Homeric Evidence
Thucydides uses Homer's epics as historical sources, noting that Homer uses tribal names (Danaans, Argives, Achaeans) rather than 'Hellenes' for the Greeks at Troy. This literary analysis demonstrates Thucydides' critical approach to sources and his understanding that language changes reflect historical developments.
Learn more →Ancient Piracy
Thucydides describes piracy as an honorable profession in early Greece, contrasting with later attitudes. This reflects a pre-state society where raiding was a legitimate economic activity. His observation about poets asking 'Are you pirates?' without moral judgment provides insight into changing social values.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Herodotus: Histories (Book 1.171)
Herodotus discusses the Carians and their expulsion from the islands by Minos, corroborating Thucydides' account of Minoan colonization, though with different details about Carian origins and their relationship with Crete.
Read passage →Herodotus: Histories (Book 3.122)
Herodotus describes Polycrates of Samos and his naval power, including his piratical activities, showing how piracy remained a path to power even in the 6th century BCE, supporting Thucydides' claims about early Greek maritime practices.
Read passage →Aristotle: Politics (Book 1.1256b)
Aristotle mentions piracy as one of the natural modes of acquisition in primitive societies, alongside hunting and fishing, providing philosophical support for Thucydides' historical observation about the legitimacy of early piracy.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Thucydides use linguistic evidence (the spread of the name 'Hellenes') to understand historical development? What are the strengths and limitations of this approach?
- What does the acceptance of piracy in early Greek society tell us about the relationship between morality and economic necessity in pre-state societies?
- How does Thucydides' critical reading of Homer as a historical source demonstrate his methodological innovations? How might modern historians evaluate his use of epic poetry?
- What role does naval power play in Thucydides' understanding of political development, and how does Minos serve as a prototype for later thalassocracies like Athens?