Today's Passage
This passage describes simultaneous military operations in 425 BCE during the seventh year of the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
Seventh Year of the War—Occupation of Pylos—Surrender of the Spartan Army in Sphacteria
Next summer, about the time of the corn’s coming into ear, ten Syracusan and as many Locrian vessels sailed to Messina, in Sicily, and occupied the town upon the invitation of the inhabitants; and Messina revolted from the Athenians. The Syracusans contrived this chiefly because they saw that the place afforded an approach to Sicily, and feared that the Athenians might hereafter use it as a base for attacking them with a larger force; the Locrians because they wished to carry on hostilities from both sides of the strait and to reduce their enemies, the people of Rhegium. Meanwhile, the Locrians had invaded the Rhegian territory with all their forces, to prevent their succouring Messina, and also at the instance of some exiles from Rhegium who were with them; the long factions by which that town had been torn rendering it for the moment incapable of resistance, and thus furnishing an additional temptation to the invaders. After devastating the country the Locrian land forces retired, their ships remaining to guard Messina, while others were being manned for the same destination to carry on the war from thence.
About the same time in the spring, before the corn was ripe, the Peloponnesians and their allies invaded Attica under Agis, the son of Archidamus, king of the Lacedaemonians, and sat down and laid waste the country. Meanwhile the Athenians sent off the forty ships which they had been preparing to Sicily, with the remaining generals Eurymedon and Sophocles; their colleague Pythodorus having already preceded them thither. These had also instructions as they sailed by to look to the Corcyraeans in the town, who were being plundered by the exiles in the mountain. To support these exiles sixty Peloponnesian vessels had lately sailed, it being thought that the famine raging in the city would make it easy for them to reduce it. Demosthenes also, who had remained without employment since his return from Acarnania, applied and obtained permission to use the fleet, if he wished it, upon the coast of Peloponnese.
Modern Translation
The following summer, around the time when grain begins to form ears, ten ships from Syracuse and an equal number from Locri sailed to Messina in Sicily. The inhabitants had invited them, and Messina defected from Athens. The Syracusans orchestrated this primarily because they recognized that Messina provided a gateway into Sicily and feared the Athenians might later use it as a launching point for larger-scale attacks. The Locrians participated because they wanted to wage war from both sides of the strait and crush their enemies in Rhegium. The Locrians had already invaded Rhegian territory with their entire army, both to prevent Rhegium from helping Messina and at the urging of Rhegian exiles among them. Rhegium's long-standing internal conflicts had left it temporarily defenseless, making it an even more attractive target. After ravaging the countryside, the Locrian infantry withdrew while their ships stayed to protect Messina, as additional vessels were being prepared to continue operations from there.
Around the same period in spring, before the grain ripened, the Peloponnesians and their allies invaded Attica under the command of Agis, son of Archidamus and king of Sparta. They established positions and devastated the land. Meanwhile, the Athenians dispatched the forty ships they had been readying for Sicily under the remaining commanders Eurymedon and Sophocles, as their colleague Pythodorus had already gone ahead. They were also ordered to assist the democratic faction in Corcyra during their voyage, as these loyalists were being attacked by exiles based in the mountains. Sixty Peloponnesian ships had recently sailed to support these exiles, calculating that the severe famine in the city would facilitate its capture. Demosthenes, who had been idle since returning from Acarnania, requested and received authorization to use the fleet along the Peloponnesian coast if he deemed it necessary.
Historical Context
This passage describes simultaneous military operations in 425 BCE during the seventh year of the Peloponnesian War. In Sicily, Syracuse orchestrates Messina's defection from Athens, recognizing its strategic value as a gateway to the island. Meanwhile, local conflicts between Locri and Rhegium intensify, with Locri exploiting Rhegium's internal divisions. In Greece proper, Sparta conducts its annual invasion of Attica while Athens prepares a major naval expedition to Sicily. The Athenians also face a crisis in Corcyra, where democratic supporters are besieged by oligarchic exiles backed by a Peloponnesian fleet. Demosthenes, the innovative Athenian general recently returned from northwest Greece, seeks permission to conduct operations along the Peloponnesian coast—a request that would lead to the pivotal occupation of Pylos mentioned in the chapter title.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Sicilian Expedition Preliminaries
This passage foreshadows Athens' disastrous Sicilian Expedition (415-413 BCE). The struggle for Messina demonstrates Sicily's strategic importance and the complex web of alliances that would eventually draw Athens into a catastrophic overextension of its power.
Learn more →Corcyraean Civil War
The civil conflict in Corcyra (modern Corfu) between democrats and oligarchs was one of the most brutal episodes of the war, serving as Thucydides' paradigm for how war corrupts political discourse and unleashes human savagery.
Learn more →Annual Spartan Invasions
The Spartan invasions of Attica were a regular feature of the Archidamian War (431-421 BCE). These campaigns aimed to destroy Athenian agriculture and force a decisive battle, though Athens' Long Walls allowed it to rely on maritime imports.
Learn more →Demosthenes' Strategic Innovation
Demosthenes was known for unconventional tactics, including the use of light-armed troops and fortified positions. His request here leads to the fortification of Pylos, which becomes a major Athenian success and bargaining chip.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (Book 12.54)
Diodorus provides an account of the Pylos campaign that follows, offering different details about Demosthenes' motivations and the Spartan response to the fortification.
Read passage →Plutarch: Life of Nicias (Chapter 6)
Plutarch discusses the Sicilian operations and the rivalry between Athenian generals, providing biographical context for the commanders mentioned in this passage.
Read passage →Xenophon: Hellenica (Book 1.1.35)
Though covering a later period, Xenophon describes similar strategic considerations regarding Messina and the strait, showing the enduring importance of this geography.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does the simultaneous action in Sicily, Greece, and Corcyra illustrate the expanding scope of the Peloponnesian War?
- What does Messina's strategic importance tell us about the relationship between geography and power in ancient warfare?
- Why might Thucydides juxtapose the routine Spartan invasion of Attica with these other, more innovative operations?
- How do the internal conflicts in Rhegium and Corcyra reflect Thucydides' views on the corrupting effects of war on political communities?