Today's Passage
This passage occurs during the Pylos campaign of 425 BCE, a pivotal moment in the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
“Athenians, the Lacedaemonians sent us to try to find some way of settling the affair of our men on the island, that shall be at once satisfactory to our interests, and as consistent with our dignity in our misfortune as circumstances permit. We can venture to speak at some length without any departure from the habit of our country. Men of few words where many are not wanted, we can be less brief when there is a matter of importance to be illustrated and an end to be served by its illustration. Meanwhile we beg you to take what we may say, not in a hostile spirit, nor as if we thought you ignorant and wished to lecture you, but rather as a suggestion on the best course to be taken, addressed to intelligent judges. You can now, if you choose, employ your present success to advantage, so as to keep what you have got and gain honour and reputation besides, and you can avoid the mistake of those who meet with an extraordinary piece of good fortune, and are led on by hope to grasp continually at something further, through having already succeeded without expecting it. While those who have known most vicissitudes of good and bad, have also justly least faith in their prosperity; and to teach your city and ours this lesson experience has not been wanting.
“To be convinced of this you have only to look at our present misfortune. What power in Hellas stood higher than we did? and yet we are come to you, although we formerly thought ourselves more able to grant what we are now here to ask. Nevertheless, we have not been brought to this by any decay in our power, or through having our heads turned by aggrandizement; no, our resources are what they have always been, and our error has been an error of judgment, to which all are equally liable. Accordingly, the prosperity which your city now enjoys, and the accession that it has lately received, must not make you fancy that fortune will be always with you. Indeed sensible men are prudent enough to treat their gains as precarious, just as they would also keep a clear head in adversity, and think that war, so far from staying within the limit to which a combatant may wish to confine it, will run the course that its chances prescribe; and thus, not being puffed up by confidence in military success, they are less likely to come to grief, and most ready to make peace, if they can, while their fortune lasts. This, Athenians, you have a good opportunity to do now with us, and thus to escape the possible disasters which may follow upon your refusal, and the consequent imputation of having owed to accident even your present advantages, when you might have left behind you a reputation for power and wisdom which nothing could endanger.
Modern Translation
Athenians, the Spartans have sent us here to negotiate a resolution regarding our men trapped on the island—one that serves our interests while preserving whatever dignity we can maintain in our current predicament. We intend to speak at length, which is not contrary to our national character. Though we Spartans are typically men of few words when brevity suffices, we become more expansive when important matters require thorough explanation to achieve our purpose. We ask that you receive our words not with hostility, nor as though we presume you need instruction, but rather as counsel offered to wise judges about the best path forward. You now have the opportunity to use your current advantage wisely—to retain your gains while earning honor and glory besides. You can avoid the common error of those who, blessed with unexpected good fortune, are driven by hope to reach for ever more, simply because they have already achieved beyond their expectations. Those who have experienced the greatest reversals of fortune are rightly most skeptical of prosperity; both your city and ours have ample experience to teach this lesson.
To grasp this truth, simply observe our present calamity. What state in all Greece stood higher than Sparta? Yet here we are before you, though we once believed ourselves better positioned to grant favors than to request them. Still, we have not fallen due to any weakening of our power or because success has made us arrogant. Our resources remain unchanged; we have simply made an error in judgment, a failing to which all are susceptible. Therefore, neither your city's current prosperity nor its recent gains should lead you to believe that fortune will always favor you. Wise men treat their successes as temporary, just as they maintain clarity in defeat. They understand that war follows its own course, dictated by chance rather than confined to the boundaries any participant might wish. Such men, not intoxicated by military triumph, are less prone to disaster and most prepared to make peace while fortune still smiles upon them. This opportunity, Athenians, now lies before you. Accept it, and you will avoid potential catastrophes that refusal might bring, along with the accusation that even your current advantages were mere accidents of fate, when instead you could leave behind an unassailable legacy of power coupled with wisdom.
Historical Context
This passage occurs during the Pylos campaign of 425 BCE, a pivotal moment in the Peloponnesian War. After an Athenian naval victory at Pylos, a force of elite Spartan hoplites became trapped on the island of Sphacteria. The Spartans, desperate to recover these men (including 120 Spartiates from their warrior elite), sent ambassadors to Athens to negotiate their release. This represents a remarkable reversal: proud Sparta, the dominant land power of Greece, now comes as supplicant to democratic Athens. The speech demonstrates sophisticated diplomatic rhetoric, as the Spartan envoys attempt to persuade Athens to show restraint in victory. The situation would ultimately lead to one of Athens' greatest triumphs when Cleon captured the Spartans alive—an unprecedented humiliation for a state whose warriors were expected to die rather than surrender.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Spartan Brevity (Laconism)
The Spartans acknowledge their cultural reputation for brief speech (from which we derive 'laconic'). This rhetorical move serves to justify their unusually lengthy appeal while demonstrating cultural self-awareness. Spartan brevity was both a cultural value and a political tool, reflecting their conservative, military-focused society.
Learn more →Fortune (Tyche) in Greek Thought
The speech extensively discusses the role of fortune in human affairs, a central concern in Greek philosophy and historiography. The Spartans warn against hubris in success, advocating for a philosophical acceptance of fortune's fickleness—a theme that resonates throughout Thucydides' work.
Learn more →The Pylos Campaign
This military operation began when Demosthenes fortified Pylos, leading to a Spartan response that backfired spectacularly. The isolation of Spartan troops on Sphacteria created unprecedented leverage for Athens and marked a turning point in the war's first phase.
Learn more →Spartan Social Structure
The presence of 120 Spartiates among the trapped men explains Sparta's desperation. Spartiates were full citizens who formed the elite warrior class. Their numbers were limited and declining, making each loss demographically and militarily catastrophic for the Spartan state.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Nicias (7.1-4)
Plutarch describes Cleon's role in rejecting these negotiations, showing how internal Athenian politics (especially Cleon's demagoguery) influenced the decision to refuse Spartan peace offers, ultimately leading to the capture of the Spartans on Sphacteria.
Read passage →Aristotle: Politics (1271a-b)
Aristotle discusses the declining numbers of Spartiates and how this demographic crisis affected Spartan military power, providing context for why the potential loss of 120 Spartiates at Sphacteria prompted such desperate negotiations.
Read passage →Xenophon: Hellenica (1.1.23-24)
Xenophon describes later Athenian naval victories and their psychological impact, showing how the confidence gained from successes like Pylos influenced Athens' increasingly aggressive imperial policies until their ultimate defeat.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does the Spartan speech employ rhetorical strategies to appeal to Athenian self-interest while maintaining Spartan dignity? What does this reveal about diplomatic discourse in the ancient world?
- The Spartans warn against trusting too much in good fortune. How does this philosophical position relate to Greek concepts of hubris and nemesis? Is their argument merely self-serving or does it contain genuine wisdom?
- What role does cultural identity play in this negotiation? How do the Spartans use their reputation for brevity and their acknowledgment of Athenian intelligence as diplomatic tools?
- Given that Athens ultimately rejected this offer and won a great victory, were the Spartans wrong about the dangers of pushing one's fortune? How should we evaluate advice that seems wise but leads to missed opportunities?