Today's Passage
This passage describes an Athenian victory over Corinthian forces in 425 BCE, during the Archidamian War phase of the Peloponnesian conflict.
Crawley Translation (1910)
After holding on for a long while without either giving way, the Athenians aided by their horse, of which the enemy had none, at length routed the Corinthians, who retired to the hill and, halting, remained quiet there, without coming down again. It was in this rout of the right wing that they had the most killed, Lycophron their general being among the number. The rest of the army, broken and put to flight in this way without being seriously pursued or hurried, retired to the high ground and there took up its position. The Athenians, finding that the enemy no longer offered to engage them, stripped his dead and took up their own and immediately set up a trophy. Meanwhile, the half of the Corinthians left at Cenchreae to guard against the Athenians sailing on Crommyon, although unable to see the battle for Mount Oneion, found out what was going on by the dust, and hurried up to the rescue; as did also the older Corinthians from the town, upon discovering what had occurred. The Athenians seeing them all coming against them, and thinking that they were reinforcements arriving from the neighbouring Peloponnesians, withdrew in haste to their ships with their spoils and their own dead, except two that they left behind, not being able to find them, and going on board crossed over to the islands opposite, and from thence sent a herald, and took up under truce the bodies which they had left behind. Two hundred and twelve Corinthians fell in the battle, and rather less than fifty Athenians.
Weighing from the islands, the Athenians sailed the same day to Crommyon in the Corinthian territory, about thirteen miles from the city, and coming to anchor laid waste the country, and passed the night there. The next day, after first coasting along to the territory of Epidaurus and making a descent there, they came to Methana between Epidaurus and Troezen, and drew a wall across and fortified the isthmus of the peninsula, and left a post there from which incursions were henceforth made upon the country of Troezen, Haliae, and Epidaurus. After walling off this spot, the fleet sailed off home.
Modern Translation
After maintaining their position for a considerable time with neither side yielding ground, the Athenians—supported by their cavalry, which the enemy lacked—finally succeeded in routing the Corinthians. The defeated forces withdrew to higher ground and, taking up position there, remained inactive without attempting to re-engage. The heaviest casualties occurred during this retreat of the right wing, including their commander Lycophron. The remainder of the army, though broken and forced to flee, was neither vigorously pursued nor pressed hard; they managed to withdraw to the heights and establish defensive positions. The Athenians, seeing no further resistance, proceeded to strip the enemy dead, recover their own fallen, and immediately erect a victory monument. Meanwhile, the Corinthian detachment stationed at Cenchreae to guard against an Athenian naval attack on Crommyon, though unable to observe the battle due to Mount Oneion blocking their view, detected the engagement from the rising dust clouds and hastened to provide support. The older citizens from Corinth itself also rushed to assist upon learning of the battle. When the Athenians observed these reinforcements approaching, mistaking them for additional forces from neighboring Peloponnesian states, they hastily withdrew to their vessels, carrying their plunder and their dead—save for two bodies they could not locate. After boarding their ships, they crossed to the nearby islands, from where they dispatched a herald to arrange the recovery of their missing dead under truce. The battle claimed two hundred and twelve Corinthian lives, while Athenian losses numbered just under fifty.
Departing from the islands, the Athenians sailed that same day to Crommyon in Corinthian territory, approximately thirteen miles from the city. After anchoring, they ravaged the countryside and spent the night there. The following day, they first sailed along the Epidaurian coast, conducting a raid there, before proceeding to Methana, situated between Epidaurus and Troezen. There they constructed fortifications across the peninsula's isthmus and established a permanent garrison, which subsequently served as a base for raids against the territories of Troezen, Haliae, and Epidaurus. Having completed these fortifications, the fleet returned home.
Historical Context
This passage describes an Athenian victory over Corinthian forces in 425 BCE, during the Archidamian War phase of the Peloponnesian conflict. The battle occurred near Corinth when Athenian forces, commanded by Nicias, launched raids on Corinthian territory. The engagement demonstrates Athens' combined-arms advantage through cavalry support and their strategic use of naval mobility to strike at multiple targets. Following their tactical victory, the Athenians established a fortified position at Methana, creating a permanent base for harassing Peloponnesian territories. This operation exemplifies Athens' strategy of using naval supremacy to conduct amphibious raids, establishing forward bases to maintain pressure on enemy territories while avoiding major land battles where they lacked advantage.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Ancient Greek Cavalry
The Athenian cavalry's decisive role highlights its importance in hoplite warfare. While often overlooked, cavalry could break stalemates by attacking flanks and pursuing routing enemies. Athens maintained about 1,000 cavalry, giving them significant tactical advantage over forces lacking mounted troops.
Learn more →Trophy (tropaion)
The immediate erection of a battlefield trophy was a crucial Greek military custom. These monuments, typically constructed from captured arms and armor, marked the point where the enemy turned to flee and served as both religious dedication and territorial claim.
Learn more →Battlefield Truces
The sacred tradition of recovering war dead under truce demonstrates Greek religious and cultural values. Denying proper burial was considered impious, so even bitter enemies observed temporary ceasefires for this purpose, with violation bringing divine punishment.
Learn more →Methana Peninsula
The fortification of Methana's isthmus created a strategic stronghold controlling access to the Saronic Gulf. This position threatened multiple Peloponnesian cities and demonstrated Athens' strategy of establishing permanent bases in enemy territory to maintain year-round pressure.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (12.65)
Diodorus provides a parallel account of Athenian operations in 425 BCE, including raids on Peloponnesian territory, though with less tactical detail than Thucydides.
Read passage →Plutarch: Life of Nicias (6.1-4)
Plutarch describes Nicias's cautious leadership style and his preference for limited engagements with clear tactical advantages, as demonstrated in this Corinthian campaign.
Read passage →Xenophon: Hellenica (1.2.1)
Though covering later events, Xenophon describes similar Athenian amphibious operations and the strategic importance of fortified coastal positions in controlling enemy territory.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does the Athenian use of combined arms (infantry, cavalry, and naval forces) demonstrate their military sophistication compared to their opponents?
- What does the careful observation of burial customs even during warfare reveal about Greek religious and cultural values?
- Why might the Athenians have chosen to fortify Methana rather than attempt to hold Corinthian territory directly?
- How does Thucydides' precise casualty count (212 vs. 'rather less than fifty') reflect his historical methodology and possible sources?