Today's Passage
This passage captures two significant military developments in 424 BCE during the Archidamian War phase of the Peloponnesian conflict.
Crawley Translation (1910)
The same winter the Chians pulled down their new wall at the command of the Athenians, who suspected them of meditating an insurrection, after first however obtaining pledges from the Athenians, and security as far as this was possible for their continuing to treat them as before. Thus the winter ended, and with it ended the seventh year of this war of which Thucydides is the historian.
In first days of the next summer there was an eclipse of the sun at the time of new moon, and in the early part of the same month an earthquake. Meanwhile, the Mitylenian and other Lesbian exiles set out, for the most part from the continent, with mercenaries hired in Peloponnese, and others levied on the spot, and took Rhoeteum, but restored it without injury on the receipt of two thousand Phocaean staters. After this they marched against Antandrus and took the town by treachery, their plan being to free Antandrus and the rest of the Actaean towns, formerly owned by Mitylene but now held by the Athenians. Once fortified there, they would have every facility for ship-building from the vicinity of Ida and the consequent abundance of timber, and plenty of other supplies, and might from this base easily ravage Lesbos, which was not far off, and make themselves masters of the Aeolian towns on the continent.
While these were the schemes of the exiles, the Athenians in the same summer made an expedition with sixty ships, two thousand heavy infantry, a few cavalry, and some allied troops from Miletus and other parts, against Cythera, under the command of Nicias, son of Niceratus, Nicostratus, son of Diotrephes, and Autocles, son of Tolmaeus. Cythera is an island lying off Laconia, opposite Malea; the inhabitants are Lacedaemonians of the class of the Perioeci; and an officer called the judge of Cythera went over to the place annually from Sparta. A garrison of heavy infantry was also regularly sent there, and great attention paid to the island, as it was the landing-place for the merchantmen from Egypt and Libya, and at the same time secured Laconia from the attacks of privateers from the sea, at the only point where it is assailable, as the whole coast rises abruptly towards the Sicilian and Cretan seas.
Modern Translation
That same winter, the Chians dismantled their newly constructed fortifications under orders from Athens, whose authorities harbored suspicions of an impending revolt. Before complying, however, the Chians secured formal guarantees and assurances from the Athenians that their existing relationship would remain unchanged. With these events, winter drew to a close, marking the end of the seventh year of this war chronicled by Thucydides.
As summer began, a solar eclipse occurred during the new moon, followed by an earthquake in the early days of the month. During this period, exiles from Mytilene and other parts of Lesbos launched their campaign, primarily from mainland bases. With mercenary forces recruited from the Peloponnese and local levies, they captured Rhoeteum but returned it unharmed after receiving payment of two thousand Phocaean staters. Subsequently, they advanced on Antandrus and seized it through treacherous means. Their strategic objective was to liberate Antandrus and the other Actaean cities—former Mytilenean possessions now under Athenian control. Once established there, they would enjoy ideal conditions for naval construction, given the proximity of Mount Ida with its abundant timber resources and other supplies. From this stronghold, they could readily harass nearby Lesbos and potentially dominate the Aeolian cities on the mainland.
While the exiles pursued these plans, the Athenians that same summer dispatched a formidable expedition comprising sixty warships, two thousand hoplites, some cavalry units, and allied contingents from Miletus and elsewhere. This force, commanded by Nicias son of Niceratus, Nicostratus son of Diotrephes, and Autocles son of Tolmaeus, targeted Cythera. This island lies off the Laconian coast opposite Cape Malea, inhabited by Lacedaemonians of the perioeci class. Sparta maintained careful oversight through an annually appointed magistrate called the Judge of Cythera and a permanent garrison of heavy infantry. The island held crucial strategic importance as the primary anchorage for merchant vessels from Egypt and Libya, while simultaneously protecting Laconia from maritime raiders at its sole vulnerable approach, since the entire coastline forms steep cliffs facing the Sicilian and Cretan seas.
Historical Context
This passage captures two significant military developments in 424 BCE during the Archidamian War phase of the Peloponnesian conflict. First, Athens forces its ally Chios to demolish new fortifications, revealing growing tensions within the Athenian empire as allies chafed under imperial control. Second, Mytilenean exiles attempt to establish a base for operations against Athens in northwest Asia Minor, while Athens simultaneously launches a major expedition against Cythera, a strategically vital island controlling Sparta's maritime approaches. These parallel campaigns illustrate the war's increasingly complex geographic scope and the importance of controlling key strategic points for both economic and military purposes.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Chios and Athenian Imperialism
Chios was one of Athens' most important and autonomous allies, contributing ships rather than tribute. The forced demolition of their walls demonstrates Athens' increasing paranoia about allied loyalty and willingness to intervene preemptively against perceived threats, even from traditionally loyal partners.
Learn more →Solar Eclipse of 424 BCE
This eclipse, occurring on March 21, 424 BCE, provides crucial chronological anchoring for Thucydides' narrative. Ancient Greeks often interpreted such celestial events as divine omens, though Thucydides notably presents it without supernatural interpretation, reflecting his rationalist approach.
Learn more →Perioeci Status
The perioeci were free non-citizen inhabitants of Laconia who lived in autonomous communities but owed military service to Sparta. Their presence on Cythera shows how Sparta extended its unique social system to strategic outposts, maintaining control through this intermediate class.
Learn more →Strategic Geography
Cythera's position controlling the sea route around Cape Malea made it vital for Sparta's food imports from Egypt and Libya. Its capture would threaten Sparta's supply lines and expose the Laconian coast to raids, demonstrating the strategic importance of island bases in ancient naval warfare.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Nicias (6.1-2)
Plutarch describes Nicias's capture of Cythera as one of his notable military successes, emphasizing how it allowed Athens to harass the Laconian coast and disrupted Spartan commerce.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (12.65)
Diodorus provides a parallel account of the Cythera expedition, noting its psychological impact on Sparta and how it forced the Spartans to divert resources to coastal defense.
Read passage →Xenophon: Hellenica (1.1.1-2)
Though writing about later events, Xenophon references Chios's eventual revolt in 412 BCE, showing how Athenian suspicions in 424 BCE proved ultimately justified.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Athens' treatment of Chios reflect the tensions inherent in maintaining an empire through a combination of force and voluntary alliance?
- What does Thucydides' matter-of-fact reporting of the eclipse and earthquake suggest about his approach to historical causation compared to his predecessors?
- How do the parallel campaigns of the Mytilenean exiles and the Athenian expedition to Cythera illustrate the expanding geographic scope of the war?
- What role did economic considerations (Egyptian grain, merchant traffic) play in determining strategic military objectives during the Peloponnesian War?