Today's Passage
This passage contains part of a speech by the Spartan general Brasidas to the citizens of Acanthus in 424 BCE.
Crawley Translation (1910)
“Some of you may hang back because they have private enemies, and fear that I may put the city into the hands of a party: none need be more tranquil than they. I am not come here to help this party or that; and I do not consider that I should be bringing you freedom in any real sense, if I should disregard your constitution, and enslave the many to the few or the few to the many. This would be heavier than a foreign yoke; and we Lacedaemonians, instead of being thanked for our pains, should get neither honour nor glory, but, contrariwise, reproaches. The charges which strengthen our hands in the war against the Athenians would on our own showing be merited by ourselves, and more hateful in us than in those who make no pretensions to honesty; as it is more disgraceful for persons of character to take what they covet by fair-seeming fraud than by open force; the one aggression having for its justification the might which fortune gives, the other being simply a piece of clever roguery. A matter which concerns us thus nearly we naturally look to most jealously; and over and above the oaths that I have mentioned, what stronger assurance can you have, when you see that our words, compared with the actual facts, produce the necessary conviction that it is our interest to act as we say?
“If to these considerations of mine you put in the plea of inability, and claim that your friendly feeling should save you from being hurt by your refusal; if you say that freedom, in your opinion, is not without its dangers, and that it is right to offer it to those who can accept it, but not to force it on any against their will, then I shall take the gods and heroes of your country to witness that I came for your good and was rejected, and shall do my best to compel you by laying waste your land. I shall do so without scruple, being justified by the necessity which constrains me, first, to prevent the Lacedaemonians from being damaged by you, their friends, in the event of your nonadhesion, through the moneys that you pay to the Athenians; and secondly, to prevent the Hellenes from being hindered by you in shaking off their servitude. Otherwise indeed we should have no right to act as we propose; except in the name of some public interest, what call should we Lacedaemonians have to free those who do not wish it? Empire we do not aspire to: it is what we are labouring to put down; and we should wrong the greater number if we allowed you to stand in the way of the independence that we offer to all. Endeavour, therefore, to decide wisely, and strive to begin the work of liberation for the Hellenes, and lay up for yourselves endless renown, while you escape private loss, and cover your commonwealth with glory.”
Modern Translation
Some among you may hesitate to join us, fearing that I might hand over your city to their personal enemies. Let me assure you that no one has less cause for concern. I have not come here to support one faction against another. I would not be bringing you genuine freedom if I ignored your established government and subjected the majority to a minority's rule, or vice versa. Such tyranny would be worse than foreign domination. We Spartans would earn not gratitude for our efforts, but dishonor and infamy instead of glory. We would deserve the very accusations we level against Athens—and more so, since hypocrisy is more contemptible in those who claim moral superiority than in those who make no such pretensions. It is more shameful for people of principle to obtain their desires through deceptive rhetoric than through naked force. The latter at least has the excuse of power that fortune provides, while the former is merely sophisticated trickery. We guard most carefully matters that touch us so closely. Beyond the oaths I have already sworn, what better guarantee can you have than observing how our words align with our actions, proving that our self-interest coincides with what we promise?
If you respond to my arguments by pleading weakness and claiming that your goodwill toward us should exempt you from any consequences of refusal; if you argue that freedom brings its own perils and should be offered only to those who desire it, never imposed on the unwilling—then I will call upon your own gods and heroes to witness that I came seeking your benefit and was spurned. I will then devastate your territory without hesitation to force compliance. My conscience will be clear, justified by two necessities: first, to prevent Sparta from suffering harm through your continued friendship with us while you still pay tribute to Athens; second, to stop you from obstructing the liberation of Greece from servitude. Without these justifications, we would have no right to act as we intend. Apart from serving the common good, why should Spartans liberate those who resist freedom? We seek no empire for ourselves—rather, we labor to destroy empire itself. We would wrong the majority of Greeks if we allowed you to obstruct the independence we offer everyone. Therefore, strive to choose wisely. Seize this opportunity to lead the liberation of Greece and win eternal glory for yourselves, while protecting your private property and bringing honor to your entire community.
Historical Context
This passage contains part of a speech by the Spartan general Brasidas to the citizens of Acanthus in 424 BCE. Brasidas, leading a small force through Thrace, attempts to persuade Greek cities to revolt from the Athenian empire and join Sparta. His campaign represents a significant shift in Spartan strategy during the Archidamian War phase of the Peloponnesian War. Rather than relying solely on traditional hoplite warfare, Sparta now employs diplomatic persuasion backed by military threat. Brasidas presents himself as a liberator while simultaneously threatening destruction if refused. This speech exemplifies the tension between idealistic rhetoric about freedom and the pragmatic realities of power politics that characterizes much of Thucydides' work. The success of Brasidas in Thrace would eventually lead to the Peace of Nicias in 421 BCE.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Spartan Liberation Propaganda
Throughout the Peloponnesian War, Sparta claimed to be fighting to liberate Greece from Athenian imperialism. This rhetoric of freedom became a powerful diplomatic tool, though Thucydides often highlights the gap between Spartan words and actions.
Learn more →Stasis in Greek Cities
Brasidas addresses the fear of civil strife (stasis) that plagued many Greek cities. Internal conflicts between democratic and oligarchic factions often determined whether a city allied with Athens or Sparta, making neutrality difficult.
Learn more →Brasidas' Character
Thucydides portrays Brasidas as uniquely talented among Spartan commanders—eloquent, energetic, and diplomatic. His success in Thrace demonstrated that Sparta could compete with Athens beyond traditional land warfare.
Learn more →Greek Concepts of Freedom
The Greek term 'eleutheria' (freedom) meant both personal liberty and political autonomy. Cities under Athenian rule paid tribute and followed Athenian foreign policy, leading to debates about whether democracy imposed by Athens truly represented freedom.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Nicias (Chapter 9-10)
Plutarch describes how Brasidas' successes in winning over Thracian cities through persuasion and moderate behavior contrasted with typical Spartan harshness, making him exceptionally dangerous to Athenian interests.
Read passage →Xenophon: Hellenica (Book 1.1.32-35)
Xenophon later describes similar Spartan 'liberation' rhetoric during the final phase of the Peloponnesian War, showing how this propaganda tool remained central to Spartan diplomacy.
Read passage →Aristotle: Politics (Book 5.1304b)
Aristotle analyzes how external powers like Sparta and Athens exploited internal political divisions in Greek cities, supporting factions that favored their respective constitutions.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Brasidas balance his promise of liberation with his threat of destruction? What does this reveal about the nature of 'freedom' in Greek interstate relations?
- Why does Brasidas emphasize that Sparta seeks no empire? How credible would this claim have seemed to his audience?
- Compare Brasidas' rhetoric here with modern military interventions justified as 'liberation.' What patterns persist across historical periods?
- What role does the fear of civil strife (stasis) play in Brasidas' speech? How does he attempt to position himself as neutral between local factions?