Today's Passage
This passage describes the formal ratification of a one-year armistice between Athens and Sparta in 423 BCE, during the Archidamian War phase of the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
Approved by the people.
The tribe of Acamantis had the prytany, Phoenippus was secretary, Niciades chairman. Laches moved, in the name of the good luck of the Athenians, that they should conclude the armistice upon the terms agreed upon by the Lacedaemonians and the allies. It was agreed accordingly in the popular assembly that the armistice should be for one year, beginning that very day, the fourteenth of the month of Elaphebolion; during which time ambassadors and heralds should go and come between the two countries to discuss the bases of a pacification. That the generals and prytanes should call an assembly of the people, in which the Athenians should first consult on the peace, and on the mode in which the embassy for putting an end to the war should be admitted. That the embassy now present should at once take the engagement before the people to keep well and truly this truce for one year.
On these terms the Lacedaemonians concluded with the Athenians and their allies on the twelfth day of the Spartan month Gerastius; the allies also taking the oaths. Those who concluded and poured the libation were Taurus, son of Echetimides, Athenaeus, son of Pericleidas, and Philocharidas, son of Eryxidaidas, Lacedaemonians; Aeneas, son of Ocytus, and Euphamidas, son of Aristonymus, Corinthians; Damotimus, son of Naucrates, and Onasimus, son of Megacles, Sicyonians; Nicasus, son of Cecalus, and Menecrates, son of Amphidorus, Megarians; and Amphias, son of Eupaidas, an Epidaurian; and the Athenian generals Nicostratus, son of Diitrephes, Nicias, son of Niceratus, and Autocles, son of Tolmaeus. Such was the armistice, and during the whole of it conferences went on on the subject of a pacification.
Modern Translation
The decree was ratified by the people.
The tribe of Acamantis held the presidency, with Phoenippus serving as secretary and Niciades as chairman. Laches proposed that, for the good fortune of the Athenians, they should accept the armistice on the terms negotiated by the Spartans and their allies. The assembly voted to establish a one-year truce, effective immediately on the fourteenth day of Elaphebolion. During this period, ambassadors and heralds would travel freely between the two sides to negotiate terms for a lasting peace. The generals and presiding officials were to convene an assembly where the Athenians would first deliberate about peace and determine the protocol for receiving the peace delegation. The current embassy was required to pledge immediately before the people to honor this truce faithfully for the full year.
Under these conditions, the Spartans formalized the agreement with Athens and her allies on the twelfth day of the Spartan month Gerastius, with all parties swearing oaths. Those who concluded the treaty and performed the ritual libations were: from Sparta - Taurus son of Echetimides, Athenaeus son of Pericleidas, and Philocharidas son of Eryxidaidas; from Corinth - Aeneas son of Ocytus and Euphamidas son of Aristonymus; from Sicyon - Damotimus son of Naucrates and Onasimus son of Megacles; from Megara - Nicasus son of Cecalus and Menecrates son of Amphidorus; from Epidaurus - Amphias son of Eupaidas; and the Athenian generals Nicostratus son of Diitrephes, Nicias son of Niceratus, and Autocles son of Tolmaeus. Thus the armistice was established, and throughout its duration, negotiations continued regarding a permanent peace settlement.
Historical Context
This passage describes the formal ratification of a one-year armistice between Athens and Sparta in 423 BCE, during the Archidamian War phase of the Peloponnesian War. The truce followed several Athenian military setbacks, including defeats in Boeotia and Thrace. Both sides needed respite - Athens to consolidate after losses, Sparta to address internal issues and the threat posed by Athenian-held Pylos. The detailed recording of officials and procedures reflects the formal diplomatic process of classical Greece. Nicias, who appears among the Athenian signatories, would later become the chief architect of a more comprehensive peace. This armistice represents a significant pause in hostilities, though ultimately it would prove temporary as both sides maneuvered for advantage during the negotiations.
Annotations & References
Athenian Democracy
The passage illustrates Athenian democratic procedures: tribal prytany (rotating presidency), public assembly ratification, and the requirement for immediate public oaths. The detailed recording of officials shows the bureaucratic nature of Athenian democracy and its emphasis on accountability.
Learn more →Greek Calendar Systems
The text shows the complexity of Greek chronology, mentioning both Athenian (Elaphebolion) and Spartan (Gerastius) month names. Different city-states maintained separate calendars, complicating diplomatic coordination and historical dating.
Learn more →Religious Rituals in Diplomacy
The pouring of libations mentioned here was a crucial religious act that sanctified treaties. Breaking such oath-bound agreements was considered both politically dangerous and religiously impious, invoking divine punishment.
Learn more →Nicias
Nicias son of Niceratus, mentioned as a signatory, was a wealthy Athenian politician who favored peace with Sparta. He would later negotiate the Peace of Nicias (421 BCE) and lead the disastrous Sicilian Expedition.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Nicias (Chapter 9)
Plutarch describes Nicias's role in peace negotiations and his general policy of avoiding conflict with Sparta, providing biographical context for one of the key Athenian signatories mentioned in this passage.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (Book 12.75)
Diodorus provides a parallel account of the armistice negotiations, though with less detail about the specific procedures and participants than Thucydides offers.
Read passage →Aristophanes: Peace (Lines 1-50)
This comedy, produced in 421 BCE shortly after the Peace of Nicias, reflects Athenian war-weariness and desire for peace that motivated truces like the one described here.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- What does the detailed recording of names and procedures tell us about the importance of formal diplomatic processes in ancient Greece?
- How does the requirement for immediate public oaths reflect Athenian democratic values and concerns about accountability?
- Why might both Athens and Sparta have needed this armistice at this particular moment in the war?
- What role did religious rituals like libations play in making diplomatic agreements binding in the ancient world?