Today's Passage
This passage occurs during the eighth year of the Peloponnesian War (424 BCE), following Brasidas's successful northern campaign.
Crawley Translation (1910)
While the investment of Scione was in progress, Perdiccas sent a herald to the Athenian generals and made peace with the Athenians, through spite against Brasidas for the retreat from Lyncus, from which moment indeed he had begun to negotiate. The Lacedaemonian Ischagoras was just then upon the point of starting with an army overland to join Brasidas; and Perdiccas, being now required by Nicias to give some proof of the sincerity of his reconciliation to the Athenians, and being himself no longer disposed to let the Peloponnesians into his country, put in motion his friends in Thessaly, with whose chief men he always took care to have relations, and so effectually stopped the army and its preparation that they did not even try the Thessalians. Ischagoras himself, however, with Ameinias and Aristeus, succeeded in reaching Brasidas; they had been commissioned by the Lacedaemonians to inspect the state of affairs, and brought out from Sparta (in violation of all precedent) some of their young men to put in command of the towns, to guard against their being entrusted to the persons upon the spot. Brasidas accordingly placed Clearidas, son of Cleonymus, in Amphipolis, and Pasitelidas, son of Hegesander, in Torone.
The same summer the Thebans dismantled the wall of the Thespians on the charge of Atticism, having always wished to do so, and now finding it an easy matter, as the flower of the Thespian youth had perished in the battle with the Athenians. The same summer also the temple of Hera at Argos was burnt down, through Chrysis, the priestess, placing a lighted torch near the garlands and then falling asleep, so that they all caught fire and were in a blaze before she observed it. Chrysis that very night fled to Phlius for fear of the Argives, who, agreeably to the law in such a case, appointed another priestess named Phaeinis. Chrysis at the time of her flight had been priestess for eight years of the present war and half the ninth. At the close of the summer the investment of Scione was completed, and the Athenians, leaving a detachment to maintain the blockade, returned with the rest of their army.
During the winter following, the Athenians and Lacedaemonians were kept quiet by the armistice; but the Mantineans and Tegeans, and their respective allies, fought a battle at Laodicium, in the Oresthid. The victory remained doubtful, as each side routed one of the wings opposed to them, and both set up trophies and sent spoils to Delphi. After heavy loss on both sides the battle was undecided, and night interrupted the action; yet the Tegeans passed the night on the field and set up a trophy at once, while the Mantineans withdrew to Bucolion and set up theirs afterwards.
Modern Translation
While the siege of Scione continued, Perdiccas sent an envoy to the Athenian commanders and negotiated a peace treaty with Athens. His motivation was resentment toward Brasidas over the withdrawal from Lyncus—indeed, from that very moment he had begun diplomatic overtures. The Spartan Ischagoras was at that time preparing to march overland with reinforcements to join Brasidas. Perdiccas, now under pressure from Nicias to demonstrate his genuine commitment to reconciliation with Athens, and himself no longer willing to allow Peloponnesian forces into his territory, activated his network of contacts in Thessaly. He had always maintained careful relationships with Thessaly's leading figures, and through them he so thoroughly obstructed the army's passage that they didn't even attempt to negotiate with the Thessalians. Ischagoras himself, however, along with Ameinias and Aristeus, managed to reach Brasidas. They had been sent by the Spartans to assess the situation and, breaking with all established custom, brought young Spartans from home to install as governors of the cities, rather than trusting local appointees. Brasidas therefore stationed Clearidas, son of Cleonymus, at Amphipolis, and Pasitelidas, son of Hegesander, at Torone.
That same summer, the Thebans demolished the fortifications of Thespiae, accusing its citizens of pro-Athenian sympathies. They had long desired to do this and now found it easily accomplished, as Thespiae's best warriors had fallen in battle against the Athenians. During this summer too, the temple of Hera at Argos burned down when Chrysis, the priestess, placed a burning torch near the sacred garlands and fell asleep, allowing the fire to spread throughout the temple before she noticed. That very night, Chrysis fled to Phlius, fearing Argive justice. The Argives, following their established law for such cases, appointed a new priestess named Phaeinis. At the time of her flight, Chrysis had served as priestess for eight and a half years of the current war. As summer ended, the encirclement of Scione was completed, and the Athenians departed with most of their forces, leaving a garrison to maintain the blockade.
During the following winter, the armistice kept Athens and Sparta inactive, but the Mantineans and Tegeans, along with their respective allies, clashed at Laodicium in Oresthasian territory. The outcome proved inconclusive: each army routed the enemy wing facing them, and both erected trophies and dispatched offerings to Delphi. After severe casualties on both sides, with the battle still undecided, nightfall ended the fighting. The Tegeans remained on the battlefield overnight and immediately erected their trophy, while the Mantineans retreated to Bucolion and raised their trophy later.
Historical Context
This passage occurs during the eighth year of the Peloponnesian War (424 BCE), following Brasidas's successful northern campaign. Perdiccas II of Macedon, previously allied with Sparta, switches sides to Athens after Brasidas abandoned him during a campaign in Lyncus. The passage reveals the complex diplomatic maneuvering characteristic of the war, as Perdiccas uses his Thessalian connections to block Spartan reinforcements. Meanwhile, Sparta's unprecedented decision to send young Spartans as governors shows their concern about maintaining control over newly acquired territories. The burning of Hera's temple at Argos and the indecisive battle between Mantinea and Tegea illustrate how the war's disruptions extended throughout Greece, even affecting religiously neutral Argos and creating conflicts between traditional Peloponnesian rivals.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Perdiccas II of Macedon
Perdiccas II (r. 454-413 BCE) was notorious for switching alliances between Athens and Sparta throughout the Peloponnesian War. His control over routes through Macedonia and influence in Thessaly made him a valuable but unreliable ally. This passage shows his characteristic opportunism, abandoning Sparta when Brasidas failed to support his territorial ambitions.
Learn more →Spartan Governance System
Sparta's decision to send young Spartans as governors (harmosts) to Amphipolis and Torone marked a significant departure from their traditional practice of working through local proxies. This innovation, born of necessity during Brasidas's campaigns, would become standard Spartan imperial practice, ultimately contributing to resentment against Spartan hegemony.
Learn more →Greek Sacred Law
The incident at Argos illustrates Greek religious law's severity. Priestesses who allowed temple destruction faced severe penalties, often death. Chrysis's immediate flight and Argos's swift appointment of a replacement demonstrate how seriously Greeks took sacrilege, even during wartime. The careful recording of her tenure shows Thucydides's attention to religious chronology.
Learn more →Thessalian Politics
Thessaly's aristocratic families controlled crucial north-south routes through Greece. Their federal structure made unified policy difficult, allowing foreign powers to cultivate individual aristocrats. Perdiccas's ability to block Spartan passage demonstrates how these personal relationships could determine strategic outcomes in Greek interstate relations.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (12.72-73)
Diodorus provides a parallel account of Brasidas's northern campaigns and mentions Perdiccas's unreliability, though with less detail about the diplomatic maneuvering described here.
Read passage →Pausanias: Description of Greece (2.17.7)
Pausanias mentions the burning of the Heraion at Argos and provides additional details about Chrysis's negligence and the temple's reconstruction, corroborating Thucydides's account.
Read passage →Xenophon: Hellenica (5.2.1-7)
Xenophon describes later conflicts between Mantinea and Tegea, showing how their rivalry persisted beyond the Peloponnesian War and shaped Peloponnesian politics for generations.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Perdiccas's behavior illustrate the challenges faced by smaller powers caught between Athens and Sparta? What options did such states have?
- What does Sparta's unprecedented decision to send young Spartans as governors reveal about the strains their new empire placed on traditional institutions?
- How does the temple burning incident at neutral Argos reflect the war's broader impact on Greek religious and social life?
- Why might Thucydides include the seemingly minor detail about the inconclusive battle between Mantinea and Tegea? What does it suggest about Greece during the armistice?