Today's Passage
This passage describes an Athenian diplomatic mission to Sicily in 422 BCE, during the uneasy period between the first and second Sicilian expeditions.
Crawley Translation (1910)
About the same time Phaeax, son of Erasistratus, set sail with two colleagues as ambassador from Athens to Italy and Sicily. The Leontines, upon the departure of the Athenians from Sicily after the pacification, had placed a number of new citizens upon the roll, and the commons had a design for redividing the land; but the upper classes, aware of their intention, called in the Syracusans and expelled the commons. These last were scattered in various directions; but the upper classes came to an agreement with the Syracusans, abandoned and laid waste their city, and went and lived at Syracuse, where they were made citizens. Afterwards some of them were dissatisfied, and leaving Syracuse occupied Phocaeae, a quarter of the town of Leontini, and Bricinniae, a strong place in the Leontine country, and being there joined by most of the exiled commons carried on war from the fortifications. The Athenians hearing this, sent Phaeax to see if they could not by some means so convince their allies there and the rest of the Sicilians of the ambitious designs of Syracuse as to induce them to form a general coalition against her, and thus save the commons of Leontini. Arrived in Sicily, Phaeax succeeded at Camarina and Agrigentum, but meeting with a repulse at Gela did not go on to the rest, as he saw that he should not succeed with them, but returned through the country of the Sicels to Catana, and after visiting Bricinniae as he passed, and encouraging its inhabitants, sailed back to Athens.
During his voyage along the coast to and from Sicily, he treated with some cities in Italy on the subject of friendship with Athens, and also fell in with some Locrian settlers exiled from Messina, who had been sent thither when the Locrians were called in by one of the factions that divided Messina after the pacification of Sicily, and Messina came for a time into the hands of the Locrians. These being met by Phaeax on their return home received no injury at his hands, as the Locrians had agreed with him for a treaty with Athens. They were the only people of the allies who, when the reconciliation between the Sicilians took place, had not made peace with her; nor indeed would they have done so now, if they had not been pressed by a war with the Hipponians and Medmaeans who lived on their border, and were colonists of theirs. Phaeax meanwhile proceeded on his voyage, and at length arrived at Athens.
Modern Translation
Around this same period, Phaeax, son of Erasistratus, sailed from Athens with two fellow ambassadors on a diplomatic mission to Italy and Sicily. Following the Athenian withdrawal from Sicily after the general peace settlement, the Leontines had enrolled numerous new citizens, and the common people were planning to redistribute the land. However, the aristocratic faction, discovering this scheme, summoned Syracusan assistance and drove out the democratic party. While these exiles scattered across the region, the aristocrats struck a deal with Syracuse: they abandoned their own city, leaving it in ruins, and relocated to Syracuse where they received citizenship. Later, some of these transplanted Leontines grew discontented with their new situation. They departed Syracuse and established themselves at Phocaeae—a district within Leontine territory—and at Bricinniae, a fortified stronghold in the Leontine countryside. There they were joined by most of the exiled democrats and launched military operations from these fortified positions. When news of these developments reached Athens, they dispatched Phaeax with instructions to persuade their Sicilian allies and other city-states of Syracuse's imperial ambitions, hoping to forge a broad coalition against Syracusan power and thereby rescue the Leontine democrats. Upon arriving in Sicily, Phaeax achieved diplomatic success at Camarina and Agrigentum, but encountered rejection at Gela. Recognizing that further efforts would prove futile, he abandoned his mission to the remaining cities and instead traveled through Sicel territory to Catana. He stopped at Bricinniae along the way to encourage the resistance fighters before sailing back to Athens.
During his coastal voyage to and from Sicily, Phaeax conducted negotiations with several Italian cities regarding alliances with Athens. He also encountered Locrian colonists who had been expelled from Messina. These settlers had originally been invited by one of the warring factions during Messina's civil strife following the Sicilian peace agreement, when the city temporarily fell under Locrian control. When Phaeax met these returning exiles, he granted them safe passage, as the Locrians had already agreed to treaty negotiations with Athens. Indeed, the Locrians were unique among the allied states: when the general Sicilian reconciliation occurred, they alone had refused peace with Athens. Even now, they would have maintained their hostility if not for pressing conflicts with the Hipponians and Medmaeans—their own colonists who inhabited their borders. Phaeax continued his journey and eventually returned to Athens.
Historical Context
This passage describes an Athenian diplomatic mission to Sicily in 422 BCE, during the uneasy period between the first and second Sicilian expeditions. The mission, led by Phaeax, aimed to exploit internal conflicts in Leontini and build an anti-Syracusan coalition. The episode reveals the complex web of alliances, civil strife, and power politics that characterized Sicily in this period. Athens sought to maintain influence in the western Mediterranean through diplomacy rather than direct military intervention, attempting to check Syracuse's growing power by supporting democratic factions and forming coalitions. The mission's limited success—achieving agreements with only Camarina and Agrigentum—foreshadowed the difficulties Athens would face in its later, catastrophic Sicilian expedition of 415-413 BCE.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Sicilian Politics
Sicily in the 5th century BCE was characterized by constant conflict between democratic and oligarchic factions within cities, as well as rivalry between major powers like Syracuse and Athens. Cities frequently changed allegiances and internal revolutions were common, making the political landscape extremely volatile.
Learn more →Stasis (Civil Strife)
The conflict in Leontini exemplifies 'stasis'—internal civil war between democratic and oligarchic factions that plagued Greek city-states. Such conflicts often invited foreign intervention, as seen here with Syracuse supporting the oligarchs and Athens attempting to aid the democrats.
Learn more →Athenian Imperialism
This mission represents Athens' ongoing attempt to maintain influence in the western Mediterranean through diplomatic means. Following their withdrawal from Sicily in 424 BCE, Athens sought to prevent Syracuse from dominating the island, which would threaten Athenian commercial and strategic interests.
Learn more →Syracusan Expansion
Syracuse was emerging as the dominant power in Sicily, absorbing smaller cities and extending its influence. This expansion worried both local Sicilian cities and Athens, leading to various attempts to form coalitions against Syracusan hegemony.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (Book 12.54)
Diodorus provides additional details about the civil strife in Leontini and the role of Syracuse in Sicilian politics during this period, offering a complementary perspective to Thucydides' account.
Read passage →Plutarch: Life of Nicias (Chapter 12)
Plutarch discusses Athenian interests in Sicily and mentions diplomatic missions preceding the great expedition, providing context for understanding Athens' long-term strategic goals in the region.
Read passage →Xenophon: Hellenica (Book 1.1.27-31)
While focusing on a later period, Xenophon describes similar patterns of civil strife and foreign intervention in Greek cities, illustrating the continuity of these political dynamics.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does the civil conflict in Leontini reflect broader patterns of political instability in the Greek world? What role did economic factors (land redistribution) play?
- Why might Phaeax's diplomatic mission have failed at Gela but succeeded at Camarina and Agrigentum? What factors determined a city's receptiveness to Athenian overtures?
- Compare Athens' diplomatic approach here with their later military expedition to Sicily. What are the advantages and limitations of each strategy?
- How does the treatment of the Locrian exiles by Phaeax reflect diplomatic norms and the practical considerations of interstate relations in ancient Greece?