Today's Passage
This passage marks a crucial turning point in the Archidamian War (431-421 BCE), the first phase of the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
Indeed it so happened that directly after the battle of Amphipolis and the retreat of Ramphias from Thessaly, both sides ceased to prosecute the war and turned their attention to peace. Athens had suffered severely at Delium, and again shortly afterwards at Amphipolis, and had no longer that confidence in her strength which had made her before refuse to treat, in the belief of ultimate victory which her success at the moment had inspired; besides, she was afraid of her allies being tempted by her reverses to rebel more generally, and repented having let go the splendid opportunity for peace which the affair of Pylos had offered. Lacedaemon, on the other hand, found the event of the war to falsify her notion that a few years would suffice for the overthrow of the power of the Athenians by the devastation of their land. She had suffered on the island a disaster hitherto unknown at Sparta; she saw her country plundered from Pylos and Cythera; the Helots were deserting, and she was in constant apprehension that those who remained in Peloponnese would rely upon those outside and take advantage of the situation to renew their old attempts at revolution. Besides this, as chance would have it, her thirty years’ truce with the Argives was upon the point of expiring; and they refused to renew it unless Cynuria were restored to them; so that it seemed impossible to fight Argos and Athens at once. She also suspected some of the cities in Peloponnese of intending to go over to the enemy and that was indeed the case.
These considerations made both sides disposed for an accommodation; the Lacedaemonians being probably the most eager, as they ardently desired to recover the men taken upon the island, the Spartans among whom belonged to the first families and were accordingly related to the governing body in Lacedaemon. Negotiations had been begun directly after their capture, but the Athenians in their hour of triumph would not consent to any reasonable terms; though after their defeat at Delium, Lacedaemon, knowing that they would be now more inclined to listen, at once concluded the armistice for a year, during which they were to confer together and see if a longer period could not be agreed upon.
Modern Translation
As it happened, immediately following the battle at Amphipolis and Ramphias's withdrawal from Thessaly, both powers stopped pursuing active warfare and turned their attention toward peace. Athens had been badly mauled at Delium and then again soon after at Amphipolis. She no longer possessed that self-assurance which had previously led her to reject negotiations, believing that her current successes guaranteed eventual victory. Moreover, she feared that her defeats might encourage more widespread revolts among her allies, and she regretted squandering the excellent opportunity for peace that the Pylos affair had presented. Sparta, for her part, discovered that the war's progress contradicted her assumption that a few years of ravaging Athenian territory would suffice to destroy Athens' power. She had endured an unprecedented catastrophe on the island; her territory was being raided from Pylos and Cythera; the Helots were defecting; and she lived in perpetual fear that those remaining in the Peloponnese might join forces with the escapees and attempt another revolution, as they had before. Additionally, by unfortunate coincidence, her thirty-year treaty with Argos was about to expire, and the Argives refused renewal unless Cynuria was returned to them—making simultaneous war against both Argos and Athens appear impossible. She also suspected that certain Peloponnesian cities planned to defect to the enemy, suspicions that proved accurate.
These factors inclined both sides toward settlement, with Sparta probably the more eager party, since she desperately wanted to recover the prisoners taken on the island. The Spartan captives came from the most prominent families and were thus connected to Sparta's ruling elite. Negotiations had begun immediately after their capture, but the Athenians, flushed with success, had refused any reasonable terms. However, after Athens' defeat at Delium, Sparta—recognizing that the Athenians would now prove more receptive—immediately arranged a year's armistice, during which both sides would meet to discuss whether a more extended peace might be achievable.
Historical Context
This passage marks a crucial turning point in the Archidamian War (431-421 BCE), the first phase of the Peloponnesian War. Following major battles at Delium (424 BCE) and Amphipolis (422 BCE), both Athens and Sparta found themselves exhausted and vulnerable. The Athenian defeats, combined with Spartan losses at Pylos and ongoing Helot desertions, created conditions favorable for peace negotiations. The capture of prominent Spartans at Sphacteria (425 BCE) gave Athens significant leverage, while Sparta faced the additional threat of their treaty with Argos expiring. This mutual vulnerability led to the Peace of Nicias in 421 BCE, though it would prove to be merely an interlude in the larger conflict.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Battle of Sphacteria
The unprecedented Spartan surrender at Sphacteria (425 BCE) shocked the Greek world. 120 Spartiates were captured alive, contradicting Sparta's warrior ethos of death before surrender. These prisoners became crucial bargaining chips in peace negotiations.
Learn more →Helot System
The Helots were Sparta's enslaved population, primarily from Messenia. Their constant threat of revolt shaped Spartan society and foreign policy. The establishment of Athenian bases at Pylos and Cythera encouraged Helot desertions and heightened Spartan fears.
Learn more →Argos in the Peloponnesian War
Argos, Sparta's traditional rival in the Peloponnese, had remained neutral due to a thirty-year peace treaty. Its expiration threatened Sparta with a two-front war, as Argos controlled strategic territory (Cynuria) and could ally with Athens.
Learn more →Battle of Delium
At Delium (424 BCE), the Boeotians inflicted a major defeat on Athens, killing nearly 1,000 hoplites including the general Hippocrates. This battle demonstrated Athens' vulnerability in land warfare and shattered confidence gained from earlier victories.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Nicias (Chapters 6-7)
Plutarch provides biographical context for Nicias's role in negotiating the peace, emphasizing his moderate character and desire to end hostilities after the Pylos affair.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (Book 12.75-76)
Diodorus offers a condensed account of the peace negotiations, providing additional details about the terms discussed and the role of neutral mediators.
Read passage →Aristophanes: Peace (Lines 1-300)
This comedy, produced in 421 BCE during the peace negotiations, reflects contemporary Athenian war-weariness and popular desire for peace through allegorical satire.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Thucydides present the relationship between military success/failure and diplomatic leverage? What does this suggest about his understanding of power politics?
- Both Athens and Sparta are described as having made strategic miscalculations. What role does Thucydides assign to chance versus judgment in determining historical outcomes?
- The passage mentions domestic considerations (Helot revolts, allied defections) influencing foreign policy. How does this complicate traditional narratives of interstate conflict?
- What does the emphasis on recovering the Sphacterian prisoners reveal about Spartan society and values? How might this contradict popular perceptions of Spartan militarism?