Today's Passage
This passage describes the tense diplomatic standoff following the Battle of Sybota (433 BCE), one of the immediate catalysts of the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
The next day the thirty Athenian vessels put out to sea, accompanied by all the Corcyraean ships that were seaworthy, and sailed to the harbour at Sybota, where the Corinthians lay, to see if they would engage. The Corinthians put out from the land and formed a line in the open sea, but beyond this made no further movement, having no intention of assuming the offensive. For they saw reinforcements arrived fresh from Athens, and themselves confronted by numerous difficulties, such as the necessity of guarding the prisoners whom they had on board and the want of all means of refitting their ships in a desert place. What they were thinking more about was how their voyage home was to be effected; they feared that the Athenians might consider that the treaty was dissolved by the collision which had occurred, and forbid their departure.
Accordingly they resolved to put some men on board a boat, and send them without a herald’s wand to the Athenians, as an experiment. Having done so, they spoke as follows: “You do wrong, Athenians, to begin war and break the treaty. Engaged in chastising our enemies, we find you placing yourselves in our path in arms against us. Now if your intentions are to prevent us sailing to Corcyra, or anywhere else that we may wish, and if you are for breaking the treaty, first take us that are here and treat us as enemies.” Such was what they said, and all the Corcyraean armament that were within hearing immediately called out to take them and kill them. But the Athenians answered as follows: “Neither are we beginning war, Peloponnesians, nor are we breaking the treaty; but these Corcyraeans are our allies, and we are come to help them. So if you want to sail anywhere else, we place no obstacle in your way; but if you are going to sail against Corcyra, or any of her possessions, we shall do our best to stop you.”
Receiving this answer from the Athenians, the Corinthians commenced preparations for their voyage home, and set up a trophy in Sybota, on the continent; while the Corcyraeans took up the wrecks and dead that had been carried out to them by the current, and by a wind which rose in the night and scattered them in all directions, and set up their trophy in Sybota, on the island, as victors. The reasons each side had for claiming the victory were these. The Corinthians had been victorious in the sea-fight until night; and having thus been enabled to carry off most wrecks and dead, they were in possession of no fewer than a thousand prisoners of war, and had sunk close upon seventy vessels. The Corcyraeans had destroyed about thirty ships, and after the arrival of the Athenians had taken up the wrecks and dead on their side; they had besides seen the Corinthians retire before them, backing water on sight of the Athenian vessels, and upon the arrival of the Athenians refuse to sail out against them from Sybota. Thus both sides claimed the victory.
Modern Translation
The following day, the thirty Athenian warships set sail, joined by all the Corcyraean vessels capable of putting to sea. They sailed toward the harbor at Sybota where the Corinthian fleet was anchored, to determine whether they would accept battle. The Corinthians launched from shore and arranged their ships in battle formation in open water, but made no further aggressive moves, having no desire to initiate combat. They observed that fresh reinforcements had arrived from Athens and recognized the numerous challenges they faced: the burden of guarding their prisoners aboard ship and the impossibility of repairing their vessels in such a desolate location. Their primary concern was planning their journey home; they feared the Athenians might interpret the previous day's clash as a breach of the peace treaty and prevent their departure.
Therefore, they decided to dispatch representatives in a small boat to the Athenians without the traditional herald's staff, as a test of intentions. Upon arrival, they declared: "Athenians, you act unjustly by initiating war and violating the treaty. While we were disciplining our enemies, we discovered you blocking our path with military force. If you intend to prevent us from sailing to Corcyra or any other destination we choose, and if you mean to break the treaty, then seize us first and treat us as enemies." When they finished speaking, the entire Corcyraean force within earshot immediately demanded that the Athenians capture and execute them. However, the Athenians responded: "We are neither starting a war, Peloponnesians, nor violating the treaty. These Corcyraeans are our allies, and we have come to assist them. If you wish to sail elsewhere, we will not interfere; but if you intend to attack Corcyra or any of its territories, we will do everything in our power to prevent you."
After receiving this response, the Corinthians began preparing for their return voyage and erected a victory monument at Sybota on the mainland. Meanwhile, the Corcyraeans collected the wreckage and bodies that had drifted to them on the current and been scattered by winds that arose during the night, and established their own trophy at Sybota on the island, claiming victory. Each side justified their victory claims as follows: The Corinthians had dominated the naval battle until nightfall, enabling them to recover most of the wreckage and dead. They held over a thousand prisoners of war and had destroyed nearly seventy ships. The Corcyraeans had sunk approximately thirty vessels and, following the Athenian arrival, had retrieved the debris and casualties from their side. They had also witnessed the Corinthians withdraw at the sight of Athenian ships, rowing backward in retreat, and after the Athenian arrival, the Corinthians had refused to sail out from Sybota to engage them. Therefore, both parties declared themselves victorious.
Historical Context
This passage describes the tense diplomatic standoff following the Battle of Sybota (433 BCE), one of the immediate catalysts of the Peloponnesian War. After an indecisive naval engagement between Corinth and Corcyra, thirty Athenian ships arrived as reinforcements for their Corcyraean allies. The Corinthians, exhausted and burdened with prisoners, feared that Athens would use the previous day's skirmish as justification to attack them. The careful diplomatic exchange reveals the precarious nature of the Thirty Years' Peace treaty between Athens and Sparta's Peloponnesian League. Both sides claim victory through different interpretations of the battle's outcome, demonstrating how contested narratives could shape political legitimacy. This incident exemplifies the complex alliance system that would soon plunge the Greek world into devastating conflict.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Herald's Wand (Kerykeion)
The herald's wand (kerykeion) was a sacred symbol carried by official messengers in ancient Greece, guaranteeing their diplomatic immunity. By sending envoys without this protection, the Corinthians were taking a calculated risk, testing Athenian intentions while avoiding formal diplomatic recognition that might legitimize Athenian interference.
Learn more →Ancient Naval Warfare
Greek naval battles typically involved ramming enemy ships with bronze-reinforced prows and boarding actions. The mention of 'backing water' refers to rowing in reverse, a difficult maneuver requiring skilled coordination. The high number of prisoners suggests extensive boarding combat rather than just ramming and sinking.
Learn more →Victory Monuments (Tropaia)
Trophies (tropaia) were monuments erected on battlefields to commemorate victory, usually consisting of captured armor arranged on a wooden frame. The fact that both sides erected trophies at different locations (mainland vs. island Sybota) reflects the ambiguous outcome and each side's need to claim legitimacy.
Learn more →The Thirty Years' Peace
Signed in 446/5 BCE between Athens and Sparta, this treaty ended the First Peloponnesian War and established spheres of influence. The careful diplomatic language here reflects both sides' awareness that any violation could trigger renewed warfare between the two power blocs.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (Book 12.33)
Diodorus provides a briefer account of the Battle of Sybota, emphasizing the Athenian intervention's role in preventing Corinthian victory and noting how this incident contributed to growing tensions.
Read passage →Plutarch: Life of Pericles (29.1-2)
Plutarch describes Pericles' cautious policy of limited intervention, sending only ten ships initially to avoid provoking war while honoring alliance obligations, reflecting the delicate balance Athens tried to maintain.
Read passage →Thucydides: History of the Peloponnesian War (Book 1.44)
The preceding chapter describes the Athenian debate over whether to ally with Corcyra, showing how Athens chose a defensive alliance to avoid breaking the treaty while protecting their naval interests.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How do the Corinthians and Athenians each interpret the concept of 'defensive' action differently, and what does this reveal about the flexibility of treaty language?
- Why might both sides have erected victory monuments after an inconclusive battle? What role did public perception play in ancient Greek warfare?
- Analyze the Corinthian decision to send envoys without herald's wands. What does this suggest about their assessment of the situation?
- How does Thucydides' presentation of both sides' arguments demonstrate his historical method and claims to objectivity?