Today's Passage
This passage marks a crucial transition in Thucydides' narrative, documenting the formal end of the Archidamian War (431-421 BCE) through the Peace of Nicias and its accompanying alliance.
Crawley Translation (1910)
4. Should the slave population rise, the Athenians shall help the Lacedaemonians with all their might, according to their power.
5. This treaty shall be sworn to by the same persons on either side that swore to the other. It shall be renewed annually by the Lacedaemonians going to Athens for the Dionysia, and the Athenians to Lacedaemon for the Hyacinthia, and a pillar shall be set up by either party: at Lacedaemon near the statue of Apollo at Amyclae, and at Athens on the Acropolis near the statue of Athene. Should the Lacedaemonians and Athenians see to add to or take away from the alliance in any particular, it shall be consistent with their oaths for both parties to do so, according to their discretion.
Those who took the oath for the Lacedaemonians were Pleistoanax, Agis, Pleistolas, Damagetus, Chionis, Metagenes, Acanthus, Daithus, Ischagoras, Philocharidas, Zeuxidas, Antippus, Alcinadas, Tellis, Empedias, Menas, and Laphilus; for the Athenians, Lampon, Isthmionicus, Laches, Nicias, Euthydemus, Procles, Pythodorus, Hagnon, Myrtilus, Thrasycles, Theagenes, Aristocrates, Iolcius, Timocrates, Leon, Lamachus, and Demosthenes.
This alliance was made not long after the treaty; and the Athenians gave back the men from the island to the Lacedaemonians, and the summer of the eleventh year began. This completes the history of the first war, which occupied the whole of the ten years previously.
Feeling against Sparta in Peloponnese—League of the Mantineans, Eleans, Argives, and Athenians—Battle of Mantinea and breaking up of the League
After the treaty and the alliance between the Lacedaemonians and Athenians, concluded after the ten years’ war, in the ephorate of Pleistolas at Lacedaemon, and the archonship of Alcaeus at Athens, the states which had accepted them were at peace; but the Corinthians and some of the cities in Peloponnese trying to disturb the settlement, a fresh agitation was instantly commenced by the allies against Lacedaemon. Further, the Lacedaemonians, as time went on, became suspected by the Athenians through their not performing some of the provisions in the treaty; and though for six years and ten months they abstained from invasion of each other’s territory, yet abroad an unstable armistice did not prevent either party doing the other the most effectual injury, until they were finally obliged to break the treaty made after the ten years’ war and to have recourse to open hostilities.
Modern Translation
4. If there is a slave uprising, the Athenians shall provide military assistance to the Spartans with their full strength, to the best of their ability.
5. This treaty shall be ratified by the same officials on both sides who swore to the previous agreement. It shall be renewed each year, with the Spartans traveling to Athens during the festival of Dionysus, and the Athenians going to Sparta for the Hyacinthia. Each party shall erect a commemorative pillar: the Spartans near Apollo's statue at Amyclae, and the Athenians on the Acropolis beside the statue of Athena. If the Spartans and Athenians wish to modify any aspect of this alliance, both parties may do so in accordance with their oaths, at their mutual discretion.
The Spartan oath-takers were: Pleistoanax, Agis, Pleistolas, Damagetus, Chionis, Metagenes, Acanthus, Daithus, Ischagoras, Philocharidas, Zeuxidas, Antippus, Alcinidas, Tellis, Empedias, Menas, and Laphilus. For Athens: Lampon, Isthmionicus, Laches, Nicias, Euthydemus, Procles, Pythodorus, Hagnon, Myrtilus, Thrasycles, Theagenes, Aristocrates, Iolcius, Timocrates, Leon, Lamachus, and Demosthenes.
This alliance was concluded shortly after the peace treaty. The Athenians returned the prisoners from Sphacteria to the Spartans, and thus began the summer of the eleventh year. This concludes the account of the first phase of the war, which lasted exactly ten years.
Dissent Against Sparta in the Peloponnese—The Coalition of Mantinea, Elis, Argos, and Athens—The Battle of Mantinea and the Coalition's Dissolution
Following the treaty and alliance between Sparta and Athens—negotiated after the ten-year conflict during Pleistolas's ephorate at Sparta and Alcaeus's archonship at Athens—the signatory states enjoyed peace. However, Corinth and several Peloponnesian cities attempted to undermine this settlement, immediately stirring the allies to agitate against Sparta. Moreover, as time passed, the Athenians grew suspicious of the Spartans for failing to fulfill certain treaty obligations. Although both sides refrained from invading each other's home territories for six years and ten months, beyond their borders the precarious truce failed to prevent mutual harm. Eventually, they were compelled to abandon the treaty established after the decade-long war and resume open warfare.
Historical Context
This passage marks a crucial transition in Thucydides' narrative, documenting the formal end of the Archidamian War (431-421 BCE) through the Peace of Nicias and its accompanying alliance. The text reveals the fragility of this peace from its inception. The provision about slave uprisings reflects Spartan anxiety about their helot population, while the list of oath-takers represents the political elite of both cities. The reference to returning prisoners from 'the island' refers to the Spartan hoplites captured at Sphacteria in 425 BCE—a shocking defeat that motivated Sparta to seek peace. Thucydides immediately signals the peace's failure by noting that within six years, hostilities resumed, leading to the second phase of the Peloponnesian War. The mention of Corinthian opposition foreshadows the diplomatic complications that would undermine the settlement.
Annotations & References
The Helot System
The clause about slave uprisings reveals Sparta's perpetual fear of helot revolts. The helots, enslaved Messenians who vastly outnumbered Spartan citizens, were essential to Sparta's economy but posed a constant security threat. This vulnerability often constrained Spartan foreign policy and made them dependent on allies for suppressing revolts.
Learn more →Religious Festivals and Diplomacy
The Dionysia and Hyacinthia festivals served diplomatic functions beyond their religious significance. The Great Dionysia in Athens featured dramatic competitions and attracted visitors from across Greece, while Sparta's Hyacinthia honored Apollo and celebrated Spartan identity. Using these festivals for treaty renewals integrated diplomacy into the religious calendar.
Learn more →The Battle of Sphacteria
The 'men from the island' refers to 292 Spartan hoplites captured at Sphacteria in 425 BCE. This unprecedented surrender of Spartan warriors shattered the myth of Spartan invincibility and gave Athens crucial leverage in peace negotiations. Their return was a key Spartan objective in concluding the Peace of Nicias.
Learn more →Greek Dating Systems
Thucydides uses both Athenian archons and Spartan ephors to date events, reflecting the absence of a unified Greek calendar. This dual dating system emphasizes the bicentric nature of the Greek world, divided between Athenian and Spartan spheres of influence, while providing chronological precision for his readers.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Nicias (9-10)
Plutarch provides biographical context for Nicias's role in negotiating the peace, emphasizing his moderate politics and desire to end hostilities. He offers personal details about the negotiations absent from Thucydides' account.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (12.75-76)
Diodorus covers the Peace of Nicias more briefly but includes details about public opinion in both cities and the role of war exhaustion in motivating the settlement, complementing Thucydides' political focus.
Read passage →Xenophon: Hellenica (1.1.1-23)
Though Xenophon begins where Thucydides ends, his opening retrospectively references the breakdown of the Peace of Nicias and provides context for understanding why the peace failed to create lasting stability.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- What does the clause about slave uprisings reveal about Sparta's fundamental vulnerabilities, and how might this have affected their approach to foreign policy?
- Why do you think Thucydides immediately undermines the peace treaty by describing its failure? What does this suggest about his view of human nature and political agreements?
- How does the religious framework for renewing the treaty (at festivals) reflect the intersection of sacred and secular authority in Greek diplomacy?
- What can we infer from the list of oath-takers about the political leadership and decision-making structures in Athens and Sparta?