Today's Passage
This passage marks a crucial transition in Thucydides' narrative, where he reflects on the structure and duration of the entire Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE).
Crawley Translation (1910)
The history of this period has been also written by the same Thucydides, an Athenian, in the chronological order of events by summers and winters, to the time when the Lacedaemonians and their allies put an end to the Athenian empire, and took the Long Walls and Piraeus. The war had then lasted for twenty-seven years in all. Only a mistaken judgment can object to including the interval of treaty in the war. Looked at by the light of facts it cannot, it will be found, be rationally considered a state of peace, where neither party either gave or got back all that they had agreed, apart from the violations of it which occurred on both sides in the Mantinean and Epidaurian wars and other instances, and the fact that the allies in the direction of Thrace were in as open hostility as ever, while the Boeotians had only a truce renewed every ten days. So that the first ten years’ war, the treacherous armistice that followed it, and the subsequent war will, calculating by the seasons, be found to make up the number of years which I have mentioned, with the difference of a few days, and to afford an instance of faith in oracles being for once justified by the event. I certainly all along remember from the beginning to the end of the war its being commonly declared that it would last thrice nine years. I lived through the whole of it, being of an age to comprehend events, and giving my attention to them in order to know the exact truth about them. It was also my fate to be an exile from my country for twenty years after my command at Amphipolis; and being present with both parties, and more especially with the Peloponnesians by reason of my exile, I had leisure to observe affairs somewhat particularly. I will accordingly now relate the differences that arose after the ten years’ war, the breach of the treaty, and the hostilities that followed.
Modern Translation
The same Thucydides, an Athenian, has also written the history of this period, arranging events chronologically by summers and winters up to the point when the Spartans and their allies destroyed the Athenian empire and captured the Long Walls and Piraeus. By then, the war had lasted twenty-seven years in total. Anyone who refuses to count the period of the treaty as part of the war is making a serious error in judgment. When examined carefully in light of what actually happened, it becomes clear that this cannot reasonably be called a time of peace. Neither side fully honored their agreements—neither returning nor receiving everything they had promised. Beyond this, both sides violated the treaty in the wars at Mantinea and Epidaurus, among other conflicts. Moreover, Athens' allies in Thrace remained as hostile as ever, while the Boeotians merely maintained a truce that required renewal every ten days. Therefore, when one calculates by seasons, the first ten years of war, the deceptive peace that followed, and the subsequent fighting add up to the total I have stated, give or take a few days. This provides a rare example of an oracle proving accurate, for I clearly remember that throughout the entire war, from beginning to end, people commonly said it would last twenty-seven years. I lived through all of it, being old enough to understand events and paying careful attention to learn the precise truth about them. I was also condemned to twenty years of exile from my homeland after my command at Amphipolis. This gave me access to both sides—particularly the Peloponnesians, due to my exile—and the leisure to observe matters with special care. I will therefore now describe the disputes that arose after the first ten years of war, the breakdown of the peace treaty, and the renewed hostilities that followed.
Historical Context
This passage marks a crucial transition in Thucydides' narrative, where he reflects on the structure and duration of the entire Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE). Writing after Athens' final defeat, Thucydides defends his decision to treat the Peace of Nicias (421-413 BCE) as merely an interruption rather than a true end to hostilities. He reveals personal details about his exile following his failure as a general at Amphipolis in 424 BCE, which paradoxically enhanced his ability to observe both sides of the conflict. This meta-historical commentary is rare in ancient historiography and demonstrates Thucydides' methodological sophistication. The passage also touches on the fulfillment of an oracle predicting a 27-year war, unusual for the rationalist Thucydides who typically dismisses supernatural explanations.
Annotations & References
Peace of Nicias
The treaty signed in 421 BCE between Athens and Sparta, intended to last fifty years but breaking down after only six. Thucydides argues it was never truly implemented, as neither side fulfilled its terms and proxy conflicts continued throughout the supposed peace period.
Learn more →Thucydides' Exile
In 424 BCE, Thucydides failed to prevent the Spartan capture of Amphipolis while serving as strategos. His subsequent twenty-year exile from Athens ironically improved his historical perspective, granting him access to Peloponnesian sources and viewpoints typically unavailable to Athenian writers.
Learn more →Ancient Greek Chronology
Greeks typically dated events by archons, Olympiads, or local magistrates. Thucydides innovated by using a seasonal system (summers and winters) to create a universal chronological framework independent of local calendars, enabling precise cross-referencing of simultaneous events across the Greek world.
Learn more →Long Walls of Athens
The fortification walls connecting Athens to its port at Piraeus, completed around 450 BCE. Their destruction in 404 BCE symbolized Athens' total defeat, as they had enabled the city to withstand sieges by maintaining access to naval supplies throughout the war.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Xenophon: Hellenica (Book 2.2.23)
Xenophon describes the actual demolition of the Long Walls to flute music, presenting it as a day of liberation for Greece, contrasting with Thucydides' more analytical treatment of Athens' defeat.
Read passage →Plutarch: Life of Nicias (Chapters 9-10)
Plutarch provides biographical details about the Peace of Nicias negotiations, offering personal anecdotes that complement Thucydides' structural analysis of why the peace failed.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (Book 12.75-76)
Diodorus covers the Peace of Nicias period, generally following Ephorus rather than Thucydides, providing an alternative perspective on whether this period constituted genuine peace.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Thucydides' exile potentially affect his objectivity as a historian? Does his access to both sides outweigh any bitterness toward Athens?
- Why might Thucydides include the oracle about the war lasting 27 years when he typically dismisses religious explanations?
- What does this passage reveal about ancient Greek concepts of war and peace? How do they differ from modern definitions?
- How does Thucydides' seasonal dating system represent an innovation in historical methodology?