Today's Passage
This passage appears in Thucydides' 'Archaeology,' his introductory survey of early Greek history that precedes his account of the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
And even at the present day many of Hellas still follow the old fashion, the Ozolian Locrians for instance, the Aetolians, the Acarnanians, and that region of the continent; and the custom of carrying arms is still kept up among these continentals, from the old piratical habits. The whole of Hellas used once to carry arms, their habitations being unprotected and their communication with each other unsafe; indeed, to wear arms was as much a part of everyday life with them as with the barbarians. And the fact that the people in these parts of Hellas are still living in the old way points to a time when the same mode of life was once equally common to all. The Athenians were the first to lay aside their weapons, and to adopt an easier and more luxurious mode of life; indeed, it is only lately that their rich old men left off the luxury of wearing undergarments of linen, and fastening a knot of their hair with a tie of golden grasshoppers, a fashion which spread to their Ionian kindred and long prevailed among the old men there. On the contrary, a modest style of dressing, more in conformity with modern ideas, was first adopted by the Lacedaemonians, the rich doing their best to assimilate their way of life to that of the common people. They also set the example of contending naked, publicly stripping and anointing themselves with oil in their gymnastic exercises. Formerly, even in the Olympic contests, the athletes who contended wore belts across their middles; and it is but a few years since that the practice ceased. To this day among some of the barbarians, especially in Asia, when prizes for boxing and wrestling are offered, belts are worn by the combatants. And there are many other points in which a likeness might be shown between the life of the Hellenic world of old and the barbarian of to-day.
With respect to their towns, later on, at an era of increased facilities of navigation and a greater supply of capital, we find the shores becoming the site of walled towns, and the isthmuses being occupied for the purposes of commerce and defence against a neighbour. But the old towns, on account of the great prevalence of piracy, were built away from the sea, whether on the islands or the continent, and still remain in their old sites. For the pirates used to plunder one another, and indeed all coast populations, whether seafaring or not.
Modern Translation
Even today, many regions of Greece still maintain these ancient customs—the Ozolian Locrians, the Aetolians, the Acarnanians, and that part of the mainland. Among these mainland peoples, the practice of bearing arms persists, a remnant of their old piratical ways. There was a time when all of Greece went armed, as their settlements lacked fortification and travel between communities was dangerous. Indeed, carrying weapons was as integral to their daily existence as it remains among non-Greek peoples today. The fact that certain parts of Greece still live according to these old ways demonstrates that this mode of life was once universal throughout the land.
The Athenians were the first to abandon their weapons and embrace a more comfortable and refined lifestyle. Until recently, their wealthy elders still indulged in the luxury of linen undergarments and adorned their hair with golden grasshopper pins—a fashion that spread to their Ionian relatives and long persisted among their elderly. The Spartans, conversely, pioneered a more modest style of dress that aligns with contemporary sensibilities, with the wealthy deliberately adopting the lifestyle of ordinary citizens. They also introduced the practice of competing naked in athletic contests, stripping publicly and coating themselves with oil for their exercises. Previously, even Olympic competitors wore loincloths, a custom abandoned only within recent memory. To this day, among certain non-Greek peoples, particularly in Asia, contestants in boxing and wrestling competitions still wear such belts. Many other parallels could be drawn between the ancient Greek way of life and that of contemporary non-Greek peoples.
Regarding urban development, in later periods when seafaring became safer and wealth more abundant, we see fortified cities established along coastlines and settlements built on isthmuses for commercial advantage and defense against neighboring threats. However, the ancient cities, due to widespread piracy, were constructed inland, away from the sea—whether on islands or the mainland—and remain in their original locations to this day. Pirates would prey not only on each other but on all coastal inhabitants, regardless of whether they were seafarers themselves.
Historical Context
This passage appears in Thucydides' 'Archaeology,' his introductory survey of early Greek history that precedes his account of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides is establishing a developmental narrative of Greek civilization, contrasting the primitive conditions of early Greece with the sophisticated societies of his own time. He uses contemporary examples of 'backward' regions to illustrate how all Greeks once lived, employing a proto-anthropological method. The passage serves to demonstrate the gradual evolution from a lawless, armed society to the civilized city-states of classical Greece, with Athens and Sparta representing different paths of cultural development. This sets up key themes about power, progress, and the nature of civilization that will resonate throughout his history.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Golden Grasshoppers (Tettiges)
The golden grasshopper ornaments worn by elderly Athenians were symbols of autochthony—the claim that Athenians were indigenous to Attica. This fashion statement reinforced Athenian identity and their claim to be 'earth-born' rather than immigrants, a significant ideological distinction in Greek political thought.
Learn more →Greek Athletic Nudity
The practice of competing naked (gymnos) in athletics was distinctively Greek and seen as a mark of civilization. Thucydides credits Sparta with this innovation, which became standard in all Greek athletic competitions and was viewed as separating Greeks from 'barbarians' who remained clothed.
Learn more →Piracy in Ancient Greece
Early Greek society was characterized by endemic piracy, which Thucydides presents as a normal economic activity before the establishment of strong naval powers. This lawlessness necessitated inland settlement patterns and the constant bearing of arms for self-defense.
Learn more →Ozolian Locrians
The Ozolian Locrians inhabited a mountainous region of central Greece and were considered culturally backward by other Greeks. Thucydides uses them as an example of peoples still living in the 'old way,' maintaining customs abandoned by more advanced Greek societies.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Herodotus: Histories (Book 1.56-58)
Herodotus discusses the division between Dorian and Ionian Greeks, including cultural differences in dress and customs that complement Thucydides' observations about Athenian and Spartan lifestyles.
Read passage →Pausanias: Description of Greece (Book 1.44.1)
Pausanias provides archaeological evidence for early Greek settlement patterns, confirming Thucydides' claims about inland cities built to avoid piracy.
Read passage →Aristotle: Politics (Book 1.1256b)
Aristotle discusses piracy as an ancient form of acquisition, supporting Thucydides' presentation of it as a normal economic activity in early Greece.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Thucydides use contemporary 'backward' peoples to reconstruct the Greek past? What are the strengths and limitations of this comparative method?
- What does this passage reveal about Greek attitudes toward 'civilization' and 'barbarism'? How do clothing and athletic practices serve as cultural markers?
- Compare the different paths to modernity taken by Athens (luxury and refinement) and Sparta (egalitarian austerity). What does this suggest about Greek values?
- How does the geography of piracy shape urban development in early Greece? What parallels might we draw to modern security concerns and city planning?