Today's Passage
This passage occurs during the fragile Peace of Nicias (421-415 BCE), when tensions between Athens and Sparta were mounting despite their treaty.
Crawley Translation (1910)
Upon receiving this message and discovering that the Athenians, far from being privy to the Boeotian alliance, were involved in a serious quarrel with the Lacedaemonians, the Argives paid no further attention to the embassy which they had just sent to Lacedaemon on the subject of the treaty, and began to incline rather towards the Athenians, reflecting that, in the event of war, they would thus have on their side a city that was not only an ancient ally of Argos, but a sister democracy and very powerful at sea. They accordingly at once sent ambassadors to Athens to treat for an alliance, accompanied by others from Elis and Mantinea.
At the same time arrived in haste from Lacedaemon an embassy consisting of persons reputed well disposed towards the Athenians—Philocharidas, Leon, and Endius—for fear that the Athenians in their irritation might conclude alliance with the Argives, and also to ask back Pylos in exchange for Panactum, and in defence of the alliance with the Boeotians to plead that it had not been made to hurt the Athenians. Upon the envoys speaking in the senate upon these points, and stating that they had come with full powers to settle all others at issue between them, Alcibiades became afraid that, if they were to repeat these statements to the popular assembly, they might gain the multitude, and the Argive alliance might be rejected, and accordingly had recourse to the following stratagem. He persuaded the Lacedaemonians by a solemn assurance that if they would say nothing of their full powers in the assembly, he would give back Pylos to them (himself, the present opponent of its restitution, engaging to obtain this from the Athenians), and would settle the other points at issue. His plan was to detach them from Nicias and to disgrace them before the people, as being without sincerity in their intentions, or even common consistency in their language, and so to get the Argives, Eleans, and Mantineans taken into alliance. This plan proved successful. When the envoys appeared before the people, and upon the question being put to them, did not say as they had said in the senate, that they had come with full powers, the Athenians lost all patience, and carried away by Alcibiades, who thundered more loudly than ever against the Lacedaemonians, were ready instantly to introduce the Argives and their companions and to take them into alliance. An earthquake, however, occurring, before anything definite had been done, this assembly was adjourned.
Modern Translation
When the Argives received this information and learned that the Athenians were not only unaware of the Boeotian alliance but were actually engaged in a serious dispute with the Spartans, they immediately abandoned the embassy they had just dispatched to Sparta regarding the treaty. Instead, they began to lean toward Athens, reasoning that if war broke out, they would have as their ally a city that had been Argos's friend since ancient times, shared their democratic government, and possessed formidable naval power. They promptly sent ambassadors to Athens to negotiate an alliance, joined by representatives from Elis and Mantinea.
Simultaneously, a Spartan embassy arrived in Athens with great urgency. The envoys—Philocharidas, Leon, and Endius—were chosen specifically because they were known to be friendly toward Athens. The Spartans feared that the angry Athenians might form an alliance with Argos. They also came to request the return of Pylos in exchange for Panactum and to justify their Boeotian alliance by arguing it was not intended to harm Athens. When these envoys addressed the Athenian council, declaring they possessed full authority to resolve all outstanding disputes, Alcibiades grew alarmed. He feared that if they made the same declaration before the popular assembly, they might win over the people and prevent the Argive alliance.
Alcibiades therefore devised a cunning scheme. He convinced the Spartan envoys with a solemn promise: if they would not mention their full powers before the assembly, he would ensure Pylos was returned to them—though he currently opposed this—and would help settle their other disputes. His true intention was to separate them from Nicias and discredit them before the people by exposing them as insincere and inconsistent, thereby securing the alliance with Argos, Elis, and Mantinea.
The stratagem succeeded brilliantly. When the envoys appeared before the assembly and, upon questioning, failed to claim the full powers they had proclaimed to the council, the Athenians erupted in fury. Alcibiades seized the moment, denouncing the Spartans more vehemently than ever. The assembly was on the verge of immediately welcoming the Argive delegation and formalizing the alliance when an earthquake struck. Before any final decision could be made, the meeting was adjourned.
Historical Context
This passage occurs during the fragile Peace of Nicias (421-415 BCE), when tensions between Athens and Sparta were mounting despite their treaty. The Spartans had recently allied with Boeotia without consulting Athens, violating the spirit of their agreement. Meanwhile, Argos, having stayed neutral during the first phase of the Peloponnesian War, was now seeking new alliances as its thirty-year peace with Sparta expired. Alcibiades, the ambitious young Athenian politician, saw an opportunity to undermine both the peace party led by Nicias and Spartan influence by engineering a new alliance system. His deception of the Spartan envoys represents a pivotal moment in Athenian politics, demonstrating how personal ambition and interstate diplomacy intersected in classical Greece.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Alcibiades' Political Machinations
Alcibiades (c. 450-404 BCE) was one of Athens' most controversial figures. His manipulation of the Spartan envoys demonstrates his political cunning and willingness to deceive for personal gain. This episode showcases how individual ambition could shape interstate relations in ancient Greece.
Learn more →The Peace of Nicias
Signed in 421 BCE, this treaty temporarily halted the Peloponnesian War but proved unstable. The peace was undermined by unresolved territorial disputes and conflicting alliance obligations, as this passage illustrates with the Boeotian alliance controversy.
Learn more →Athenian Democracy
The passage reveals the two-tier structure of Athenian democracy: the boule (council) and the ekklesia (assembly). Alcibiades exploits the difference between these bodies, showing how skilled politicians could manipulate democratic institutions.
Learn more →Divine Signs in Greek Politics
The earthquake that ends the assembly would have been interpreted as divine intervention. Greeks regularly saw natural phenomena as messages from the gods, and such events could legitimately halt political proceedings.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Alcibiades (14.1-15.1)
Plutarch provides a detailed account of this same deception, emphasizing Alcibiades' cleverness and the Spartans' anger when they discovered the trick. He adds personal details about Alcibiades' motivations.
Read passage →Plutarch: Life of Nicias (10.1-4)
Offers Nicias' perspective on these events, portraying him as outmaneuvered by Alcibiades' scheming. Shows how this incident damaged Nicias' credibility and strengthened Alcibiades' position.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (12.76-77)
Provides a condensed version of these negotiations, focusing on the broader diplomatic context and the formation of the Quadruple Alliance between Athens, Argos, Mantinea, and Elis.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- Was Alcibiades' deception of the Spartan envoys justified by political necessity, or does it represent a dangerous corruption of diplomatic norms?
- How does this episode illustrate the tensions between personal ambition and state interest in democratic Athens?
- What role did religious interpretation (the earthquake) play in Greek political life, and how might modern readers understand such interventions?
- Compare the decision-making processes of the Athenian council and assembly. What are the advantages and dangers of each?