Today's Passage
This passage describes the escalating tensions that led to the revolt of Potidaea in 432 BCE, a crucial event precipitating the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
Meanwhile the Potidæans sent envoys to Athens on the chance of persuading them to take no new steps in their matters; they also went to Lacedaemon with the Corinthians to secure support in case of need. Failing after prolonged negotiation to obtain anything satisfactory from the Athenians; being unable, for all they could say, to prevent the vessels that were destined for Macedonia from also sailing against them; and receiving from the Lacedaemonian government a promise to invade Attica, if the Athenians should attack Potidæa, the Potidæans, thus favoured by the moment, at last entered into league with the Chalcidians and Bottiaeans, and revolted. And Perdiccas induced the Chalcidians to abandon and demolish their towns on the seaboard and, settling inland at Olynthus, to make that one city a strong place: meanwhile to those who followed his advice he gave a part of his territory in Mygdonia round Lake Bolbe as a place of abode while the war against the Athenians should last. They accordingly demolished their towns, removed inland and prepared for war. The thirty ships of the Athenians, arriving before the Thracian places, found Potidæa and the rest in revolt. Their commanders, considering it to be quite impossible with their present force to carry on war with Perdiccas and with the confederate towns as well turned to Macedonia, their original destination, and, having established themselves there, carried on war in co-operation with Philip, and the brothers of Derdas, who had invaded the country from the interior.
Meanwhile the Corinthians, with Potidæa in revolt and the Athenian ships on the coast of Macedonia, alarmed for the safety of the place and thinking its danger theirs, sent volunteers from Corinth, and mercenaries from the rest of Peloponnese, to the number of sixteen hundred heavy infantry in all, and four hundred light troops. Aristeus, son of Adimantus, who was always a steady friend to the Potidæans, took command of the expedition, and it was principally for love of him that most of the men from Corinth volunteered. They arrived in Thrace forty days after the revolt of Potidæa.
Modern Translation
During this time, the Potidaeans dispatched ambassadors to Athens, hoping to persuade the Athenians not to take any hostile action against them. They also sent representatives to Sparta along with the Corinthians, seeking to secure military support should it become necessary. After lengthy negotiations, they failed to obtain any satisfactory terms from Athens. Unable to prevent the Athenian fleet bound for Macedonia from also targeting them, and having received a promise from the Spartan government to invade Attica if Athens attacked Potidaea, the Potidaeans seized this opportune moment to revolt. They formed an alliance with the Chalcidians and Bottiaeans. Perdiccas persuaded the Chalcidians to abandon and destroy their coastal cities and relocate inland to Olynthus, concentrating their strength in this single fortified position. To those who accepted his proposal, he granted territory in Mygdonia around Lake Bolbe as a temporary residence for the duration of the war with Athens. They demolished their cities accordingly, moved inland, and prepared for conflict. When the thirty Athenian ships reached the Thracian region, they discovered that Potidaea and the other cities had already revolted. The Athenian commanders, judging it impossible to wage war simultaneously against Perdiccas and the allied cities with their current forces, proceeded to Macedonia—their original objective. Once established there, they conducted military operations in cooperation with Philip and the brothers of Derdas, who had invaded from the interior. Meanwhile, the Corinthians, alarmed by Potidaea's revolt and the presence of Athenian ships off the Macedonian coast, viewed the city's danger as their own. They dispatched a force of volunteers from Corinth and mercenaries from throughout the Peloponnese, totaling sixteen hundred heavy infantry and four hundred light troops. Aristeus, son of Adimantus, a longtime loyal friend of the Potidaeans, commanded the expedition. His personal reputation motivated most of the Corinthian volunteers to join. They reached Thrace forty days after Potidaea's revolt.
Historical Context
This passage describes the escalating tensions that led to the revolt of Potidaea in 432 BCE, a crucial event precipitating the Peloponnesian War. Potidaea, though a Corinthian colony, was a tribute-paying member of the Athenian Empire. Caught between its mother city and its imperial master, Potidaea attempted diplomatic solutions before ultimately revolting with Corinthian support. The Macedonian king Perdiccas exploited the situation, encouraging coastal cities to abandon their settlements and concentrate inland. This strategic reorganization reflected the vulnerability of coastal positions to Athenian naval power. The Athenian response was hampered by insufficient forces, while Corinth's dispatch of troops under Aristeus demonstrated the Peloponnesian commitment to resisting Athenian expansion.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Potidaea's Strategic Importance
Potidaea occupied a crucial position on the isthmus of Pallene in the Chalcidice peninsula. As both a Corinthian colony and Athenian tributary, it embodied the competing interests that would spark the Peloponnesian War. Its location controlled access to the peninsula and threatened Athenian interests in the region.
Learn more →Perdiccas II of Macedon
The Macedonian king skillfully played Athens against its enemies. His policy of synoecism (consolidating populations) at Olynthus created a stronger defensive position against Athenian naval superiority, demonstrating how peripheral powers could influence great power conflicts.
Learn more →Corinthian-Athenian Rivalry
Corinth's intervention reveals the economic and political tensions underlying the Peloponnesian War. As a major naval and commercial power, Corinth viewed Athenian expansion as a direct threat to its colonial empire and trade networks, making conflict increasingly inevitable.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (Book 12.34)
Diodorus provides a condensed account of the Potidaean revolt, emphasizing the role of Corinthian support and the strategic importance of the city in triggering wider conflict.
Read passage →Plutarch: Life of Pericles (29-30)
Plutarch discusses Pericles' policies toward Potidaea and the Megarian Decree, showing how Athenian imperial policy contributed to the outbreak of war.
Read passage →Xenophon: Hellenica (Book 5.2.11-24)
Though describing later events, Xenophon's account of Olynthus shows the long-term consequences of Perdiccas' synoecism policy and the city's eventual significance.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Perdiccas' strategy of urban consolidation reflect the limitations of traditional Greek warfare when facing Athenian naval supremacy?
- What does the Potidaean crisis reveal about the inherent instabilities in the Athenian Empire's relationship with cities having external ties?
- How might the outcome have differed if Athens had possessed sufficient forces to immediately suppress the revolt?
- What role did personal relationships (like that between Aristeus and the Potidaeans) play in Greek interstate politics?