Today's Passage
This passage describes the Battle of Mantinea (418 BCE), a crucial engagement during the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
The armies being now on the eve of engaging, each contingent received some words of encouragement from its own commander. The Mantineans were, reminded that they were going to fight for their country and to avoid returning to the experience of servitude after having tasted that of empire; the Argives, that they would contend for their ancient supremacy, to regain their once equal share of Peloponnese of which they had been so long deprived, and to punish an enemy and a neighbour for a thousand wrongs; the Athenians, of the glory of gaining the honours of the day with so many and brave allies in arms, and that a victory over the Lacedaemonians in Peloponnese would cement and extend their empire, and would besides preserve Attica from all invasions in future. These were the incitements addressed to the Argives and their allies. The Lacedaemonians meanwhile, man to man, and with their war-songs in the ranks, exhorted each brave comrade to remember what he had learnt before; well aware that the long training of action was of more saving virtue than any brief verbal exhortation, though never so well delivered.
After this they joined battle, the Argives and their allies advancing with haste and fury, the Lacedaemonians slowly and to the music of many flute-players—a standing institution in their army, that has nothing to do with religion, but is meant to make them advance evenly, stepping in time, without break their order, as large armies are apt to do in the moment of engaging.
Just before the battle joined, King Agis resolved upon the following manoeuvre. All armies are alike in this: on going into action they get forced out rather on their right wing, and one and the other overlap with this adversary’s left; because fear makes each man do his best to shelter his unarmed side with the shield of the man next him on the right, thinking that the closer the shields are locked together the better will he be protected. The man primarily responsible for this is the first upon the right wing, who is always striving to withdraw from the enemy his unarmed side; and the same apprehension makes the rest follow him. On the present occasion the Mantineans reached with their wing far beyond the Sciritae, and the Lacedaemonians and Tegeans still farther beyond the Athenians, as their army was the largest. Agis, afraid of his left being surrounded, and thinking that the Mantineans outflanked it too far, ordered the Sciritae and Brasideans to move out from their place in the ranks and make the line even with the Mantineans, and told the Polemarchs Hipponoidas and Aristocles to fill up the gap thus formed, by throwing themselves into it with two companies taken from the right wing; thinking that his right would still be strong enough and to spare, and that the line fronting the Mantineans would gain in solidity.
Modern Translation
With the armies poised on the brink of battle, each allied force received words of encouragement from their respective commanders. The Mantineans were reminded that they fought for their homeland and to prevent a return to subjugation after having experienced the taste of dominion; the Argives, that they struggled to reclaim their ancient hegemony and to recover their rightful share of the Peloponnese from which they had been excluded for so long, while also exacting vengeance on an enemy and neighbor for countless injuries; the Athenians were told of the honor they would win fighting alongside such numerous and valiant allies, and that defeating the Spartans in the Peloponnese would both solidify and expand their empire while ensuring Attica's future security against invasion. Such were the exhortations delivered to the Argives and their confederates. The Spartans, by contrast, encouraged one another individually and through their traditional war chants, each veteran warrior reminding his comrades of their training and duty—for they understood that prolonged discipline in combat held greater protective power than any speech, however eloquently delivered in the moment.
Following these preparations, the forces engaged. The Argives and their allies charged forward with passionate fury, while the Spartans advanced deliberately, accompanied by numerous flute players—a customary feature of their military that served no religious purpose but rather ensured they maintained formation, marching in rhythm without disrupting their battle line, as large armies tend to do at the moment of collision.
Moments before the clash, King Agis executed a tactical decision. All armies share this tendency: when advancing into combat, they drift rightward, causing each side to outflank their opponent's left wing. This occurs because each soldier, fearing for his exposed right side, seeks protection beneath his neighbor's shield, believing that tightly interlocked shields provide the greatest security. The rightmost soldier bears primary responsibility for this drift, constantly attempting to shield his vulnerable flank from the enemy, and his defensive instinct ripples through the entire line. In this engagement, the Mantinean wing extended well beyond the Sciritae, while the Spartans and Tegeans—commanding the largest force—projected even further past the Athenians. Agis, concerned about his left flank being enveloped and judging the Mantinean overlap excessive, commanded the Sciritae and Brasideans to shift from their positions to align with the Mantineans. He then ordered the commanders Hipponoidas and Aristocles to plug the resulting gap with two companies drawn from the right wing, calculating that his right would remain sufficiently strong while the line facing the Mantineans would achieve greater cohesion.
Historical Context
This passage describes the Battle of Mantinea (418 BCE), a crucial engagement during the Peloponnesian War. The anti-Spartan coalition of Argos, Mantinea, Athens, and other allies confronted the Spartan army led by King Agis II. The battle represented a critical test of Spartan military supremacy after the Peace of Nicias had temporarily halted direct conflict between Athens and Sparta. The outcome would determine the balance of power in the Peloponnese and influence whether other Greek states would continue to challenge Spartan hegemony. Thucydides provides detailed analysis of pre-battle speeches, the psychological dynamics of hoplite warfare, and Agis's controversial last-minute tactical maneuver that would prove nearly disastrous for the Spartans.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Hoplite Warfare
Greek hoplite phalanxes naturally drifted right during advance because each soldier sought protection under his neighbor's shield. This 'othismos' phenomenon created tactical vulnerabilities that commanders had to anticipate and counter through training and battlefield adjustments.
Learn more →Spartan Military Music
The Spartan use of flute players (auletes) in battle was unique among Greek armies. This practice maintained unit cohesion and tempo during advance, demonstrating Sparta's emphasis on discipline over individual valor. The music helped coordinate the notoriously difficult phalanx maneuver.
Learn more →Battle of Mantinea
The first Battle of Mantinea (418 BCE) was the largest hoplite battle of the Peloponnesian War. Despite tactical errors, Sparta's victory reestablished their military reputation and prevented the anti-Spartan coalition from breaking their control over the Peloponnese.
Learn more →Pre-Battle Exhortation
Ancient commanders delivered paraenetic speeches before battle to motivate troops. Thucydides contrasts elaborate allied speeches appealing to various motivations with Spartan reliance on training and tradition, reflecting different military cultures and the historian's interest in rhetoric versus reality.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Xenophon: Hellenica (Book 7, Chapter 5.18-20)
Xenophon describes the second Battle of Mantinea (362 BCE), noting similar tactical considerations about phalanx drift and the importance of maintaining formation during the advance.
Read passage →Plutarch: Life of Agesilaus (Chapter 18)
Plutarch discusses Spartan military customs including their use of music in battle and their emphasis on discipline over passionate charges, corroborating Thucydides' account.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (Book 12, Chapter 79)
Diodorus provides a parallel account of the Battle of Mantinea, though with less tactical detail than Thucydides, focusing more on the political consequences of the Spartan victory.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Thucydides use the contrast between allied speeches and Spartan preparation to comment on the relationship between words and actions in warfare?
- What does the rightward drift of hoplite armies reveal about the psychology of ancient warfare and the tension between individual self-preservation and collective success?
- Why might Thucydides emphasize that Spartan military music 'has nothing to do with religion'? What assumptions about Greek warfare is he challenging?
- How does King Agis's last-minute tactical adjustment illustrate both the opportunities and dangers of battlefield innovation versus adherence to established doctrine?