Today's Passage
This passage describes a pivotal diplomatic realignment in 420 BCE during the Peace of Nicias.
Crawley Translation (1910)
The Lacedaemonians and Argives agree to a treaty and alliance for fifty years upon the terms following:
1. All disputes shall be decided by fair and impartial arbitration, agreeably to the customs of the two countries.
2. The rest of the cities in Peloponnese may be included in this treaty and alliance, as independent and sovereign, in full enjoyment of what they possess, all disputes being decided by fair and impartial arbitration, agreeably to the customs of the said cities.
3. All allies of the Lacedaemonians outside Peloponnese shall be upon the same footing as the Lacedaemonians themselves, and the allies of the Argives shall be upon the same footing as the Argives themselves, continuing to enjoy what they possess.
4. If it shall be anywhere necessary to make an expedition in common, the Lacedaemonians and Argives shall consult upon it and decide, as may be most fair for the allies.
5. If any of the cities, whether inside or outside Peloponnese, have a question whether of frontiers or otherwise, it must be settled, but if one allied city should have a quarrel with another allied city, it must be referred to some third city thought impartial by both parties. Private citizens shall have their disputes decided according to the laws of their several countries.
The treaty and above alliance concluded, each party at once released everything whether acquired by war or otherwise, and thenceforth acting in common voted to receive neither herald nor embassy from the Athenians unless they evacuated their forts and withdrew from Peloponnese, and also to make neither peace nor war with any, except jointly. Zeal was not wanting: both parties sent envoys to the Thracian places and to Perdiccas, and persuaded the latter to join their league. Still he did not at once break off from Athens, although minded to do so upon seeing the way shown him by Argos, the original home of his family. They also renewed their old oaths with the Chalcidians and took new ones: the Argives, besides, sent ambassadors to the Athenians, bidding them evacuate the fort at Epidaurus. The Athenians, seeing their own men outnumbered by the rest of the garrison, sent Demosthenes to bring them out. This general, under colour of a gymnastic contest which he arranged on his arrival, got the rest of the garrison out of the place, and shut the gates behind them. Afterwards the Athenians renewed their treaty with the Epidaurians, and by themselves gave up the fortress.
Modern Translation
The Spartans and Argives established a treaty and military alliance for fifty years based on these conditions:
1. All disagreements must be resolved through fair and unbiased arbitration, following the established traditions of both states.
2. Other Peloponnesian cities may join this treaty and alliance as autonomous and sovereign states, maintaining full control of their territories. Any disputes involving them must be settled through fair and unbiased arbitration according to their own customs.
3. Spartan allies outside the Peloponnese shall enjoy the same status as Sparta itself, while Argive allies shall have equal standing with Argos, each maintaining their current possessions.
4. Should joint military action become necessary, Sparta and Argos will deliberate together and reach decisions that are most equitable for all allied states.
5. If any city, whether within or beyond the Peloponnese, has a dispute about borders or other matters, it must be resolved through arbitration. When two allied cities quarrel with each other, they must submit their case to a third city that both parties consider neutral. Private legal matters shall be handled according to each state's laws.
Once this treaty and alliance were ratified, both parties immediately returned all territories and property seized during the war. Acting in concert, they resolved to reject any Athenian herald or embassy unless Athens first abandoned its fortifications and withdrew from the Peloponnese. They also agreed to make no separate peace or war without mutual consent. Both states enthusiastically dispatched envoys to the Thracian region and to Perdiccas, successfully persuading him to join their alliance. However, Perdiccas didn't immediately sever ties with Athens, though he was inclined to follow Argos's example, given his family's Argive origins. They also renewed their existing oaths with the Chalcidians and swore new ones. Additionally, Argos sent ambassadors to Athens demanding the evacuation of the Epidaurus fortress. The Athenians, recognizing their garrison was outnumbered, sent Demosthenes to extract their troops. Upon arrival, this general organized an athletic competition as a pretext, lured the non-Athenian garrison members outside, then barred the gates behind them. Subsequently, the Athenians renewed their treaty with Epidaurus and unilaterally surrendered the fortress.
Historical Context
This passage describes a pivotal diplomatic realignment in 420 BCE during the Peace of Nicias. After years of conflict, Sparta and Argos - traditionally hostile powers - formed an unprecedented fifty-year alliance. This dramatic shift occurred because both states felt threatened by Athens' continued expansion despite the nominal peace. The treaty's detailed arbitration clauses reflect Greek interstate law traditions, while its provisions for including other cities show how major powers competed for regional hegemony. The involvement of Perdiccas of Macedon and the Chalcidians demonstrates how this realignment affected the broader Greek world. The episode at Epidaurus, where Demosthenes cleverly seized control through deception, illustrates the continued tensions and strategic maneuvering that characterized this unstable peace period.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Greek Arbitration
Interstate arbitration was a crucial diplomatic mechanism in ancient Greece. Cities would submit disputes to neutral third parties, often prestigious religious sites like Delphi. This system attempted to prevent warfare through legal means, though it frequently failed when power politics intervened.
Learn more →Argos in the Peloponnesian War
Argos, traditionally neutral due to a thirty-year peace with Sparta, emerged as a major player after 421 BCE. Its democratic government and historical rivalry with Sparta made it a natural counterweight to Spartan hegemony in the Peloponnese.
Learn more →Perdiccas II of Macedon
The Macedonian king (c. 448-413 BCE) skillfully navigated between Athens and Sparta throughout the war. His Argive ancestry, mentioned here, refers to the mythical Temenid dynasty's claim to descend from Heracles of Argos.
Learn more →Peace of Nicias
The 421 BCE peace treaty between Athens and Sparta proved unstable, as neither side fully honored its terms. This Spartan-Argive alliance represents one of many diplomatic realignments that ultimately led to the war's resumption.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Alcibiades (14-15)
Plutarch describes how Alcibiades orchestrated the Athenian alliance with Argos, Elis, and Mantinea to counter this Spartan-Argive rapprochement, showing the diplomatic complexity of this period.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (12.75-78)
Provides an alternative account of the diplomatic maneuvering between 421-418 BCE, including the shifting alliances between Sparta, Argos, and Athens.
Read passage →Xenophon: Hellenica (5.2.1-7)
Though describing later events, Xenophon's account of Spartan treaty-making procedures and arbitration clauses provides context for understanding similar diplomatic instruments.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How do the arbitration clauses in this treaty reflect Greek attempts to create international law? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this system?
- Why would Argos, traditionally hostile to Sparta, suddenly ally with its old enemy? What does this reveal about the balance of power in Greece?
- Analyze Demosthenes' deception at Epidaurus. How does Thucydides present this act of trickery, and what might this suggest about his views on political morality?
- Compare the terms of autonomy offered to allied cities in this treaty with Athens' treatment of its allies. What different models of hegemony do they represent?