Today's Passage
This passage occurs during the debate at Sparta in 432 BCE, just before the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
“The object of our mission here was not to argue with your allies, but to attend to the matters on which our state dispatched us. However, the vehemence of the outcry that we hear against us has prevailed on us to come forward. It is not to combat the accusations of the cities (indeed you are not the judges before whom either we or they can plead), but to prevent your taking the wrong course on matters of great importance by yielding too readily to the persuasions of your allies. We also wish to show on a review of the whole indictment that we have a fair title to our possessions, and that our country has claims to consideration. We need not refer to remote antiquity: there we could appeal to the voice of tradition, but not to the experience of our audience. But to the Median War and contemporary history we must refer, although we are rather tired of continually bringing this subject forward. In our action during that war we ran great risk to obtain certain advantages: you had your share in the solid results, do not try to rob us of all share in the good that the glory may do us. However, the story shall be told not so much to deprecate hostility as to testify against it, and to show, if you are so ill advised as to enter into a struggle with Athens, what sort of an antagonist she is likely to prove. We assert that at Marathon we were at the front, and faced the barbarian single-handed. That when he came the second time, unable to cope with him by land we went on board our ships with all our people, and joined in the action at Salamis. This prevented his taking the Peloponnesian states in detail, and ravaging them with his fleet; when the multitude of his vessels would have made any combination for self-defence impossible. The best proof of this was furnished by the invader himself. Defeated at sea, he considered his power to be no longer what it had been, and retired as speedily as possible with the greater part of his army.
Modern Translation
We did not come here to debate with your allies, but to address the specific matters for which our city sent us. However, the intensity of the accusations we hear leveled against us compels us to speak. We do not intend to refute the charges made by various cities—for you are not sitting as judges in a court where we and they might plead our cases. Rather, we aim to prevent you from making a grave error on crucial matters by too easily accepting your allies' arguments. We also want to demonstrate, through a comprehensive review of the charges against us, that we have legitimate claim to our possessions and that our city deserves respect. There is no need to invoke ancient history—we could cite traditional accounts, but these would be beyond your direct experience. Instead, we must speak of the Persian Wars and events within living memory, though we grow weary of constantly revisiting this topic. During that conflict, we took enormous risks to secure certain benefits. You received your share of the tangible rewards—do not now attempt to deny us whatever honor and advantage our glory might bring. We tell this story not primarily to ward off your hostility, but to bear witness against it and to illustrate, should you be so unwise as to wage war against Athens, what kind of opponent you would face. We maintain that at Marathon we stood in the vanguard and confronted the barbarian alone. When the Persian returned, recognizing that we could not resist him on land, we evacuated our entire population onto ships and fought at Salamis. This action prevented him from systematically conquering the Peloponnesian cities one by one and devastating them with his fleet—for his overwhelming naval forces would have made any defensive alliance impossible. The invader himself provided the clearest evidence of this truth: after his naval defeat, he recognized that his power was broken and hastily retreated with most of his army.
Historical Context
This passage occurs during the debate at Sparta in 432 BCE, just before the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War. Athenian envoys, who happened to be in Sparta on other business, have asked to address the Spartan assembly after hearing Corinthian and other allied complaints against Athens. The speakers are defending Athens' imperial position by reminding the Spartans of Athens' crucial role in defeating the Persian invasions, particularly at Marathon (490 BCE) and Salamis (480 BCE). They argue that Athens' current power and possessions are justified rewards for these past sacrifices. This speech represents a key moment in Thucydides' analysis of how past glory and present power intersect in international relations.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Battle of Marathon
The first major Greek victory over Persia in 490 BCE, where Athens fought largely alone against Darius I's invasion force. This battle became central to Athenian identity and their claim to leadership among Greek states.
Learn more →Battle of Salamis
The decisive naval battle of 480 BCE where the Greek fleet, led by Athens, defeated Xerxes' Persian armada. Athens provided the majority of ships and Themistocles' strategy proved crucial to victory.
Learn more →Athenian Empire
By 432 BCE, Athens had transformed the Delian League from a defensive alliance into an empire. The Athenians here justify their imperial control by citing their sacrifices in the Persian Wars.
Learn more →Spartan Assembly
The Spartan decision-making body where foreign envoys could speak. This debate would ultimately lead to Sparta's decision to declare war on Athens, beginning the Peloponnesian War.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Herodotus: Histories (Book 6.102-120)
Herodotus provides the detailed account of the Battle of Marathon that the Athenian speakers reference, including Athens fighting 'single-handed' with only Plataea as ally.
Read passage →Herodotus: Histories (Book 8.40-96)
Describes the Battle of Salamis and the Athenian evacuation to their ships, confirming the speakers' claim about abandoning their city to fight at sea.
Read passage →Plutarch: Life of Themistocles (Chapters 9-15)
Details Themistocles' strategy at Salamis and the Athenian decision to abandon their city for their ships, supporting the envoys' narrative.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How do the Athenians use their past military achievements to justify their current imperial position? Is this argument convincing?
- What does this passage reveal about the role of historical memory in ancient Greek interstate relations?
- Why do the speakers claim they are 'tired' of bringing up the Persian Wars? What does this suggest about how often Athens used this argument?
- How does the Athenian emphasis on naval power at Salamis connect to their later imperial strategy?