Today's Passage
Thucydides continues his archaeological introduction, examining the development of Greek civilization from piracy to organized states.
Crawley Translation (1910)
The islanders, too, were great pirates. These islanders were Carians and Phoenicians, by whom most of the islands were colonized, as was proved by the following fact. During the purification of Delos by Athens in this war all the graves in the island were taken up, and it was found that above half their inmates were Carians: they were identified by the fashion of the arms buried with them, and by the method of interment, which was the same as the Carians still follow. But as soon as Minos had formed his navy, communication by sea became easier, as he colonized most of the islands, and thus expelled the malefactors. The coast population now began to apply themselves more closely to the acquisition of wealth, and their life became more settled; some even began to build themselves walls on the strength of their newly acquired riches. For the love of gain would reconcile the weaker to the dominion of the stronger, and the possession of capital enabled the more powerful to reduce the smaller towns to subjection. And it was at a somewhat later stage of this development that they went on the expedition against Troy.
What enabled Agamemnon to raise the armament was more, in my opinion, his superiority in strength, than the oaths of Tyndareus, which bound the suitors to follow him. Indeed, the account given by those Peloponnesians who have been the recipients of the most credible tradition is this. First of all Pelops, arriving among a needy population from Asia with vast wealth, acquired such power that, stranger though he was, the country was called after him; and this power fortune saw fit materially to increase in the hands of his descendants. Eurystheus had been killed in Attica by the Heraclids. Atreus was his mother’s brother; and to the hands of his relation, who had left his father on account of the death of Chrysippus, Eurystheus, when he set out on his expedition, had committed Mycenæ and the government. As time went on and Eurystheus did not return, Atreus complied with the wishes of the Mycenæans, who were influenced by fear of the Heraclids—besides, his power seemed considerable, and he had not neglected to court the favour of the populace—and assumed the sceptre of Mycenæ and the rest of the dominions of Eurystheus. And so the power of the descendants of Pelops came to be greater than that of the descendants of Perseus. To all this Agamemnon succeeded. He had also a navy far stronger than his contemporaries, so that, in my opinion, fear was quite as strong an element as love in the formation of the confederate expedition. The strength of his navy is shown by the fact that his own was the largest contingent, and that of the Arcadians was furnished by him; this at least is what Homer says, if his testimony is deemed sufficient. Besides, in his account of the transmission of the sceptre, he calls him
Of many an isle, and of all Argos king.
Modern Translation
The islanders were also notorious pirates. These were Carians and Phoenicians who had colonized most of the islands, a fact proven by later evidence. When Athens purified Delos during this war, all the island's graves were excavated, revealing that more than half the buried were Carians. They were identified by their distinctive weapons and burial practices, which Carians still use today. However, once Minos established his naval power, maritime communication improved significantly. He colonized most islands and expelled the pirates. Coastal populations then focused more intently on accumulating wealth, leading to more stable settlements. Some communities even built defensive walls, empowered by their newfound prosperity. The desire for profit made weaker groups accept domination by stronger ones, while those with capital could subjugate smaller towns. It was during a later phase of this development that the expedition against Troy occurred.
In my view, Agamemnon assembled his forces primarily through superior power rather than through the oaths of Tyndareus binding Helen's suitors. The most reliable Peloponnesian tradition tells this story: Pelops first arrived from Asia with immense wealth among an impoverished population, gaining such influence that the land took his name despite his foreign origins. His descendants' power grew substantially. When Eurystheus was killed in Attica by the Heraclids, his maternal uncle Atreus assumed control. Eurystheus had entrusted Mycenae's governance to Atreus—who had fled his father over Chrysippus's death—before departing on campaign. When Eurystheus failed to return, Atreus accepted the Mycenaeans' wishes. They feared the Heraclids, and Atreus had considerable power and had cultivated popular support. Thus he took Mycenae's throne and Eurystheus's other territories. Consequently, Pelops's descendants surpassed Perseus's in power. Agamemnon inherited all this. Additionally, he commanded a navy far superior to his contemporaries', making fear as powerful as loyalty in forming the allied expedition. His naval supremacy is evident: he contributed the largest fleet contingent and provided ships for the landlocked Arcadians. Homer confirms this, if we trust his authority. Moreover, describing the scepter's transmission, Homer calls him 'lord of many islands and all Argos.'
Historical Context
Thucydides continues his archaeological introduction, examining the development of Greek civilization from piracy to organized states. He traces the evolution of naval power from Minos's anti-piracy campaigns through the accumulation of wealth and the rise of fortified settlements. The passage then shifts to explain how Agamemnon assembled the coalition against Troy, arguing that military might rather than honor-bound oaths was the primary motivating factor. This reflects Thucydides' consistent emphasis on power politics over traditional explanations. The discussion of the Pelopid dynasty's rise illustrates how wealth, political maneuvering, and naval supremacy created the conditions for large-scale military expeditions, prefiguring similar dynamics in the Peloponnesian War.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Minoan Thalassocracy
Minos's naval empire represents the first recorded maritime power in Greek tradition. Archaeological evidence from Crete supports extensive Minoan influence throughout the Aegean during the Bronze Age, though the historicity of King Minos himself remains debated.
Learn more →Purification of Delos
In 426/5 BCE, Athens removed all graves from the sacred island of Delos, birthplace of Apollo. This religious act also served imperial purposes, strengthening Athenian control over the Delian League's spiritual center.
Learn more →House of Atreus
The Pelopid dynasty ruled Mycenae through a series of violent successions. Thucydides rationalizes the mythical tradition, focusing on political maneuvering rather than the famous curse that plagued the family in tragedy.
Learn more →Oath of Tyndareus
When Helen's many suitors competed for her hand, Tyndareus made them swear to defend her chosen husband. Thucydides dismisses this romantic explanation for the Trojan War, preferring realpolitik analysis of Agamemnon's power.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Herodotus: Histories (1.171)
Herodotus also discusses the Carian origins and their reputation as mercenaries and inventors of military equipment, providing ethnographic context for Thucydides' archaeological claims.
Read passage →Homer: Iliad (2.100-108)
The Catalogue of Ships describes Agamemnon's contingent and leadership, which Thucydides cites as evidence for his naval supremacy theory.
Read passage →Apollodorus: Library (Epitome 2.15-16)
Provides the mythological account of the House of Atreus and the oath of Tyndareus, offering the traditional narrative that Thucydides critiques with his power-based analysis.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Thucydides' emphasis on fear and power rather than oaths and honor reflect his overall approach to historical causation?
- What can archaeological evidence from Delos tell us about the relationship between material culture and ethnic identity in the ancient world?
- How does the transition from piracy to settled wealth accumulation parallel modern theories of state formation?
- Why might Thucydides challenge Homer's authority while simultaneously using him as evidence?