Today's Passage
This passage describes the transformation of the Delian League from a voluntary alliance against Persia into an Athenian empire during the 470s-460s BCE.
Crawley Translation (1910)
First the Athenians besieged and captured Eion on the Strymon from the Medes, and made slaves of the inhabitants, being under the command of Cimon, son of Miltiades. Next they enslaved Scyros, the island in the Aegean, containing a Dolopian population, and colonized it themselves. This was followed by a war against Carystus, in which the rest of Euboea remained neutral, and which was ended by surrender on conditions. After this Naxos left the confederacy, and a war ensued, and she had to return after a siege; this was the first instance of the engagement being broken by the subjugation of an allied city, a precedent which was followed by that of the rest in the order which circumstances prescribed. Of all the causes of defection, that connected with arrears of tribute and vessels, and with failure of service, was the chief; for the Athenians were very severe and exacting, and made themselves offensive by applying the screw of necessity to men who were not used to and in fact not disposed for any continuous labour. In some other respects the Athenians were not the old popular rulers they had been at first; and if they had more than their fair share of service, it was correspondingly easy for them to reduce any that tried to leave the confederacy. For this the allies had themselves to blame; the wish to get off service making most of them arrange to pay their share of the expense in money instead of in ships, and so to avoid having to leave their homes. Thus while Athens was increasing her navy with the funds which they contributed, a revolt always found them without resources or experience for war.
Modern Translation
The Athenians first besieged and captured Eion on the Strymon River from the Persians, enslaving its inhabitants under the command of Cimon, son of Miltiades. Next, they conquered Scyros, an island in the Aegean inhabited by Dolopians, enslaved the population, and established their own colony there. This was followed by a war against Carystus, during which the rest of Euboea remained neutral; the conflict ended with Carystus surrendering on terms. After this, Naxos attempted to leave the alliance, but following a war and siege, was forced to return. This marked the first time the alliance was violated through the subjugation of a member city—a precedent that would be followed with other cities as circumstances dictated. Among all causes of rebellion, the most significant were related to unpaid tribute and ships, and failure to provide military service. The Athenians were extremely strict and demanding, making themselves unpopular by imposing harsh necessities on people unaccustomed to and unwilling to endure sustained hardship. In other ways too, the Athenians no longer ruled with their initial popularity. While they bore more than their share of military service, this made it easier for them to suppress any attempts at secession. The allies bore responsibility for this situation: wanting to avoid military service, most chose to pay their contribution in money rather than ships, thus avoiding leaving home. Consequently, Athens expanded her navy using these funds, while any ally attempting revolt found themselves lacking both resources and military experience.
Historical Context
This passage describes the transformation of the Delian League from a voluntary alliance against Persia into an Athenian empire during the 470s-460s BCE. Following victories over Persia, Athens began using the League's resources to expand its own power, forcibly preventing members from leaving. The capture of Eion (476 BCE) and subjugation of Naxos (c. 469 BCE) marked crucial turning points. Thucydides identifies a key dynamic: allies preferred paying tribute to providing ships and soldiers, inadvertently funding Athens' naval supremacy while losing their own military capabilities. This created a vicious cycle where Athens grew stronger while allies became weaker and more dependent, setting the stage for the tensions that would eventually lead to the Peloponnesian War.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
The Delian League
Originally formed in 478 BCE as a defensive alliance against Persia, the Delian League gradually transformed into the Athenian Empire. Member states contributed either ships or money (phoros) to a common treasury, initially kept on the sacred island of Delos before being moved to Athens in 454 BCE.
Learn more →Cimon of Athens
Son of Miltiades (victor at Marathon), Cimon was a prominent Athenian statesman and general who led many successful campaigns in the 470s-460s BCE. He favored cooperation with Sparta and aggressive action against Persia, eventually being ostracized when his policies fell out of favor.
Learn more →Ancient Greek Colonization
The establishment of colonies (apoikiai) was a common Greek practice for managing population pressure and extending influence. Athens' colonization of Scyros represents a more aggressive imperial form, where the original population was enslaved rather than displaced or integrated.
Learn more →Tribute and Imperial Finance
The transformation from military contributions to monetary tribute (phoros) was crucial to Athenian imperial development. The Athenian Tribute Lists, inscribed on stone, provide detailed records of these payments and show the empire's financial structure.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Cimon (7-8)
Plutarch provides a detailed account of Cimon's capture of Eion and Scyros, including the discovery of Theseus' supposed bones on Scyros, adding personal and religious dimensions absent from Thucydides' political analysis.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (11.60-70)
Diodorus covers the same period with additional details about the sieges and the growing resentment among League members, though his account is generally considered less reliable than Thucydides'.
Read passage →Aristotle: Constitution of the Athenians (23-24)
Aristotle discusses the political context in Athens during this period, including the rise of democratic institutions that enabled imperial expansion and the role of tribute in funding public payments.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Thucydides' explanation of allied preference for paying tribute rather than serving reveal the unintended consequences of seemingly rational choices?
- What does the transformation of the Delian League suggest about the relationship between defensive alliances and imperial ambitions?
- To what extent does Thucydides blame the allies themselves for their subjugation? Is this a fair assessment?
- How might the pattern described here—voluntary contribution leading to dependency and subjugation—apply to modern international relations?