Today's Passage
This passage describes Athens' expanding power in the 460s BCE during the Pentekontaetia (the fifty years between the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars).
Crawley Translation (1910)
Next we come to the actions by land and by sea at the river Eurymedon, between the Athenians with their allies, and the Medes, when the Athenians won both battles on the same day under the conduct of Cimon, son of Miltiades, and captured and destroyed the whole Phoenician fleet, consisting of two hundred vessels. Some time afterwards occurred the defection of the Thasians, caused by disagreements about the marts on the opposite coast of Thrace, and about the mine in their possession. Sailing with a fleet to Thasos, the Athenians defeated them at sea and effected a landing on the island. About the same time they sent ten thousand settlers of their own citizens and the allies to settle the place then called Ennea Hodoi or Nine Ways, now Amphipolis. They succeeded in gaining possession of Ennea Hodoi from the Edonians, but on advancing into the interior of Thrace were cut off in Drabescus, a town of the Edonians, by the assembled Thracians, who regarded the settlement of the place Ennea Hodoi as an act of hostility. Meanwhile the Thasians being defeated in the field and suffering siege, appealed to Lacedaemon, and desired her to assist them by an invasion of Attica. Without informing Athens, she promised and intended to do so, but was prevented by the occurrence of the earthquake, accompanied by the secession of the Helots and the Thuriats and Aethaeans of the Perioeci to Ithome. Most of the Helots were the descendants of the old Messenians that were enslaved in the famous war; and so all of them came to be called Messenians. So the Lacedaemonians being engaged in a war with the rebels in Ithome, the Thasians in the third year of the siege obtained terms from the Athenians by razing their walls, delivering up their ships, and arranging to pay the moneys demanded at once, and tribute in future; giving up their possessions on the continent together with the mine.
Modern Translation
Next we turn to the combined land and naval operations at the Eurymedon River, where the Athenians and their allies faced the Persians. Under Cimon, son of Miltiades, the Athenians achieved victory in both battles on the same day, capturing and destroying the entire Phoenician fleet of two hundred ships. Some time later, Thasos revolted due to disputes over trading posts on the Thracian coast opposite their island and over mining rights they controlled. The Athenians sailed against Thasos, defeated them in a naval battle, and landed on the island. Around this time, they dispatched ten thousand colonists—both Athenian citizens and allies—to settle at Ennea Hodoi (Nine Ways), later called Amphipolis. While they successfully took Ennea Hodoi from the Edonians, their advance into Thrace's interior ended in disaster at Drabescus, an Edonian town, where united Thracian forces destroyed them, viewing the colonization of Ennea Hodoi as an aggressive act. Meanwhile, the defeated Thasians, now under siege, appealed to Sparta for help through an invasion of Attica. Sparta secretly agreed and prepared to act, but a devastating earthquake struck, triggering a revolt of the Helots alongside the Thuriate and Aethaean Perioeci, who seized Ithome. Most Helots descended from the ancient Messenians enslaved after the great war, hence all rebels became known as Messenians. With Sparta embroiled in war against the Ithome rebels, the Thasians surrendered in the siege's third year. Their terms with Athens included demolishing their walls, surrendering their fleet, paying immediate reparations plus future tribute, and relinquishing their mainland possessions including the mine.
Historical Context
This passage describes Athens' expanding power in the 460s BCE during the Pentekontaetia (the fifty years between the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars). The Battle of Eurymedon (c. 469 BCE) marked Athens' decisive victory over Persian forces, effectively ending Persian naval threats in the eastern Mediterranean. The subsequent Thasian revolt (465-463 BCE) reveals tensions within the Delian League as Athens transformed from leader to imperial master. The failed colonization at Amphipolis and Sparta's earthquake-induced crisis (464 BCE) demonstrate the period's volatility. These events collectively show Athens consolidating maritime dominance while facing resistance from allies and the limitations of land-based expansion.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Battle of Eurymedon
A decisive double victory (land and sea) by Cimon against Persian forces around 469 BCE. This battle effectively ended Persian naval power in the Aegean and demonstrated Athens' military supremacy. The destruction of 200 Phoenician ships eliminated Persia's main naval force in the region.
Learn more →Delian League Transformation
The Thasian revolt exemplifies how Athens' leadership of the anti-Persian alliance evolved into empire. Disputes over economic resources (mines and trading posts) replaced shared defense as the primary concern, showing the league's transformation into an Athenian empire.
Learn more →Spartan Earthquake and Helot Revolt
The 464 BCE earthquake devastated Sparta and triggered the Third Messenian War. This natural disaster and subsequent revolt of the enslaved Messenian population prevented Spartan intervention against Athens, fundamentally altering Greek power dynamics for a decade.
Learn more →Amphipolis
This strategic location controlled access to Thracian timber and precious metals. Athens' failed first attempt at colonization (465 BCE) and eventual success (437 BCE) highlight the site's importance. Its later loss would contribute significantly to Athens' defeat in the Peloponnesian War.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Cimon (12-13)
Provides detailed account of the Battle of Eurymedon, emphasizing Cimon's tactical brilliance and the magnitude of the victory. Plutarch adds personal details about Cimon's leadership style and the battle's impact on Greek-Persian relations.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (11.60-62)
Offers alternative details about the Eurymedon campaign and Thasian revolt, including different casualty figures and chronology. Provides additional context about Athens' imperial ambitions.
Read passage →Pausanias: Description of Greece (4.24.5-7)
Describes the Messenian revolt following the Spartan earthquake, providing background on Helot origins and the significance of Ithome as a Messenian stronghold.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does the transition from the Battle of Eurymedon to the Thasian revolt illustrate the changing nature of Athenian power and the Delian League's transformation?
- What role did natural disasters and unintended consequences play in shaping the balance of power between Athens and Sparta during this period?
- How might Greek history have unfolded differently if Sparta had successfully intervened in support of Thasos? Consider both immediate and long-term implications.
- What does the failed colonization at Amphipolis reveal about the limits of Athenian power and the challenges of imperial expansion?