Today's Passage
This passage describes a pivotal moment in Greek history around 462 BCE, when the fragile cooperation between Athens and Sparta began to unravel.
Crawley Translation (1910)
The Lacedaemonians, meanwhile, finding the war against the rebels in Ithome likely to last, invoked the aid of their allies, and especially of the Athenians, who came in some force under the command of Cimon. The reason for this pressing summons lay in their reputed skill in siege operations; a long siege had taught the Lacedaemonians their own deficiency in this art, else they would have taken the place by assault. The first open quarrel between the Lacedaemonians and Athenians arose out of this expedition. The Lacedaemonians, when assault failed to take the place, apprehensive of the enterprising and revolutionary character of the Athenians, and further looking upon them as of alien extraction, began to fear that, if they remained, they might be tempted by the besieged in Ithome to attempt some political changes. They accordingly dismissed them alone of the allies, without declaring their suspicions, but merely saying that they had now no need of them. But the Athenians, aware that their dismissal did not proceed from the more honourable reason of the two, but from suspicions which had been conceived, went away deeply offended, and conscious of having done nothing to merit such treatment from the Lacedaemonians; and the instant that they returned home they broke off the alliance which had been made against the Mede, and allied themselves with Sparta’s enemy Argos; each of the contracting parties taking the same oaths and making the same alliance with the Thessalians.
Meanwhile the rebels in Ithome, unable to prolong further a ten years’ resistance, surrendered to Lacedaemon; the conditions being that they should depart from Peloponnese under safe conduct, and should never set foot in it again: any one who might hereafter be found there was to be the slave of his captor. It must be known that the Lacedaemonians had an old oracle from Delphi, to the effect that they should let go the suppliant of Zeus at Ithome. So they went forth with their children and their wives, and being received by Athens from the hatred that she now felt for the Lacedaemonians, were located at Naupactus, which she had lately taken from the Ozolian Locrians. The Athenians received another addition to their confederacy in the Megarians; who left the Lacedaemonian alliance, annoyed by a war about boundaries forced on them by Corinth. The Athenians occupied Megara and Pegae, and built the Megarians their long walls from the city to Nisaea, in which they placed an Athenian garrison. This was the principal cause of the Corinthians conceiving such a deadly hatred against Athens.
Modern Translation
While this was happening, the Spartans realized their campaign against the rebels at Ithome would be protracted, so they called upon their allies for assistance—particularly the Athenians, who arrived with a substantial force led by Cimon. The Spartans specifically requested Athenian help because of their renowned expertise in siege warfare; the lengthy siege had exposed Sparta's own inadequacies in this area, for otherwise they would have already taken the fortress by storm. This expedition marked the beginning of the first open breach between Sparta and Athens. When the assault on Ithome failed, the Spartans grew anxious about the Athenians' innovative and revolutionary tendencies. Moreover, viewing them as foreigners by descent, they feared the Athenians might be influenced by the besieged to instigate political upheaval if they stayed longer. Consequently, they dismissed the Athenians alone among all their allies, though without revealing their true motives, claiming instead that their services were no longer required. The Athenians, however, recognized that their dismissal stemmed not from any honorable reason but from suspicion. They departed deeply insulted, knowing they had done nothing to deserve such treatment from Sparta. Immediately upon returning home, they renounced the alliance that had been formed against Persia and instead allied themselves with Argos, Sparta's enemy. Both Athens and Argos swore identical oaths and established the same alliance with the Thessalians.
Meanwhile, the rebels at Ithome, unable to sustain their decade-long resistance, finally surrendered to Sparta. The terms stipulated that they must leave the Peloponnese under safe passage and never return; anyone found there subsequently would become enslaved to their captor. It should be noted that the Spartans possessed an ancient oracle from Delphi instructing them to release suppliants of Zeus at Ithome. The rebels departed with their families, and the Athenians, now hostile toward Sparta, welcomed them and settled them at Naupactus, which Athens had recently captured from the Ozolian Locrians. Athens gained another ally when Megara abandoned its alliance with Sparta, frustrated by a boundary dispute that Corinth had forced upon them. The Athenians occupied both Megara and its port Pegae, constructing long walls connecting Megara to its harbor at Nisaea, where they stationed an Athenian garrison. This action became the primary source of Corinth's intense hatred toward Athens.
Historical Context
This passage describes a pivotal moment in Greek history around 462 BCE, when the fragile cooperation between Athens and Sparta began to unravel. The Spartans had been besieging helot rebels at Mount Ithome for years following a major earthquake and revolt. Their request for Athenian assistance, followed by the humiliating dismissal of Cimon's forces, marked a turning point in inter-polis relations. The Athenians' subsequent alliance with Argos and acceptance of both the Ithomean exiles and Megara into their sphere of influence represented a dramatic realignment of Greek politics. This shift from cooperation against Persia to rivalry between the two leading powers would ultimately culminate in the Peloponnesian War. The passage illustrates how suspicion, cultural differences, and competing strategic interests could rapidly transform allies into enemies.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
The Ithome Revolt
The helot rebellion at Mount Ithome (c. 464-455 BCE) was triggered by a devastating earthquake in Sparta. The helots, Sparta's enslaved population, seized this opportunity to revolt and fortified themselves on the mountain. This decade-long siege severely strained Spartan military resources and exposed their vulnerability in siege warfare, leading to their fateful request for Athenian assistance.
Learn more →Cimon's Pro-Spartan Policy
Cimon, the leading Athenian statesman before Pericles, advocated cooperation with Sparta and led the Athenian force to Ithome. His humiliating dismissal by the Spartans effectively ended his political influence and the policy of dual hegemony. This incident led to his ostracism and the rise of more radical democratic leaders who pursued an anti-Spartan foreign policy.
Learn more →Long Walls Strategy
The construction of long walls connecting cities to their ports was a crucial defensive innovation in 5th-century Greece. By building Megara's long walls to Nisaea, Athens ensured the city could withstand sieges while maintaining access to supplies by sea. This strategy would later prove vital for Athens itself during the Peloponnesian War.
Learn more →Delphic Oracle and Suppliants
The oracle mentioned reflects Greek religious customs regarding suppliants—those who sought divine protection at sacred sites. The Spartans' adherence to this oracle, despite military disadvantages, demonstrates the powerful role of religious obligation in Greek warfare and diplomacy. Violating such divine commands was believed to bring catastrophic consequences.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Cimon (16-17)
Plutarch provides a detailed account of Cimon's expedition to Ithome and his dismissal by the Spartans, offering personal details about Cimon's pro-Spartan sympathies and the political consequences of this humiliation in Athens.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (11.63-64)
Diodorus describes the Messenian revolt and the Spartan request for aid, providing additional details about the earthquake's devastation and the scale of the helot uprising that prompted Sparta's unprecedented call for help.
Read passage →Pausanias: Description of Greece (4.24.5-7)
Pausanias recounts the Messenian perspective on the Ithome siege and their eventual settlement at Naupactus, providing insight into the long-standing ethnic tensions between Spartans and Messenians.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does the Spartan dismissal of Athenian forces reveal fundamental differences in political culture and values between the two cities? What specific fears motivated Spartan actions?
- Analyze the role of religious obligation (the Delphic oracle) in constraining Spartan policy. How did religious and pragmatic considerations interact in Greek international relations?
- What does this passage reveal about the fragility of alliances in the Greek world? How quickly could shared enemies (Persia) give way to mutual suspicion?
- Examine Athens' strategic moves following their dismissal from Ithome. How did they transform a diplomatic humiliation into strategic advantage?