Today's Passage
This passage describes a series of military engagements during the First Peloponnesian War (460-445 BCE), also known as the Pentekontaetia.
Crawley Translation (1910)
Meanwhile the Athenians, making a descent from their fleet upon Haliae, were engaged by a force of Corinthians and Epidaurians; and the Corinthians were victorious. Afterwards the Athenians engaged the Peloponnesian fleet off Cecruphalia; and the Athenians were victorious. Subsequently war broke out between Aegina and Athens, and there was a great battle at sea off Aegina between the Athenians and Aeginetans, each being aided by their allies; in which victory remained with the Athenians, who took seventy of the enemy’s ships, and landed in the country and commenced a siege under the command of Leocrates, son of Stroebus. Upon this the Peloponnesians, desirous of aiding the Aeginetans, threw into Aegina a force of three hundred heavy infantry, who had before been serving with the Corinthians and Epidaurians. Meanwhile the Corinthians and their allies occupied the heights of Geraneia, and marched down into the Megarid, in the belief that, with a large force absent in Aegina and Egypt, Athens would be unable to help the Megarians without raising the siege of Aegina. But the Athenians, instead of moving the army of Aegina, raised a force of the old and young men that had been left in the city, and marched into the Megarid under the command of Myronides. After a drawn battle with the Corinthians, the rival hosts parted, each with the impression that they had gained the victory. The Athenians, however, if anything, had rather the advantage, and on the departure of the Corinthians set up a trophy. Urged by the taunts of the elders in their city, the Corinthians made their preparations, and about twelve days afterwards came and set up their trophy as victors. Sallying out from Megara, the Athenians cut off the party that was employed in erecting the trophy, and engaged and defeated the rest. In the retreat of the vanquished army, a considerable division, pressed by the pursuers and mistaking the road, dashed into a field on some private property, with a deep trench all round it, and no way out. Being acquainted with the place, the Athenians hemmed their front with heavy infantry and, placing the light troops round in a circle, stoned all who had gone in. Corinth here suffered a severe blow. The bulk of her army continued its retreat home.
Modern Translation
During this period, the Athenians launched a naval assault on Haliae, where they encountered forces from Corinth and Epidaurus. The Corinthians emerged victorious from this engagement. Later, the Athenians clashed with the Peloponnesian fleet near Cecruphalia, and this time the Athenians prevailed. Following these encounters, hostilities erupted between Aegina and Athens, culminating in a major naval battle off the coast of Aegina. Both sides received support from their respective allies, but the Athenians achieved a decisive victory, capturing seventy enemy vessels. They then disembarked and initiated a siege of the island under the leadership of Leocrates, son of Stroebus. In response, the Peloponnesians, eager to assist the besieged Aeginetans, dispatched a contingent of three hundred heavy infantry who had previously served alongside the Corinthians and Epidaurians. Simultaneously, the Corinthians and their allies seized the strategic heights of Geraneia and advanced into Megarian territory, calculating that Athens, with substantial forces committed to campaigns in both Aegina and Egypt, would lack the resources to defend Megara without abandoning the siege of Aegina. The Athenians, however, defied these expectations. Rather than withdrawing their forces from Aegina, they mobilized those who remained in the city—both the elderly and the young—and marched to Megara's defense under Myronides' command. The subsequent battle with the Corinthians proved inconclusive, with both armies withdrawing, each convinced of their own success. The Athenians, who arguably held a slight advantage, erected a victory monument after the Corinthians departed. Stung by criticism from their elders back home, the Corinthians returned approximately twelve days later to erect their own trophy. The Athenians, launching from Megara, intercepted the Corinthian work party, killing those setting up the monument and routing the remainder. During the chaotic retreat, a substantial portion of the fleeing Corinthians, under pressure from their pursuers and disoriented, stumbled into an enclosed private estate surrounded by a deep ditch with no exit. The Athenians, familiar with the terrain, quickly exploited this tactical opportunity. They positioned their heavy infantry to block the entrance while deploying light-armed troops in a surrounding formation, then proceeded to stone to death all who had entered the enclosure. This incident inflicted severe casualties on Corinth, though the main body of their forces managed to withdraw homeward.
Historical Context
This passage describes a series of military engagements during the First Peloponnesian War (460-445 BCE), also known as the Pentekontaetia. Athens, at the height of its imperial ambitions, was simultaneously engaged on multiple fronts—conducting operations in Egypt while defending its interests closer to home. The battles around Haliae, Cecruphalia, and especially Aegina demonstrate Athens' growing naval supremacy and aggressive expansion. The siege of Aegina was particularly significant, as the island had long been a commercial rival to Athens. The Megarian campaign showcases Athens' remarkable military flexibility and the depth of its manpower reserves, as they successfully defended their ally using only their reserve forces of old men and youths while maintaining operations elsewhere. This multi-front warfare exemplifies the confidence and resources of the Athenian empire at its peak.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Athenian Military Organization
The mobilization of 'old and young men' reveals Athens' citizen-militia system. Unlike professional armies, Athens could call upon all citizens for defense, from ephebes (18-20 year olds) to men up to age 60. This reserve force's success against regular Corinthian troops demonstrates both Athenian military training and desperate determination.
Learn more →Naval Warfare in Classical Greece
The capture of seventy ships represents a massive victory. Greek naval battles typically involved ramming tactics with triremes. Such a large capture suggests either superior Athenian seamanship or a complete rout of the Aeginetan fleet, reinforcing Athens' emergence as the dominant naval power.
Learn more →Trophy Culture in Ancient Warfare
The dispute over trophy erection illustrates Greek military customs. Trophies (tropaion) were monuments erected where an enemy turned to flee, serving as religious dedications and territorial claims. The Corinthian attempt to erect a delayed trophy and its violent prevention shows how these symbols carried real political weight.
Learn more →Siege Warfare
The siege of Aegina demonstrates evolving Greek siege tactics. Unlike later Hellenistic sieges with sophisticated engines, Classical Greek sieges typically relied on blockade and starvation. Athens' ability to maintain this siege while fighting elsewhere shows their logistical superiority and naval control.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (11.78-79)
Diodorus provides a parallel account of these same battles, offering additional details about casualty figures and the political motivations behind Athens' multi-front strategy during this period of the Pentekontaetia.
Read passage →Plutarch: Life of Pericles (19)
Plutarch mentions the Aeginetan war in the context of Pericles' strategy, suggesting these campaigns were part of his broader policy to establish Athenian hegemony through naval power.
Read passage →Pausanias: Description of Greece (1.29.7)
Pausanias describes monuments in Athens commemorating the Aeginetan war, providing archaeological evidence for these battles and their importance in Athenian collective memory.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Athens' ability to fight on multiple fronts while using only reserve troops demonstrate both the strengths and potential weaknesses of their imperial system?
- What does the dispute over trophy erection reveal about the relationship between military victory, public perception, and political legitimacy in Greek warfare?
- How might the massacre of trapped Corinthians have affected diplomatic relations and the 'rules of war' in classical Greece?
- Compare Athens' strategic decision to maintain the siege of Aegina while defending Megara with modern examples of military powers fighting on multiple fronts. What are the risks and benefits?