Today's Passage
This passage describes the First Peloponnesian War's critical campaigns of 458-457 BCE, marking Athens' greatest territorial expansion.
Crawley Translation (1910)
About this time the Athenians began to build the long walls to the sea, that towards Phalerum and that towards Piraeus. Meanwhile the Phocians made an expedition against Doris, the old home of the Lacedaemonians, containing the towns of Boeum, Kitinium, and Erineum. They had taken one of these towns, when the Lacedaemonians under Nicomedes, son of Cleombrotus, commanding for King Pleistoanax, son of Pausanias, who was still a minor, came to the aid of the Dorians with fifteen hundred heavy infantry of their own, and ten thousand of their allies. After compelling the Phocians to restore the town on conditions, they began their retreat. The route by sea, across the Crissaean Gulf, exposed them to the risk of being stopped by the Athenian fleet; that across Geraneia seemed scarcely safe, the Athenians holding Megara and Pegae. For the pass was a difficult one, and was always guarded by the Athenians; and, in the present instance, the Lacedaemonians had information that they meant to dispute their passage. So they resolved to remain in Boeotia, and to consider which would be the safest line of march. They had also another reason for this resolve. Secret encouragement had been given them by a party in Athens, who hoped to put an end to the reign of democracy and the building of the Long Walls. Meanwhile the Athenians marched against them with their whole levy and a thousand Argives and the respective contingents of the rest of their allies. Altogether they were fourteen thousand strong. The march was prompted by the notion that the Lacedaemonians were at a loss how to effect their passage, and also by suspicions of an attempt to overthrow the democracy. Some cavalry also joined the Athenians from their Thessalian allies; but these went over to the Lacedaemonians during the battle.
The battle was fought at Tanagra in Boeotia. After heavy loss on both sides, victory declared for the Lacedaemonians and their allies. After entering the Megarid and cutting down the fruit trees, the Lacedaemonians returned home across Geraneia and the isthmus. Sixty-two days after the battle the Athenians marched into Boeotia under the command of Myronides, defeated the Boeotians in battle at Oenophyta, and became masters of Boeotia and Phocis. They dismantled the walls of the Tanagraeans, took a hundred of the richest men of the Opuntian Locrians as hostages, and finished their own long walls. This was followed by the surrender of the Aeginetans to Athens on conditions; they pulled down their walls, gave up their ships, and agreed to pay tribute in future. The Athenians sailed round Peloponnese under Tolmides, son of Tolmaeus, burnt the arsenal of Lacedaemon, took Chalcis, a town of the Corinthians, and in a descent upon Sicyon defeated the Sicyonians in battle.
Modern Translation
Around this time, the Athenians began constructing the Long Walls extending to the sea—one toward Phalerum and another toward Piraeus. Meanwhile, the Phocians launched a campaign against Doris, the ancestral homeland of the Spartans, which comprised the cities of Boeum, Kitinium, and Erineum. After the Phocians captured one of these cities, the Spartans, led by Nicomedes son of Cleombrotus (who commanded on behalf of King Pleistoanax son of Pausanias, still a minor), came to defend the Dorians with fifteen hundred of their own heavy infantry and ten thousand allied troops. Having forced the Phocians to return the captured city under negotiated terms, they began their withdrawal. The sea route across the Crissaean Gulf risked interception by the Athenian fleet, while the land route through Geraneia appeared equally hazardous, since Athens controlled both Megara and Pegae. The pass was treacherous and perpetually guarded by Athenian forces; moreover, the Spartans had intelligence that the Athenians planned to block their passage. They therefore decided to remain in Boeotia and deliberate on the safest route home. They had another motivation for this decision: a faction within Athens had secretly encouraged them, hoping to overthrow the democratic government and halt construction of the Long Walls. In response, the Athenians mobilized their entire citizen army along with a thousand Argive troops and various allied contingents, totaling fourteen thousand soldiers. They marched out both because they believed the Spartans were trapped and uncertain how to proceed, and because they suspected a plot against their democracy. Thessalian cavalry initially joined the Athenian forces but defected to the Spartans during the engagement.
The armies clashed at Tanagra in Boeotia. Despite severe casualties on both sides, the Spartans and their allies emerged victorious. After advancing into Megarian territory and destroying the orchards, the Spartans returned home via Geraneia and the Isthmus. Sixty-two days later, the Athenians, commanded by Myronides, marched into Boeotia, defeated the Boeotian forces at Oenophyta, and established control over both Boeotia and Phocis. They demolished Tanagra's fortifications, took one hundred of the wealthiest citizens from Opuntian Locris as hostages, and completed construction of their Long Walls. Subsequently, Aegina surrendered to Athens under terms requiring them to demolish their walls, surrender their fleet, and pay regular tribute. The Athenians then sailed around the Peloponnese under Tolmides son of Tolmaeus, burned Sparta's naval arsenal, captured Chalcis (a Corinthian possession), and defeated the Sicyonians in battle during a raid on Sicyon.
Historical Context
This passage describes the First Peloponnesian War's critical campaigns of 458-457 BCE, marking Athens' greatest territorial expansion. The construction of the Long Walls represented Athens' strategic commitment to naval supremacy, connecting the city to its ports and ensuring supply lines during sieges. The Battle of Tanagra, though a Spartan tactical victory, ultimately led to Athenian strategic gains when Myronides defeated the Boeotians at Oenophyta shortly after. This period showcases Athens at its imperial zenith, controlling central Greece while simultaneously conducting naval operations around the Peloponnese. The internal Athenian political tensions revealed here—with anti-democratic conspirators seeking Spartan support—foreshadow the oligarchic coups that would plague Athens later in the war.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
The Long Walls
The Long Walls were parallel fortifications connecting Athens to Piraeus and Phalerum, creating a secure corridor to the sea. This engineering project transformed Athens into an island fortress, allowing it to withstand sieges while maintaining naval supply lines. Their construction symbolized Athens' commitment to maritime empire over traditional land-based power.
Learn more →Battle of Tanagra
The Battle of Tanagra (457 BCE) was a major engagement where Sparta defeated Athens despite being strategically trapped in Boeotia. Though tactically victorious, Sparta's inability to exploit this victory and Athens' subsequent triumph at Oenophyta demonstrates how tactical success doesn't always translate to strategic advantage.
Learn more →Athenian Democracy and Oligarchic Threats
This passage reveals ongoing tensions within Athens between democratic and oligarchic factions. The secret negotiations with Sparta by anti-democratic conspirators show that Athenian politics were never monolithically democratic, with wealthy citizens often preferring oligarchic rule and viewing Sparta as a potential liberator.
Learn more →First Peloponnesian War
The First Peloponnesian War (460-445 BCE) preceded the main conflict Thucydides describes. This earlier war saw Athens attempting to dominate both land and sea, reaching its greatest territorial extent before overextension led to significant losses, teaching important lessons about the limits of imperial power.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Pericles (13.5-7)
Plutarch describes Pericles' role in promoting the Long Walls project and the political opposition he faced, providing personal details about the democratic leader's vision for Athens as a maritime power that Thucydides omits.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (11.80-83)
Diodorus provides additional details about the battles of Tanagra and Oenophyta, including troop numbers and tactical movements that supplement Thucydides' more compressed account of these crucial engagements.
Read passage →Pausanias: Description of Greece (1.29.7)
Pausanias mentions monuments at Athens commemorating the Battle of Tanagra, providing archaeological evidence for the historical importance Athenians attached to this defeat-turned-strategic-victory.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does the construction of the Long Walls reflect Athens' strategic priorities, and what does this tell us about the relationship between military architecture and political ideology?
- Why might Thucydides emphasize the Thessalian cavalry's defection? What does this suggest about the reliability of alliances in Greek warfare?
- The Spartans won at Tanagra but Athens gained control of Boeotia shortly after. What does this paradox reveal about the difference between tactical and strategic victory?
- How does the mention of anti-democratic conspirators in Athens complicate our understanding of the unity of the Athenian polis during its imperial height?