Today's Passage
This passage covers the period from approximately 451-446 BCE, detailing the final years of the First Peloponnesian War and its aftermath.
Crawley Translation (1910)
Three years afterwards a truce was made between the Peloponnesians and Athenians for five years. Released from Hellenic war, the Athenians made an expedition to Cyprus with two hundred vessels of their own and their allies, under the command of Cimon. Sixty of these were detached to Egypt at the instance of Amyrtaeus, the king in the marshes; the rest laid siege to Kitium, from which, however, they were compelled to retire by the death of Cimon and by scarcity of provisions. Sailing off Salamis in Cyprus, they fought with the Phoenicians, Cyprians, and Cilicians by land and sea, and, being victorious on both elements departed home, and with them the returned squadron from Egypt. After this the Lacedaemonians marched out on a sacred war, and, becoming masters of the temple at Delphi, it in the hands of the Delphians. Immediately after their retreat, the Athenians marched out, became masters of the temple, and placed it in the hands of the Phocians.
Some time after this, Orchomenus, Chaeronea, and some other places in Boeotia being in the hands of the Boeotian exiles, the Athenians marched against the above-mentioned hostile places with a thousand Athenian heavy infantry and the allied contingents, under the command of Tolmides, son of Tolmaeus. They took Chaeronea, and made slaves of the inhabitants, and, leaving a garrison, commenced their return. On their road they were attacked at Coronea by the Boeotian exiles from Orchomenus, with some Locrians and Euboean exiles, and others who were of the same way of thinking, were defeated in battle, and some killed, others taken captive. The Athenians evacuated all Boeotia by a treaty providing for the recovery of the men; and the exiled Boeotians returned, and with all the rest regained their independence.
This was soon afterwards followed by the revolt of Euboea from Athens. Pericles had already crossed over with an army of Athenians to the island, when news was brought to him that Megara had revolted, that the Peloponnesians were on the point of invading Attica, and that the Athenian garrison had been cut off by the Megarians, with the exception of a few who had taken refuge in Nisaea. The Megarians had introduced the Corinthians, Sicyonians, and Epidaurians into the town before they revolted. Meanwhile Pericles brought his army back in all haste from Euboea. After this the Peloponnesians marched into Attica as far as Eleusis and Thrius, ravaging the country under the conduct of King Pleistoanax, the son of Pausanias, and without advancing further returned home. The Athenians then crossed over again to Euboea under the command of Pericles, and subdued the whole of the island: all but Histiaea was settled by convention; the Histiaeans they expelled from their homes, and occupied their territory themselves.
Modern Translation
Three years later, the Peloponnesians and Athenians agreed to a five-year truce. Free from Greek warfare, the Athenians launched an expedition to Cyprus with two hundred ships from their own fleet and their allies, commanded by Cimon. At the request of Amyrtaeus, the king ruling in the Egyptian marshes, sixty ships were sent to Egypt, while the remainder besieged Kitium. However, they were forced to withdraw due to Cimon's death and lack of supplies. Sailing from Salamis in Cyprus, they engaged the Phoenicians, Cyprians, and Cilicians in both naval and land battles. After achieving victory on both fronts, they returned home, accompanied by the squadron that had been in Egypt. Following this, the Spartans undertook a sacred war, seized control of the temple at Delphi, and handed it over to the Delphians. As soon as they withdrew, the Athenians marched in, took control of the temple, and gave it to the Phocians.
Some time later, with Orchomenus, Chaeronea, and other Boeotian territories under the control of Boeotian exiles, the Athenians launched a campaign against these hostile positions. They marched with a thousand Athenian hoplites and allied forces under Tolmides, son of Tolmaeus. They captured Chaeronea, enslaved its inhabitants, established a garrison, and began their return journey. At Coronea, they were ambushed by Boeotian exiles from Orchomenus, joined by Locrian and Euboean exiles and other sympathizers. The Athenians suffered defeat, with some killed and others captured. They negotiated a treaty to recover their men, agreeing to evacuate all of Boeotia. The exiled Boeotians returned, and all regained their independence.
Shortly afterward, Euboea revolted against Athens. Pericles had already crossed to the island with an Athenian force when he received news that Megara had also revolted, that the Peloponnesians were about to invade Attica, and that the Megarians had slaughtered the Athenian garrison, except for a few who escaped to Nisaea. The Megarians had brought in forces from Corinth, Sicyon, and Epidaurus before rebelling. Pericles immediately rushed his army back from Euboea. The Peloponnesians then invaded Attica, advancing as far as Eleusis and Thrius under King Pleistoanax, son of Pausanias, devastating the countryside before withdrawing. The Athenians subsequently returned to Euboea under Pericles' command and subjugated the entire island. While most cities were settled through agreements, the Histiaeans were expelled from their homes, and the Athenians occupied their land.
Historical Context
This passage covers the period from approximately 451-446 BCE, detailing the final years of the First Peloponnesian War and its aftermath. The five-year truce mentioned at the beginning (451 BCE) temporarily halted hostilities between Athens and Sparta, allowing Athens to pursue imperial ambitions elsewhere. The narrative chronicles several critical setbacks for Athens: the failed Cyprus expedition and death of the prominent general Cimon, the devastating defeat at Coronea which ended Athenian control of Boeotia, and simultaneous revolts in Euboea and Megara. These events marked the beginning of Athens' strategic retreat from its land empire in central Greece, forcing it to focus on naval power and its island territories. The passage demonstrates how quickly Athenian power could unravel when challenged on multiple fronts.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
The Sacred Wars
The Sacred Wars were conflicts over control of Delphi, Greece's most important religious sanctuary. This First Sacred War (449-448 BCE) saw Sparta supporting Delphian independence while Athens backed Phocian control, reflecting how religious authority intertwined with political power in ancient Greece.
Learn more →Battle of Coronea
The Battle of Coronea (447 BCE) was a decisive defeat that ended Athens' decade-long control over Boeotia. The Athenian loss demonstrated the limits of their land-based imperial ambitions and marked a turning point toward focusing on naval supremacy and the Aegean empire.
Learn more →Cimon's Cyprus Expedition
Cimon's final campaign (451-450 BCE) aimed to liberate Cyprus from Persian control and support the Egyptian revolt. His death during the siege of Kitium removed Athens' most pro-Spartan politician and successful military commander, altering both Athenian foreign policy and internal politics.
Learn more →Athenian Cleruchies
The expulsion of Histiaeans and Athenian settlement of their land exemplifies the cleruchy system, where Athens established military colonies on conquered territory. These settlements served as garrisons, relieved population pressure in Athens, and demonstrated imperial control.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Pericles (22-23)
Plutarch provides additional details about Pericles' handling of the Euboean revolt and suggests he may have bribed the young Spartan king Pleistoanax to withdraw from Attica, offering a more personal perspective on these events.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (12.3-7)
Diodorus covers the same period with additional details about the Cyprus expedition and Egyptian involvement, providing casualty figures and describing the Persian response to Athenian intervention.
Read passage →Plutarch: Life of Cimon (18-19)
Plutarch's account of Cimon's death in Cyprus includes dramatic details about his final orders to conceal his death from the troops and his posthumous naval victory, adding heroic elements absent from Thucydides.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How do the rapid reversals of Athenian fortune in this passage illustrate the fragility of land-based empire compared to naval dominance?
- What does the struggle over Delphi reveal about the intersection of religious authority and political power in classical Greece?
- Why might Thucydides present these significant Athenian setbacks with such matter-of-fact brevity, and what does this suggest about his historical method?
- How does Pericles' crisis management during the simultaneous revolts demonstrate both the strengths and limitations of Athenian imperial control?