Today's Passage
This passage describes the mass evacuation of rural Attica to Athens at the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War in 431 BCE.
Crawley Translation (1910)
The Athenians thus long lived scattered over Attica in independent townships. Even after the centralization of Theseus, old habit still prevailed; and from the early times down to the present war most Athenians still lived in the country with their families and households, and were consequently not at all inclined to move now, especially as they had only just restored their establishments after the Median invasion. Deep was their trouble and discontent at abandoning their houses and the hereditary temples of the ancient constitution, and at having to change their habits of life and to bid farewell to what each regarded as his native city.
When they arrived at Athens, though a few had houses of their own to go to, or could find an asylum with friends or relatives, by far the greater number had to take up their dwelling in the parts of the city that were not built over and in the temples and chapels of the heroes, except the Acropolis and the temple of the Eleusinian Demeter and such other Places as were always kept closed. The occupation of the plot of ground lying below the citadel called the Pelasgian had been forbidden by a curse; and there was also an ominous fragment of a Pythian oracle which said:
Leave the Pelasgian parcel desolate, Woe worth the day that men inhabit it!
Yet this too was now built over in the necessity of the moment. And in my opinion, if the oracle proved true, it was in the opposite sense to what was expected. For the misfortunes of the state did not arise from the unlawful occupation, but the necessity of the occupation from the war; and though the god did not mention this, he foresaw that it would be an evil day for Athens in which the plot came to be inhabited. Many also took up their quarters in the towers of the walls or wherever else they could. For when they were all come in, the city proved too small to hold them; though afterwards they divided the Long Walls and a great part of Piraeus into lots and settled there. All this while great attention was being given to the war; the allies were being mustered, and an armament of a hundred ships equipped for Peloponnese. Such was the state of preparation at Athens.
Modern Translation
The Athenians had long lived dispersed throughout Attica in autonomous communities. Even after Theseus unified them, ancient customs persisted; and from earliest times until this present war, most Athenians continued to reside in the countryside with their families and households. Consequently, they were extremely reluctant to relocate now, particularly since they had only recently rebuilt their homes following the Persian invasion. They felt profound distress and resentment at having to abandon their houses and the ancestral temples of their traditional way of life, at being forced to transform their entire existence and say goodbye to what each person considered their true homeland.
When they reached Athens, while a few possessed their own homes or could secure shelter with friends or family, the vast majority had to establish residence in the city's undeveloped areas and in the shrines and hero-temples—except for the Acropolis, the temple of Eleusinian Demeter, and other perpetually restricted sanctuaries. The area below the citadel known as the Pelargikon, whose occupation was prohibited by religious curse, was also settled. There existed an ominous Delphic prophecy declaring:
'Let the Pelargikon remain deserted, Cursed the day when people dwell there!'
Yet even this space was now occupied due to pressing necessity. In my judgment, if the oracle proved accurate, it did so in precisely the opposite way than anticipated. The city's misfortunes didn't result from this sacrilegious occupation; rather, the war's necessity compelled the occupation. Though the oracle didn't specify this, the god foresaw that Athens would face dark days when this area became inhabited. Many citizens also established quarters in the wall towers or any available space. When everyone had entered, the city proved insufficient to accommodate them all; subsequently they partitioned the Long Walls and much of Piraeus into plots for settlement. Throughout this period, intensive war preparations continued; allies were being assembled, and a fleet of one hundred ships was being readied for operations against the Peloponnese. Such was Athens' state of mobilization.
Historical Context
This passage describes the mass evacuation of rural Attica to Athens at the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War in 431 BCE. Following Pericles' defensive strategy, the Athenian population abandoned their farms and villages to take shelter within the city walls while the Spartan army invaded Attica. This dramatic displacement represented a fundamental disruption of traditional Athenian life, as most citizens had deep ancestral connections to their rural demes (townships). The overcrowding led to the occupation of sacred spaces, including the cursed Pelargikon area below the Acropolis. Thucydides offers his own rationalist interpretation of an oracle, arguing that the prophecy's fulfillment came not from divine punishment for sacrilege, but from the war itself that necessitated the occupation. This episode illustrates both the human cost of Pericles' strategy and the tension between religious tradition and wartime pragmatism.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Theseus and Synoecism
Theseus, legendary king of Athens, was credited with unifying the independent communities of Attica into a single polis (synoecism). Despite this political unification, Athenians maintained strong local identities and continued living in their ancestral demes, demonstrating the persistence of pre-urban traditions even in classical Athens.
Learn more →The Pelargikon
The Pelargikon (or Pelasgikon) was an ancient fortified area on the northwest slope of the Acropolis, associated with the pre-Greek Pelasgians. Its occupation was forbidden by religious taboo, making its settlement during the war a significant violation of sacred law that demonstrated the severity of the refugee crisis.
Learn more →Pericles' Strategy
Pericles' defensive strategy relied on Athens' naval supremacy and the Long Walls connecting the city to Piraeus. By evacuating the countryside and enduring sieges behind the walls while the fleet maintained supply lines and raided enemy territory, Athens could theoretically outlast Spartan invasions.
Learn more →Attic Demes
The demes were the basic units of Athenian political organization after Cleisthenes' reforms (508/7 BCE). Citizens maintained strong connections to their ancestral demes even if they lived elsewhere, as deme membership was hereditary and central to civic identity.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Pericles (33.4-6)
Plutarch describes the same evacuation and the criticism Pericles faced for his strategy, emphasizing the emotional toll on farmers forced to abandon their lands and the political opposition this generated.
Read passage →Aristophanes: Acharnians (lines 32-39, 266-279)
This comedy, produced in 425 BCE, depicts the hardships of rural Athenians forced into the city, providing a contemporary perspective on the displacement Thucydides describes.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (12.40)
Diodorus provides a later account of the Athenian evacuation and Pericles' strategy, though with less detail about the religious and social implications than Thucydides.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Thucydides' rationalist interpretation of the oracle reflect broader tensions between traditional religion and new intellectual currents in fifth-century Athens?
- What does this passage reveal about the relationship between urban and rural identity in classical Athens? How might this complicate our understanding of Athenian democracy?
- How does Thucydides use this episode to illustrate the human costs of strategic decisions? What does this suggest about his view of the relationship between policy and suffering?
- In what ways does the violation of sacred space during wartime emergency parallel modern debates about necessity versus principle in times of crisis?