Today's Passage
This passage describes Athenian naval and military operations in 431 BCE, the first year of the Peloponnesian War.
Crawley Translation (1910)
Meanwhile the Athenians in the hundred vessels were still cruising round Peloponnese. After taking Sollium, a town belonging to Corinth, and presenting the city and territory to the Acarnanians of Palaira, they stormed Astacus, expelled its tyrant Evarchus, and gained the place for their confederacy. Next they sailed to the island of Cephallenia and brought it over without using force. Cephallenia lies off Acarnania and Leucas, and consists of four states, the Paleans, Cranians, Samaeans, and Pronaeans. Not long afterwards the fleet returned to Athens. Towards the autumn of this year the Athenians invaded the Megarid with their whole levy, resident aliens included, under the command of Pericles, son of Xanthippus. The Athenians in the hundred ships round Peloponnese on their journey home had just reached Aegina, and hearing that the citizens at home were in full force at Megara, now sailed over and joined them. This was without doubt the largest army of Athenians ever assembled, the state being still in the flower of her strength and yet unvisited by the plague. Full ten thousand heavy infantry were in the field, all Athenian citizens, besides the three thousand before Potidæa. Then the resident aliens who joined in the incursion were at least three thousand strong; besides which there was a multitude of light troops. They ravaged the greater part of the territory, and then retired. Other incursions into the Megarid were afterwards made by the Athenians annually during the war, sometimes only with cavalry, sometimes with all their forces. This went on until the capture of Nisaea. Atalanta also, the desert island off the Opuntian coast, was towards the end of this summer converted into a fortified post by the Athenians, in order to prevent privateers issuing from Opus and the rest of Locris and plundering Euboea. Such were the events of this summer after the return of the Peloponnesians from Attica.
In the ensuing winter the Acarnanian Evarchus, wishing to return to Astacus, persuaded the Corinthians to sail over with forty ships and fifteen hundred heavy infantry and restore him; himself also hiring some mercenaries. In command of the force were Euphamidas, son of Aristonymus, Timoxenus, son of Timocrates, and Eumachus, son of Chrysis, who sailed over and restored him and, after failing in an attempt on some places on the Acarnanian coast which they were desirous of gaining, began their voyage home. Coasting along shore they touched at Cephallenia and made a descent on the Cranian territory, and losing some men by the treachery of the Cranians, who fell suddenly upon them after having agreed to treat, put to sea somewhat hurriedly and returned home.
Modern Translation
During this period, the Athenian fleet of one hundred ships continued its operations around the Peloponnese. After capturing Sollium, a Corinthian possession, they handed over both the town and its surrounding territory to the Acarnanians of Palaira. They then launched an assault on Astacus, driving out the tyrant Evarchus and securing the city's allegiance to the Athenian alliance. Their next objective was the island of Cephallenia, which they successfully won over through diplomacy rather than force. Cephallenia, positioned opposite Acarnania and Leucas, comprised four distinct communities: the Paleans, Cranians, Samaeans, and Pronaeans. Shortly after these achievements, the fleet sailed back to Athens.
As autumn approached that year, the Athenians launched a massive invasion of Megarian territory, mobilizing their entire military force, including resident foreigners, under Pericles, son of Xanthippus. The fleet that had been operating around the Peloponnese happened to reach Aegina on their return journey and, learning that their fellow citizens were deployed in full strength at Megara, sailed across to reinforce them. This created what was undoubtedly the most formidable Athenian army ever assembled, as the city was at the height of its power and had not yet suffered from the plague. The force included no fewer than ten thousand Athenian heavy infantry, in addition to the three thousand stationed at Potidaea. At least three thousand resident aliens participated in the campaign, along with a considerable number of light-armed troops. After devastating most of the Megarian countryside, they withdrew. The Athenians would repeat these raids on Megarian territory every year throughout the war, sometimes using only cavalry, sometimes deploying their full military might. This pattern continued until they captured Nisaea. Additionally, near the end of this summer, the Athenians fortified Atalanta, a previously uninhabited island off the Opuntian coast, to prevent pirates from Opus and other Locrian ports from raiding Euboea. These were the major developments of the summer following the Peloponnesian withdrawal from Attica.
The following winter, Evarchus the Acarnanian, eager to regain control of Astacus, convinced the Corinthians to dispatch forty ships and fifteen hundred heavy infantry to restore him to power; he also recruited mercenary forces. The expedition was commanded by Euphamidas, son of Aristonymus, Timoxenus, son of Timocrates, and Eumachus, son of Chrysis. They successfully reinstated Evarchus but failed in their attempts to capture several positions along the Acarnanian coast that they had hoped to secure, and so began their return voyage. While sailing along the coastline, they stopped at Cephallenia and attacked Cranian territory. However, after suffering casualties due to Cranian treachery—the Cranians suddenly attacked them despite having agreed to negotiate—they hastily re-embarked and returned home.
Historical Context
This passage describes Athenian naval and military operations in 431 BCE, the first year of the Peloponnesian War. The Athenians are implementing Pericles' strategy of avoiding land battles with Sparta while using their naval superiority to raid enemy territory and secure allies. The massive raid on Megara demonstrates Athens at its peak strength before the plague. The fortification of Atalanta shows Athenian concern for protecting their grain supply routes through Euboea. The winter expedition to restore Evarchus illustrates the complex web of local conflicts that became entangled with the larger war, as various Greek cities sought to use either Athens or Corinth to advance their own interests. This section exemplifies how the war quickly expanded beyond a simple Athens-Sparta conflict to involve much of the Greek world.
Key Themes
Annotations & References
Athenian Naval Strategy
The hundred-ship fleet demonstrates Athens' overwhelming naval superiority early in the war. This allowed them to project power throughout the Greek world while avoiding direct confrontation with Sparta's superior land forces, following Pericles' defensive strategy.
Learn more →Megarian Decree
The annual raids on Megara were partly retribution for the Megarian Decree, which had banned Megarians from Athenian markets and harbors. These raids aimed to pressure Megara into abandoning its alliance with Sparta.
Learn more →Metics in Athens
The mention of 'resident aliens' (metics) participating in the campaign highlights their important military role. Though lacking political rights, metics were required to serve in the military and made up a significant portion of Athenian forces.
Learn more →Greek Tyranny
Evarchus represents the persistence of tyranny in the Greek world. Local strongmen often aligned with major powers like Athens or Sparta to maintain control, making these local conflicts part of the larger war.
Learn more →Parallel Ancient Sources
Plutarch: Life of Pericles (30.2-3)
Plutarch describes Pericles' strategy of avoiding land battles while using naval power, providing biographical context for the military decisions described in this passage.
Read passage →Diodorus Siculus: Library of History (12.44)
Diodorus provides a parallel account of the first year of the war, including Athenian naval operations, though with less detail than Thucydides.
Read passage →Xenophon: Hellenica (1.1.1)
Though covering later events, Xenophon's work shows the continuation of similar naval strategies and local conflicts throughout the war.
Read passage →Discussion Questions
- How does Pericles' strategy of using naval power while avoiding land battles reflect the different strengths of Athens and Sparta? What are the advantages and risks of this approach?
- What does the participation of metics (resident aliens) in the Megarian campaign tell us about Athenian society and military organization? How might this compare to modern military service?
- Why would local conflicts like the struggle over Astacus become entangled with the larger war? How do great power rivalries affect local politics?
- What does the fortification of Atalanta reveal about Athenian strategic priorities and vulnerabilities? Why was protecting sea routes so crucial for Athens?