History of the Peloponnesian War

and the dead, moreover, were piled up one on another—such as died from their wounds, and from the change they had experienced, and such like—there were, besides, intolerable stenches: while at the same time they were tormented with hunger and thirst; for during eight months they gave each of them daily only a cotyle of water, and two of corn. And of all the other miseries which it was likely that men thrown into such a place would suffer, there was none that did not fall to their lot. For some seventy days they thus lived all together;

but then they sold the rest of them, except the Athenians, and whatever Siceliots or Italiots had joined them in the expedition. The total number of those who were taken, though it were difficult to speak with exactness, was still not less than seven thousand. And this was the greatest Grecian exploit of all that were performed in this war;

nay, in my opinion, of all Grecian achievements that we have heard of also; and was at once most splendid for the conquerors, and most disastrous for the conquered. For being altogether vanquished at all points, and having suffered in no slight degree in any respect, they were destroyed (as the saying is) with utter destruction, both army, and navy, and every thing;

and only a few out of many returned home. Such were the events which occurred in Sicily.

WHEN the news was brought to Athens, for a long time they disbelieved even the most respectable of the soldiers, who had escaped from the very scene of action, and gave them a correct account of it; not crediting that their forces could have been so utterly destroyed. When, however, they were convinced of it, they were angry with those of the orators who had joined in promoting the expedition; (as though they had not voted for it themselves;) and were enraged with the soothsayers and reciters of oracles, and whoever at that time by any practice of divination had put them on hoping that they should subdue Sicily.

Every thing, indeed, on every side distressed them; and after what had happened, fear and the greatest consternation overwhelmed them. For they were at once weighed down by the loss which every man individually, as well as the whole state at large, had experienced, by the destruction of so many heavy-armed, and horsemen, and troops in the flower of their youth, like which they saw they had none left; and at the same time being aware that they had no competent number of ships in the docks, nor money in the treasury, nor crews for their vessels, they were at present without hope of saving themselves. They thought, too, that they should have their enemies in Sicily directly sailing with their fleet against the Piraeus, especially after they had gained such a victory; and that their foes at home, then doubly equipped on all points, would surely now press them with all their might, both by land and by sea, and their own allies with them in revolt.

But nevertheless it was determined, that, as far as their present resources allowed, they ought not to submit, but to equip a fleet, by whatever means they could, providing by contribution both timber and money; and to put matters on a secure footing amongst the allies, especially in Euboea: and, moreover, to reform every thing in the city, with a view to greater economy, and elect a council of elders, who should deliberate beforehand on their present measures, as there might be occasion.

And through their excessive fear at the moment they were ready, (as is the people's fashion,) to be orderly in every thing. Having thus determined, they acted accordingly, and so the summer ended.

The following winter, all the Greeks were immediately excited by the great misfortune of the Athenians in Sicily. Those who were not in alliance with either side thought, that even f no one called on them for aid, they ought not any longer to keep aloof from the war, but should volunteer to march against the Athenians, when they reflected, severally, that they might have attacked them also, if they had succeeded in their measures at Syracuse; and, moreover, that the remainder of the war would be but brief, and that it was creditable for them to take their share in it. The allies of the Lacedaemonians, on the other hand, felt to a greater degree than before a common anxiety to have done speedily with their heavy labours.

But, above all, the subjects of the Athenians were ready, even beyond their power, to revolt from them; because they judged of affairs under the influence of strong feeling, and did not so much as leave them a chance of being able to hold out the following summer.

The Lacedaemonian state was encouraged by all these things, and most of all, because their allies in Sicily, since their navy had now of necessity been added to their resources, would in all probability be with them in great force with the spring.

And thus being on every account full of hope, they determined to devote themselves unflinchingly to the war, reckoning that by its successful termination they would both be released in future from all dangers, like that which would have encompassed them from the Athenians, if they had won Sicily in addition to their other dominion; and that, after subduing them, they would themselves then enjoy n safety the supremacy over the whole of Greece.

Agis, their king, set out therefore immediately, during his winter, with some troops from Decelea, and levied from the allies contributions for their fleet; and having turned in the direction of the Malian gulf, and carried off, on the ground of their long-standing enmity, the greater part of the exposed property of the Oetaeans, he exacted money for the ransom of it; and also compelled the Achaeans of Pthiotis, and the other subjects of the Thessalians thereabouts, (though the Thessalians remonstrated with him, and objected to it,) to give both hostages and money; the former of which he deposited at Corinth, and endeavoured to bring their countrymen over to the confederacy.

The Lacedaemonians also issued to the states a requisition for building a hundred ships, fixing their own quota and that of the Boeotians at five and twenty each; that of the Phocians and Locrians together at fifteen; that of the Corinthians at fifteen; that of the Arcadians, Pellenians, and Sicyonians, at ten; and that of the Megareans, Troezenians, Epidaurians, and Hermionians at ten. They were also making all other preparations, with the intention of proceeding immediately to war at the very commencement of spring.

The Athenians too, as they had determined, were preparing during this same winter for building ships; having contributed towards the supply of timbers, and fortified Sunium, that their corn-ships might have a safe passage round; while they also evacuated the fort in Laconia, which they had built in that country when they were sailing by it for Sicily; and with a view to economy retrenched all their other expenses, whatever any where appeared to be useless expenditure; and, above all, kept their eye on the allies, to prevent their revolting from them.

While both parties were carrying out these measures, and engaged in preparation for the war, just as when they were commencing it, the Euboeans, first of all, sent during this winter an embassy to Agis, to treat of their revolting from the Athenians. He acceded to their proposals, and sent for Alcamenes son of Sthenelaidas, and for Melanthus, to come from Sparta and take the command in Euboea. Accordingly they came with about three hundred of the Neodamodes, and he began to prepare for their crossing over.

But in the mean time some Lesbians also came to him; for they, too, wished to revolt. And as the Boeotians supported their application, Agis was persuaded to defer acting in the cause of Euboea, and made preparations for the revolt of the Lesbians, giving them Alcamenes as a commander, who was to sail to Euboea; while the Boeotians promised them ten ships, and Agis the same number.

These measures were undertaken without the authority of the Lacedaemonian state; for as long as Agis was at Decelea, and his forces with him, he had power both to send troops to whatever quarter he pleased, and to levy soldiers and money. And at this time the allies obeyed him, one might say, much more than the Lacedaemonians in the city: for he was feared, because he went every where in person with a force at his command. He, then, furthered the views of the Lesbians. The Chians and Erythraeans, on the other hand, who were also ready to revolt, made their application, not to Agis, but at Sparta.

There went with them also an ambassador from Tissaphernes, who was governor of the sea-coast under king Darius, son of Artaxerxes. For Tissaphernes also was inviting the Lacedaemonians to co-operate with him, and promised to furnish them with supplies.

For he had lately been called on by the king for the tribute due from his government, for which he was in arrears, as he could not raise it from the Greek cities because of the Athenians. He thought, therefore, that he should both get in his tribute more effectually, if he reduced the power of the Athenians; and at the same time should gain for the king the alliance of the Lacedaemonians; and either take alive, or put to death, as the king had commanded him to do, Amorges, the natural son of Pisuthnes, who was in rebellion on the coast of Caria. The Chians and Tissaphernes, then, were negotiating this business in concert.

About the same time Calligitus son of Laophon, a Megarean, and Timagoras son of Athenagoras, a Cyzicene, both of them exiles from their country, and living at the court of Pharnabazus son of Pharnaces, arrived at Lacedaemon, being sent by Pharnabazus to bring a fleet despatched to the Hellespont; and that he himself, if possible, might, for the sake of the tribute, cause the cities in his government to revolt from the Athenians—the same object as Tissaphernes had in view—and gain for the king, by his own agency, the alliance of the Lacedaemonians.

While these negotiations were severally carried on by each party, by the emissaries both of Pharnabazus and of Tissaphernes, there was great competition between them at Lacedaemon, the one striving to prevail on them to send a navy and army to Ionia and Chios first, the other, to the Hellespont.

The Lacedaemonians, however, acceded with a very decided preference to the application of the Chians and Tissaphernes. For Alcibiades was also co-operating with them, being the hereditary and very intimate friend of Endius, one of the ephors; for which reason also his family had a Lacedaemonian name, in consequence of this friendship;

for Endius was called the son of Alcibiades. However, the Lacedaemonians first sent to Chios Phrynis, one of the Perioeci, to ascertain whether they had as many ships as they said, and whether their city corresponded with the representations of its high character: and when he brought them word back that what they heard was true, they straightway took the Chians and Erythraeans into alliance, and resolved to send them forty ships, as there were already there (according to the statement of the Chians) not less than sixty.

Of these they themselves at first intended to send ten, with Melancridas, who was their high admiral; but afterwards, an earthquake having occurred, instead of Melancridas they determined to send Chalcideus, and instead of the ten ships to equip but five in Laconia. And thus the winter ended, and the nineteenth year of this war of which Thucydides wrote the history.

The following summer, when the Chians straightway urged them to despatch the fleet, and were afraid that the Athenians might get intelligence of their measures, (for all parties sent their embassies without their knowledge,) the Lacedaemonians sent three Spartans to Corinth, to haul the ships as quickly as possible across the isthmus, from the opposite sea to that on the side of Athens, and to give orders for them all to sail to Chios, both those which Agis was preparing for Lesbos, and the rest. Now the total number of the ships belonging to the allied states that were there was thirty-nine.

Calligitus, then, and Timagoras, acting in behalf of Pharnabazus, did not join the rest in the expedition to Chios, or give, to forward the despatch of the fleet, the money which they had brought with them, namely, five and twenty talents; but they intended to sail afterwards by themselves with a fresh armament.

Agis, on the contrary, seeing that the Lacedaemonians were determined to send to Chios first, did not himself maintain any different view; but the allies assembled at Corinth, and held a council, when they resolved to sail first to Chios, with Chalcideus as commander, who was equipping the five vessels in Laconia; then to Lesbos, with Alcamenes in command, (the same person as Agis intended to appoint;) and, lastly, to go to the Hellespont, where Clearchus, son of Ramphias, was appointed to the command.

But they determined to take only half the ships across the isthmus first, and let these sail off immediately; that the Athenians might not attend to those which were setting out, so much as to those which were being conveyed across after them.

For in this case they were making their expedition openly, as they imputed to the Athenians a want of power to oppose them, because no numerous fleet belonging to them was yet visible. And so, according to their resolution, they immediately took across one and twenty ships.

But when they were urgent for setting sail, the Corinthians were not disposed to accompany them before they had kept the Isthmian festival, for which that was the time. Agis expressed to them his willingness that they (according to what they urged) should not break the Isthmian truce, but that he should make the expedition on his own responsibility.

When, however, the Corinthians did not agree to this, but a delay was caused in the matter, the Athenians the more easily gained intelligence of the designs of the Chians; and sending Aristocrates, one of their generals, charged them with the fact, and on their denying it, commanded them to send with them some ships, as a pledge of good faith in their alliance.

Accordingly they sent seven. The reason of the ships being sent was, that the majority of the Chians were ignorant of the negotiations; while the few who were privy to them were both unwilling at present to incur the hostility of their commons, before they had gained some strength, and no longer expected the Peloponnesians to come, since they had so long delayed.

In the mean time the Isthmian games were being celebrated, and the Athenians (the sacred truce having been proclaimed) went to attend them; and thus the designs of the Chians became more evident to them. When they returned, they immediately took measures that the fleet might not put out from Cenchrea unobserved by them.

After the festival the Peloponnesians set sail for Chios with one and twenty ships under the command of Alcamenes; and the Athenians, having at first advanced against them with an equal number, then began to retreat towards the open sea. When the enemy did not follow them far, but drew back, the Athenians likewise returned; for they had the seven Chian vessels in the number of those with them, and did not consider them trustworthy.

Afterwards, having manned others, so as to make in all thirty-seven, while the enemy were coasting along, they chased them into Piraeus, in the Corinthian territory. This is a desert port, on the extreme borders of Epidaurus. The Peloponnesians lost one ship out at sea, but collected the rest, and brought them to anchor.

And now, when the Athenians both attacked them by sea with their ships, and had landed on the shore, there was a great disorder and confusion; and the Athenians severely damaged most of their ships on the beach, and killed Alcamenes their commander; whilst some also fell on their own side.

After parting, they posted a sufficient number of ships to keep watch over those of the enemy, and with the rest came to anchor at the small island [opposite the mouth of the harbour]; on which, as it was not far off, they proceeded to encamp, and sent to Athens for a reinforcement.

For the Corinthians, too, had joined the Peloponnesians on the day after the battle, coming to the succour of the ships; and not long after, the rest of the people in the neighbourhood also. But when they saw that to keep guard over them in so desert a spot was a difficult service, they were at a loss what to do, and thought of burning the ships; but afterwards they determined to draw them up on shore, and station themselves by them with their land forces, and keep guard until some favourable opportunity of escape presented itself.

Agis also, on receiving intelligence of this, sent to them a Spartan, namely Thermon. Now news had first been taken to the Lacedaemonians that their ships had put to sea from the isthmus, (for Alcamenes had been told by the ephors to send a horseman when that took place,) and they immediately wished to despatch their five ships, with Chalcideus in command, and Alcibiades with him. Afterwards, when they had resolved on this, the news of their fleet taking refuge in Piraeus reached them; and being disheartened, because they had failed in their first operations in the Ionian war, they no longer thought of sending the ships from their own country, but even of recalling some that had previously put out to sea.

When Alcibiades knew this, he again persuaded Endius and the rest of the ephors not to shrink from the expedition; telling them that they would have made their voyage before the Chians heard of the disaster which had befallen their fleet; and that he himself, when he had once reached Ionia, would easily persuade the cities to revolt, by acquainting them both with the weakness of the Athenians and the forwardness of the Lacedaemonians; for he should be thought more credible than others.

To Endius himself he also represented in private, that it would be a glorious thing to have caused by his own agency the revolt of Ionia, and to have brought the king into alliance with the Lacedaemonians, instead of that honour being earned by Agis; (for with him he happened to be at variance.)

He, then, having prevailed on the rest of the ephors, as well as Endius, put out to sea with the five ships, in company with Chalcideus the Lacedaemonian, and they proceeded on their voyage with all speed.

About this same time also, the sixteen Peloponnesian vessels in Sicily which with Gylippus had assisted in bringing the war to a conclusion, were on their return; and after being intercepted near Leucadia, and roughly handled by the seven and twenty Athenian ships which Hippocles son of Menippus commanded, on the look-out for the ships from Sicily, the rest of them, with the exception of one, escaped from the Athenians, and sailed into harbour at Corinth.

With regard to Chalcideus and Alcibiades, while they were on their voyage, they seized all they met with, to prevent any tidings of their approach being carried; and after first touching at Corycus, and leaving them there, they themselves having previously had an interview with some of the Chians who were in co-operation with them, and being urged by them to sail up to the city without sending any notice beforehand, they thus came upon the Chians unexpectedly.

Accordingly the greater part of them were astonished and dismayed; while it had been arranged by the few, that the council should be assembled just at the time. And when speeches were made by Chalcideus and Alcibiades, telling them that many more vessels were sailing up, and not acquainting them with the fact respecting their fleet being blockaded in Piraeus, the Chians revolted from the Athenians, and immediately after them the Erythraeans.

After this they sailed with three vessels and induced Clazomenae to revolt also. The Clazomenians immediately crossed over to the continent, and began to fortify Polichna, in case they might want it as a place to retreat to from the island on which they lived. They, then, having revolted, were all engaged in raising fortifications and preparing for the war.

News of the revolt of Chios quickly reached Athens, and considering that the danger which had now encompassed them was great and evident, and that the rest of the allies would not remain quiet when the most important state had changed sides; with regard to the thousand talents which throughout the whole war they had earnestly desired not to meddle with, they immediately rescinded, in consequence of their dismay, the penalties attaching to any one who proposed to use them, or put such a proposal to the vote; and passed a decree for taking them, and manning a large number of ships; while of those that were keeping watch at Piraeus they at once sent off the eight which had left the blockade, and after pursuing those with Chalcideus and not overtaking them, had returned, (their commander was Strombichides son of Diotimus,) and resolved that twelve more, under Thrasycles, should also leave the post of observation, and reinforce them shortly afterwards.

They also removed the seven Chian vessels, which joined them in the blockade of Piraeus; and liberated the slaves who were on board of them, while the freemen they put in bonds. In the place of all the ships that had departed they speedily manned others, and sent them to observe the Peloponnesians, resolving at the same time to man thirty more. So great was their ardour; and no trivial measure was undertaken with regard to the forces they sent to Chios.

In the mean time Strombichides with his eight ships arrived at Samos, and having added one Samian vessel to his squadron, he sailed to Teos, and begged them to remain quiet. Chalcideus also was advancing with three and twenty ships from Chios to Teos; while at the same time the land forces of the Clazomenians and Erythraeans moved along the shore. Strombichides, on receiving prior intelligence of this, weighed anchor beforehand;

but when out in the open sea, on observing that the ships coming from Chios were so numerous, he fled towards Samos, while they pursued him.

With regard to the land forces, although the Teians were not at first disposed to admit them, yet when the Athenians had fled, they received them into the city. The troops then waited for some time, expecting Chalcideus also to return from the pursuit: but when he was long in coming, they began themselves to demolish the fort which the Athenians had built on the land side of the city of the Teians; while a small body of the barbarians also, who had joined them under the command of Stages, lieutenant of Tissaphernes, assisted them in the demolition of it.