as ae THUCYDIDES HISTORY OF THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR Translated by Rex Warner with a Ttrodution and Notes by M1. Finley PENGUIN BOOKSfe » 6 BOOK ONE. clearly the ewo most powerful states, one being supreme on lind, the other on the sea. Por a short time the war-time alliance held together, bt it was not long before quarrels took place and Athens and Sparta each with hee own allies, were at war with each other, ‘while among the rest of the Helles states that had their own dif ferences nove joined one of other of the two sides? So from the end of the Persian Wat till the beginning of the Peloponnesian War, though there were some intervals of peace, on the whole those two Powets were either ighing with each other or putting down revolts among their alles. They were consequently in a hgh state of military preparedness and had gained cheir military experience in the hard school of danger. "The Spartans did not make ther allies pay tibuee, but saw to it that chey were govemed by oligarchies who would work in the Spartan interest. Athens, on the other and, bad inthe course of time taken over the fleets of ber alles (except for those of Chios sud Lesbos) and had made them pay contributions of money in- stead. Thus the forces available to Athens alone for this war were sgreater than the combined force had ever been when the alliance ‘yas sil intact. Tin investigating pas history, and in forming the conclusions which [have formed, it must be admired that one cannot rely on cevery detail which has come down to us by way of tradition, People are inclined to accept all stories of ancient times in an un ctitcal way ~ even when these stories concern theit own native countries, Most people in Athens, for instance, are under the im= presion that Hipparchus, who was killed by Harmodius and Arisiogiton, wat tyrant at the time, not realizing that it was Hippias who was the eldest and the chief of the sons of Pisistratos, and that Hipparchus and Thessalus were his younger brothers. What happened was this: on the very day that had been fixed for their attempt, indeed at the very last moment, Hiarmodias and Aristogciton bad reason to believe that Hippias had been informed ofthe plot by some ofthe conspirators. Believ= ing. him to have been forewarned, they kept away ftom him, buts as they wanted to perform some daring exploit before they ‘were arrested themeelves, they killed Hipparchus when they 1 See Appendix Introduction "7 found him by the Leocorium organizing the Panathensc prom The rest ofthe Hellees, too, make many incorrect assumptions not only about the dinly remembered pat, but also about con temporary history. For instance, there ra general belie tha che ings of Spare are cach entitled wo wo votes, wherein ie chey hhave only one; and it is believed, too, that the Spartans have a company of troop called “Pitante’. Such a company has never xed. Most people in Gt, wil not take trouble in Finding out the truth, bu are much more iacined to acepe the fist story they here “However, [do not think that one willbe far wrong in acceping the conclsin have rexched from the evidence which Thave put forward. ister evidence than that ofthe poets, who exaggerate theimportance ofthc dhomes, oF of he prose chroniclers, who a les interested in elling che teu than in catching the attention of their public, whose authorities cot be checked, and whose subjectnatter, owing co the page of time, is mostly loin the tuoreiable reams of mythology. We may dsim instead to have teed only the plains evidence and to have reached conclusions ‘which are reasonably accra, considering that we have been deal ing with ancient hitory. Ar for this present war, even though people are ape to sink that che war in which chey are fighting is the greatest ofall wars and, when i is over, to relapse again to their admiration ofthe pas, nevertheless, i one looks tthe facts themselves one wil se tha this was the greatest war ofall In this history I have made ose of set specches some of which swore delivered jost before and others dirng the wat. Thave found ie dificule to remember the precise words used in che speeches ‘which Uistened to myself and my various informants have ex perienced dhe same dficley; so my method hasbeen, while keep- ing as closely a possible so the general sense of the words that ‘were actully tied, to make the speakers say what, i my opinion, swat called fr by each station. fn vs, s5-0 there is 8 lengthy digrenion on the assusinstion of Hipparchsin $243.6 9 Sethe Introduction, p 3s 1 See the Introductions pp. 35-9“2 BOOK six see where they would have to make their base for carying on the ‘war. They then sled back again to Catana st Here an asembly was held and, hough the people of Catana ‘would not allow the army inside their city, they invited the generals to come in and to say what they had to sy. While Ale biades was speaking and the citizens were all intent upon the anembly, the soldiers managed to get into the city without being noticed. They came in by breaking down a badly buil gate inthe wall, and they proceeded to stroll about in the marketplace. As soon asthe pro-Syracusan purty in Catana sw the army inside, ‘they became teriied and slipped away (there were not very many of them), and the rst voted in favour of an alice with the Athenians and invited them to bring over the remainder oftheir forces from Rhegium. Afr this the Athenians sled across t0 Rhegium, po to sca again for Catana with their whole force now ‘united and, on their azival, began to build their camp. 4 Newsthen reached them from Camarina that f hey went there the city would come over to their sid, and also tae the Syraca- sans were manning a feet. They therefore sled fist with the whole force along the coast to Syracuse. Here they found no signs ofaflec being manned, and went on along the coast to Camarina, where they put in tothe beach and sent a herald wo the city. The people of Camarina, however, would not receive chem, saying that they were bound by oath only to receive the Athenians if they came in one single ship, umes they themselves asked for more t0 be sent. Meeting with no succes here, the Athenians sled away again. They landed and made a raid on Syracusan territory, but lost a few stragglers from their light troops when the Syracusan cavalry came up. And so they retumed to Catana. ‘THE STORY OF HARMODIUS AND ARISTOGITON, $9 At Cana they found the Selanne arved fom Athens for Akins wih orders chat he should sl home to sswer the barges made gn him bythe sate, and for some oe people fle tthe army against whom infomation hd been bid wih tepid toe scrgiow tentnet of te myer and abo, The Story of Harmodius and Arisigiton 514 443 some cass, with regard to the Hermae. For, after the expedition Jnad st sail, the Athenians had been jast as anxious as before to in vestigate the facts about che mysteries and about the Hermae Instead of checking up on the characters of their informers, they had regarded everything they were told as grounds for suspicion, and on the evidence of complete rogues had arrested and imme peisoned some ofthe best citizens, thinking it beter to get to the bottom of things in this way rather than to let any accused person, however good his reputation might be, escape interrogation be. ‘cause ofthe bad characte of the informe. The people had heard stories of the dictatorship of Psstratus and his sons, and knew how. ‘oppressive it had been in its later stages; they knew also tat it was not because of themselves and Harmodius that it had come to at. cad, but because of the Spartans. They were consequently always ina sate of fear and apt to look a everything suspiciously. 4 _ Infact the bold action undercaken by Aristogiton and Harmo- dius was duc to a love afc. I shall deal with this in some detail, and show that the Athenians themselves are no better than other people at producing accurate information about their own dietae tors and the fats of their own history. Psstatas was an old man when he died, sill holding the dictatorship, After him ie wat not Hipparchus, 2s most people thnk, but Hippiss, the eldest, who took over power, Hitmodius wat then a most beauifal young ‘man in the flower of his youth, and was loved and posse by ‘Aristogiton, a citizen who belonged to the middle lass. Hatmo- dius was approached, hough without succes, by Hipparchs, the son of Psbtratus, and he told Aristogiton ofthis, who, being in Tove a he was, was greatly upset and was afraid that Hipparchus, ‘with all his power, mighe take Harmodius by force. He therfore began a once, s0 far 2s he could in his poston, to plot to over throw the dictatorship, Meanwhile Hipparchus made another at tempt, equally unsuccessful, to seduce Harmodins. Afterwards he Jado intention of using force, bur planned to insult him somehow ina way which would not eevel his real motives for doing so. Indeed, he exercised his authority in a manner that was easy for people to bear and roled without making himself hated. These Particular dictators, infact, showed for a very long time both high Principle and intelligence in thei policy. The taxes they imposedss “ae ROOK SIX con the Athenians were only a twentieth of thie incomes, yer they ‘greatly improved the appearance of their city, caried ehrough theie wars succesflly, and made al the proper religious sacrifices. Inall other respects the city was sill governed by the laws which had existed previously, except that they took care to see thar there ‘wat always one of their own family in office. Among those of them who held che yearly office of archon in Athens was the son. of the dicator Hippies, who was called Pisisramas after his grand father. It was he who, in his year of office, dedicated the altar of the ewelve gods, which isin the marketplace, and the altar of Apollo in the Pythium. Later the altar in the marketplace was ‘extended toa greater length by the Athenian people andthe inscrip- tion was obliterated. But one can sil read in faded letters the inscription on the altar in the Pythiom, which iss follows: “Hippies son, Pisa, up this rec of fe, Hr on the ly ground saed 1 Pythian Apolo As for the fact that Hippias was the eldest son and the one who had power, tis s something which I asert confidently on the bois of mote accurate information than others possess. It ea be seen also that this is true foom the following point. OF al che legitimate brothers itis only inthe eas of Hippas that theres any recotd of hilten being boro 8 isshown both by the lar and by the plla set up on the Athenian acropolis to commemorate the cine ofthe dictators. On ths pillar no child of Theslas or of Hipparchs is mentioned, but there are fve children of Hips borne t him by Myrthine, the daughter of Calas the son of Hyperechides. Now, itis ikely thatthe eldest brother would be the ist to marry. Aud on the same pir his name comes next after the name of his father, which is again the natural thing, since bbe was the next oldest him and he held the dictatorship. Cer- tainly I cannot believe that Hippas could ever have seized power so easly and so much at moments notice, if Hipparchus bad been dictator a the time of his death, and Hippas himself had tied to establish his power on the ver same day. The acti that hhe had been long used to making the citizens fear him and his bodyguard obey him, andso he took contel ofthe situation with cout beng seriously challenged, showing none of the hesitation The Story of Harmodius and Aristogiton 514 445 that wool be shown by & younger brother wio lacked «long previous exprenes of oli power. As for Pippen, bebe me firms fecane of informa fe and en algo the xe with poner for ving ben the dictator 6 Torerum to Harmodis; Hipparcos afer Baving bee efised by hi, proceded tow as he had pln. le and it othr fire vite «ster of Harmon fo come and cy beset in procesion and the, whe she ce to her tg0 teckagain, ying dt ae had never ben nied tal ashe wet tot to beim the procesion. Harnoe was greatly pst by this ad forsake Artogiton ao bcameall he marines “They had now arranged eveything with those who were gong tojoin dem indir tempt and only waited for he pet fee tbe Panathenacy, whch ws th nly day on which de zens sro were taking pr inthe pros, could ther rogether Imi rdbout xing wpe, Arstogiton nd Farmed were tobegin, nd thoes mer tocomet thei spportimmodiaey besins the bodyguard. There were not many contr, for {event of eur a lo twas hped that thw mio wer noe scaly nthe plot would, one ty ven few people ready {stake the jon non the pur of he momenta tac they Sadannsin thr hand come forward rpuin thio bere 1 When the dey ofthe fv ane, Hipp with his bodypuaed vr outide heey in the Ceramic ping the ork of Tirch forthe procon, Harmodi sad Ariogtton bad th daggers ready and were preprng to ake action when they ew onc ofthis llow-enspator taking ins taenly manne wih Hpi (who int, tever made cul fr tnjone to a proach im) They hen bose ightened thinking ta he poe i been tee nd chat shy were on the ery poi of beng amrened. Pit however they wished if posible, to have des ‘evenge onthe man who lad done then the nro ben the Caco thee rnning all re iad so they sed eth fej they ers came upon Hipparcos bythe Leon fodimmediely ll spon im witout a though fo tc ey ba acting ently amor the impale of rage exces in the on cx by love nd inthe oer by wounded pie. So they suck oe46 00K escaped the bodyguaed for the time being, but was arrested lter Sind died no exsy death, Harmodius was killed onthe spe. ‘When the news was brought to Hippias inthe Ceramius, ine szead of going tothe place where the murder had been commited, he immediately approsched the armed men in the proceion before they, who wore some distance away, realized what had happened. He pat on, to mec the situation, an expresion of face which gave nothing away, pointed to a certain piece of ground, and told the men to go there without thir arms. They, thinking that he had something to say to them, did a they were tld, and Hippias then ordered his bodyguard to tke the arms away, and ‘began at once to pick oot the en whom he thought guy and ali who were found carrying daggees shields and spears being the fans chat were customarily eared in a procesion. Ta this way the conspiracy of Harmodis and Aritogiton origin- ated in the wounded feeling ofa lover, and their reckless scion ronlted from a momentary falure of serve. But after this the dictatonhip became more oppresve to the Athenians. Hippias ‘was now more fightned himself, and he pot to death many of| the ctzen, At the same time be begen to look abroad to find « posible place of refuge for himself in ease of revolution. Atleast there is no doubt that afer this he, though an Athenian, gave his daughter Archedice to 4 Lampsacene, Acantides, the som of the Aicator of Lampsicus, Hippoce, and chis was because he knew that chey had great influence with the Persian King Dati. The tomb of Archedice is in Lampsacus, and it bears the following inscription: Daughter of hi rho was retest fn Hella of that generation “chilies here. Hippias washer fier. Daghershe eas and wie and ser and moter of aes Yer in her cum hear ever harboured afcing of pride. ippias held the dictatorship at Athens for three more yeas and in the fourth year was deposed by the Spartans andthe exiled ‘Alemaconid, He wasthea piven asafecondacttoSigeum and went fon to. Acsntes at Lapras, and from there to the Court of King Dati. Twenty years later in hisold ag he set out from there ‘with the Persians on th expedition to Marathon. Recall of Alcibiades 413 447 RECALL OF ALCIBIADES 2 Thee events lad impresed themselves onthe people of Athens tod ealing eveything tha hy had beard about them, hey tree now ina angry and ris mood wit oad wo thee ‘ho had ben acl In comnostion wih the myer thing that hd Bapened they thought, pat of por ming stating up an catchy ors atondap, Win pee opion infared ai was here wee leds uber of worthy ics Inprion and thre was sig of hogs geting ay ni et ver ay ahowed ance in agery ended fo more ares ting made. Ar this point one ofthe prone who ws thought fo be som guy wae eraded by 2 low pvnc 0 cme faeward with informa which ny have ne sid tue or fe. Boch opinions are held, hough in tno on, er then or ler, was abe to sy for cern who di the dec, The one prone, however, sucfded in perding the ther htt wa Enter fr him, ven ied nor dane to make himself as by gutag» promo of impunity and fo put an ed vo the proc ther of pion inthe cy fhe would be in potion if made cnfnion wih impeniythan ithe dened he charges tod wa broghe oa The peor in gueon ihrer case feevard wih information inning mel ond other with regard to the Hermac, The Athenian people were lighted at ving now, they ingined, disor fo Wut a hvag Bern prevouly inlet atthe iden ttt cospieot again the democracy might newer be found ox They stone Fekasd she informer ins and with hm all whom he hd not trcud. The aut won he ad given evidence were brought toe and all who were secured were put fo death, Te death sete was pad on all who manage to cape and Pie ert on Gir beds, nal hres input ny whether the whose doerved thei pistes o not ba ws aie cleat tat the ret of the cy, at things wer, bene ral o 2 |As for Alcibiades, the same enemies of his who attacked him cvenbeloreheseriinow renewed tht acts and he hens