Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Maps
- Preface
- Introduction
- Principal dates
- Biographical notes
- Greek deities, heroes and mythological figures
- Greek terms for distances, coinage and the calendar
- Map 1. Greece and the Aegean
- Map 2. Peloponnese and Central Greece
- Map 3. Western Asia Minor and Hellespont
- Map 4. Sicily and South Italy
- The War of the Peloponnesians and the Athenians
- Introduction [I 1–23.3]
- Background to the war [I 23.4–146]
- First year of the war, 431–30 [II 1–47.1]
- Second year of the war, 430–29 [II 47.2–70]
- Third year of the war, 429–28 [II 71–103]
- Fourth year of the war, 428–27 [III 1–25]
- Fifth year of the war, 427–26 [III 26–88]
- Sixth year of the war, 426–25 [III 89–116]
- Seventh year of the war, 425–24 [IV 1–51]
- Eighth year of the war, 424–23 [IV 52–116]
- Ninth year of the war, 423–22 (IV 117–35)
- Tenth year of the war, 422–21 [V 1–24]
- Eleventh year of the war, 421–20 [V 25–39]
- Twelfth year of the war, 420–19 [V 40–51]
- Thirteenth year of the war, 419–18 [V 52–56]
- Fourteenth year of the war, 418–17 [V 57–81]
- Fifteenth year of the war, 417–16 [V 82–83]
- Sixteenth year of the war, 416–15 [V 84–116, VI 1–7]
- Seventeenth year of the war, 415–14 [VI 8–93]
- Eighteenth year of the war, 414–13 [VI 94–105, VII 1–18]
- Nineteenth year of the war, 413–12 [VII 19–87, VIII 1–6]
- Twentieth year of the war, 412–11 [VIII 7–60]
- Twenty-first year of the war, 411–10 [VIII 61–109, unfinished]
- Appendix 1 Notes on the Greek text: variations from the OCT
- Appendix 2 Thucydides in the ancient world: a selection of texts
- Bibliography and further reading
- Synopsis of contents
- Synopsis of speeches
- Glossary
- Index of names
- General index
Nineteenth year of the war, 413–12 [VII 19–87, VIII 1–6]
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 April 2013
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Maps
- Preface
- Introduction
- Principal dates
- Biographical notes
- Greek deities, heroes and mythological figures
- Greek terms for distances, coinage and the calendar
- Map 1. Greece and the Aegean
- Map 2. Peloponnese and Central Greece
- Map 3. Western Asia Minor and Hellespont
- Map 4. Sicily and South Italy
- The War of the Peloponnesians and the Athenians
- Introduction [I 1–23.3]
- Background to the war [I 23.4–146]
- First year of the war, 431–30 [II 1–47.1]
- Second year of the war, 430–29 [II 47.2–70]
- Third year of the war, 429–28 [II 71–103]
- Fourth year of the war, 428–27 [III 1–25]
- Fifth year of the war, 427–26 [III 26–88]
- Sixth year of the war, 426–25 [III 89–116]
- Seventh year of the war, 425–24 [IV 1–51]
- Eighth year of the war, 424–23 [IV 52–116]
- Ninth year of the war, 423–22 (IV 117–35)
- Tenth year of the war, 422–21 [V 1–24]
- Eleventh year of the war, 421–20 [V 25–39]
- Twelfth year of the war, 420–19 [V 40–51]
- Thirteenth year of the war, 419–18 [V 52–56]
- Fourteenth year of the war, 418–17 [V 57–81]
- Fifteenth year of the war, 417–16 [V 82–83]
- Sixteenth year of the war, 416–15 [V 84–116, VI 1–7]
- Seventeenth year of the war, 415–14 [VI 8–93]
- Eighteenth year of the war, 414–13 [VI 94–105, VII 1–18]
- Nineteenth year of the war, 413–12 [VII 19–87, VIII 1–6]
- Twentieth year of the war, 412–11 [VIII 7–60]
- Twenty-first year of the war, 411–10 [VIII 61–109, unfinished]
- Appendix 1 Notes on the Greek text: variations from the OCT
- Appendix 2 Thucydides in the ancient world: a selection of texts
- Bibliography and further reading
- Synopsis of contents
- Synopsis of speeches
- Glossary
- Index of names
- General index
Summary
Summer [VII 19–87, VIII 1]
Right at the start of the following spring – at an earlier date than ever before, in fact – the Spartans and their allies invaded Attica, under the command of Agis, son of Archidamus and king of the Spartans. They first wasted the land in the area of the plain and then began building a fort at Deceleia, dividing the work between the allied states. Deceleia is about eleven miles from the city of Athens and approximately the same or a little further from Boeotia. The fort was built overlooking the plain and the richest parts of the land with a view to despoiling them, and it was clearly visible from as far away as the city of Athens.
While the Peloponnesians and their allies were building this fort in Attica, those in the Peloponnese were at about the same time dispatching hoplites to Sicily in transport ships. The Spartans selected the best of the present or recently enfranchised helots, 600 hoplites in all, and sent them under the command of the Spartiate Eccritus; and the Boeotians chose 300 hoplites to go under the command of the Thebans Zenon and Nicon and the Thespian Hegesander. These troops were among the first to sail, putting out into the open sea from Taenarum in Laconia; not long after them the Corinthians sent 500 hoplites, some from Corinth itself, others being Arcadian mercenaries they hired in, and appointed the Corinthian Alexarchus to the command. The Sicyonians dispatched an additional 200 hoplites along with the Corinthians under the command of Sargeus, a Sicyonian. Meanwhile the twenty-five Corinthian ships that had been manned during the winter stood off facing the twenty Athenian ships at Naupactus, which was precisely why they had been manned in the first place – to focus the Athenians’ attention on the triremes rather than the merchant ships.
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- ThucydidesThe War of the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, pp. 463 - 514Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2013