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
- References
First year of the war, 431–30 [II 1–47.1]
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
- References
Summary
Summer [II 1–32]
This marks the beginning of the war between the Athenians and the Peloponnesians and the allies on each side, the point from which they only dealt with each other through heralds and were continuously at war once they had started. Events have been recorded in the order of their occurrence, by summers and winters.
The Thirty Year Treaty made after the capture of Euboea remained in force for fourteen years; but in the fifteenth year – that is, when Chrysis had been priestess at Argos for forty-eight years, when Aenesias was ephor at Sparta and Pythadorus still had two months to serve as archon at Athens, in the sixth month after the Battle of Potidaea and at the start of spring – some 300 or more Thebans led by the boetarch Pythangelus son of Phyleides and Diemporus son of Onetorides made an armed entry during the first watch of night into Plataea, a Boeotian city allied to the Athenians. A group of Plataeans invited them in and opened the gates for them – these were Naucleides and his followers, who for reasons of personal ambition wanted to do away with their political opponents and make the city over to the Thebans. They arranged this plan through Eurymachus son of Leontiades, one of the most powerful men in Thebes. The Thebans foresaw that there would be a war and wanted to take the initiative and seize Plataea – which had always been at odds with them – while the peace still held and war had not yet been openly declared. This is why they found it relatively easy to get in unobserved, because no guard had yet been established.
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- ThucydidesThe War of the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, pp. 89 - 117Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2013