History of the Peloponnesian War · Chapter
VIII explained
The chapter covers the third year of the Peloponnesian War, detailing Athenian military campaigns in Acarnania and Chalcidice, the Thracian expedition of Sitalces, and the strategic maneuvers of both sides.
What happens
The chapter covers the third year of the Peloponnesian War, detailing Athenian military campaigns in Acarnania and Chalcidice, the Thracian expedition of Sitalces, and the strategic maneuvers of both sides. It includes the Athenian defeat at Spartolus, the Acarnanian campaign led by Cnemus, and the diplomatic and military actions of Phormio and Perdiccas. The chapter also recounts the mythological story of Alcmaeon and the formation of the Echinades islands.
Themes in this chapter
War and Its Consequences
The chapter details the Athenian defeat at Spartolus with heavy losses, the ravaging of territories by Thracian forces, and the strategic devastation of Acarnania, highlighting the brutal realities of war.
Alliance and Betrayal
Perdiccas secretly aids the Peloponnesians while allied with Athens, and Sitalces' nephew Seuthes is bribed to persuade the Thracian king to retreat, demonstrating the fragility of alliances.
Leadership and Strategy
Phormio's decision to protect Naupactus over aiding the Acarnanians, and Cnemus's flawed three-division march on Stratus, illustrate the challenges of command and tactical planning.
Characters to notice
- Phormio
Athenian commander who returns from Acarnania to Naupactus and later leads a winter expedition into Acarnania, restoring Cynes to Coronta.
- Cnemus
Lacedaemonian high admiral who leads a combined land and sea expedition against Acarnania, advancing on Stratus.
- Perdiccas
Macedonian king who secretly sends a thousand Macedonians to support the Peloponnesians and later negotiates with Sitalces, securing a retreat through bribery.
- Sitalces
Thracian king who leads a massive expedition into Macedonia and Chalcidice, but withdraws after thirty days due to lack of provisions and winter conditions, influenced by his nephew Seuthes.
Key passages
“The Athenians and Phormio putting back from Acarnania and arriving at Naupactus, sailed home to Athens in the spring, taking with them the ships that they had captured, and such of the prisoners made in the late actions as were freemen; who were exchanged, man for man.”
Phormio and the Athenians returned from Acarnania to Naupactus, then sailed to Athens in spring, bringing captured ships and exchanging free prisoners one for one.
Describes the end of the winter campaign and the routine exchange of prisoners.
“The Athenians took refuge in Potidaea, and afterwards recovered their dead under truce, and returned to Athens with the remnant of their army; four hundred and thirty men and all the generals having fallen.”
After their defeat, the Athenians fled to Potidaea, retrieved their dead under a truce, and sailed back to Athens with the survivors, having lost 430 men and all their generals.
Highlights the severe Athenian losses at Spartolus.
“Meanwhile Sitalces opened negotiations with Perdiccas on the objects of his expedition; and finding that the Athenians, not believing that he would come, did not appear with their fleet, though they sent presents and envoys, dispatched a large part of his army against the Chalcidians and Bottiaeans, and shutting them up inside their walls laid waste their country.”
Sitalces negotiated with Perdiccas, and since the Athenians failed to send their fleet as expected, he sent most of his army to ravage the lands of the Chalcidians and Bottiaeans, besieging them in their cities.
Shows Sitalces' frustration with Athenian inaction and his shift to ravaging enemy territory.