History of the Peloponnesian War · Chapter
XX explained
The Athenian generals in Sicily divide their forces to assess the situation at Selinus and Egesta, while the Syracusans prepare for war.
What happens
The Athenian generals in Sicily divide their forces to assess the situation at Selinus and Egesta, while the Syracusans prepare for war. Alcibiades, now in Sparta, delivers a speech revealing the grand Athenian plan to conquer Sicily, Italy, and Carthage before attacking the Peloponnese. He urges the Spartans to send troops and a Spartan commander to Syracuse, and to fortify Decelea in Attica. Meanwhile, the Athenians attempt to draw the Syracusans out of their city through a stratagem involving a false defector.
Themes in this chapter
Alliance and Betrayal
Alcibiades betrays Athens by revealing its strategic plans to Sparta, while the Camarinaeans struggle to choose between allying with Athens or Syracuse.
Leadership and Strategy
The Athenian generals devise a stratagem to draw the Syracusans out of their city, and Alcibiades advises the Spartans on how to counter Athenian ambitions.
Power and Empire
Alcibiades outlines Athens' grand imperial ambitions to conquer Sicily, Italy, Carthage, and ultimately the Peloponnese.
Characters to notice
- Euphemus
Athenian envoy who addresses the Camarinaeans, urging them to join the Athenians against Syracuse.
- Nicias
Athenian general who sails to Egesta to receive money and then rejoins the forces.
- Alcibiades
Athenian exile now in Sparta, delivering a speech to persuade the Spartans to aid Syracuse and attack Athens.
- Hermocrates
Syracusan leader; Syracusan envoys are sent to Corinth and Lacedaemon to seek assistance.
Key passages
“do like others, and instead of being always on the defensive against the Syracusans, unite with us, and in your turn at last threaten them.”
Join us and take the offensive against the Syracusans instead of constantly defending against them.
Euphemus urges the Camarinaeans to ally with Athens against Syracuse.
“I am forced first to speak to you of the prejudice with which I am regarded, in order that suspicion may not make you disinclined to listen to me upon public matters.”
I must first address the bias you hold against me so that distrust does not prevent you from hearing my advice on public affairs.
Alcibiades begins his speech to the Spartans by defending his reputation.
“We sailed to Sicily first to conquer, if possible, the Siceliots, and after them the Italiots also, and finally to assail the empire and city of Carthage.”
Our plan was to conquer Sicily, then Italy, and ultimately attack Carthage.
Alcibiades reveals the full scope of Athenian imperial ambitions.