# Chapter XXI explained — History of the Peloponnesian War

> Chapter companion for History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides.

## What happens

The Lacedaemonians, believing Athens has broken the truce, fortify Decelea and invade Attica under King Agis, while simultaneously sending reinforcements to Sicily. The Athenians respond by dispatching Demosthenes with a fleet to Sicily and Charicles to raid the Peloponnese. In Sicily, Gylippus and Hermocrates encourage the Syracusans to engage the Athenians at sea, leading to a battle where the Syracusans capture the forts at Plemmyrium, dealing a severe blow to the Athenians. The occupation of Decelea causes immense damage to Athens, including slave desertions, loss of livestock, and financial strain, forcing the city to impose a new tax and send away Thracian mercenaries, who later sack Mycalessus.

## Themes in this chapter

### War and Its Consequences

The chapter details the devastating impact of the permanent occupation of Decelea on Athens, including slave desertions, loss of livestock, and financial ruin.

### Leadership and Strategy

Gylippus and Hermocrates demonstrate strategic leadership by encouraging the Syracusans to engage the Athenians at sea, while the Athenian commanders Charicles and Demosthenes execute coordinated operations.

### Alliance and Betrayal

The Lacedaemonians' decision to fortify Decelea and send reinforcements to Sicily reflects the shifting alliances and mutual accusations of treaty violations between Athens and Sparta.

## Character check-ins

### Agis

Leads the Peloponnesian invasion of Attica and oversees the fortification of Decelea.

### Demosthenes

Dispatched to Sicily with a fleet; first sails with Charicles to raid Laconia and fortify a position.

### Gylippus

Arrives in Syracuse with troops, encourages the Syracusans to fight at sea, and leads the assault on Plemmyrium.

### Hermocrates

Actively encourages the Syracusans to attack the Athenian navy, arguing that boldness will intimidate the enemy.

### Charicles

Commands the Athenian fleet sent to raid the Peloponnese and fortifies a position before returning home.

### Diitrephes

Leads the Thracian mercenaries on a coastal raid, culminating in the sack of Mycalessus.

## Key lines

> the Lacedaemonians at length decided that Athens had now committed the very same offence as they had before done, and had become the guilty party; and they began to be full of ardour for the war.

The Spartans concluded that Athens was now the aggressor, just as they themselves had been earlier, and this renewed their enthusiasm for conflict.

_Highlights the Spartan justification for resuming hostilities and the psychological shift toward war._

> Indeed the first and chiefest cause of the ruin of the Athenian army was the capture of Plemmyrium; even the entrance of the harbour

The loss of Plemmyrium was the primary reason for the Athenian army's downfall, as it compromised access to the harbor.

_Emphasizes the strategic importance of Plemmyrium to the Athenian position in Sicily._

> But what most oppressed them was that they had two wars at once, and had thus reached a pitch of frenzy which no one would have believed possible if he had heard of it before it had come to pass.

The greatest burden on the Athenians was fighting two simultaneous wars, a situation so extreme it would have seemed unbelievable beforehand.

_Illustrates the immense strain on Athens from fighting both the Peloponnesian War and the Sicilian Expedition._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/history_of_the_peloponnesian_war_se/chapters/xxi
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/history_of_the_peloponnesian_war_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/history_of_the_peloponnesian_war_se/chapters