13.
While the Peloponnesians were gathering at the Isthmus, and were still on their way,
but before1 they entered Attica, Pericles the son of Xanthippus, who was one of the ten
Athenian generals, knowing that the invasion was inevitable, and suspecting that
Archidamus in wasting the country might very likely spare his lands, either out of
courtesy and because he happened to be his friend, or by the order of the Lacedaemonian
authorities (who had already attempted to raise a prejudice against him2 when
they demanded the expulsion of the polluted family, and might take this further means of
injuring him in the eyes of the Athenians), openly declared in the assembly that
Archidamus was his friend, but was not so to the injury of the state, and that supposing
the enemy did not destroy his lands and buildings like the rest, he would make a present
of them to the public; and he desired that the Athenians would have no suspicion of him
on that account.
[2]
As to the general situation, he repeated his previous advice; they must prepare for war
and bring their property from the country into the city; they must defend their walls
but not go out to battle; they should also equip for service the fleet in which lay
their strength.
Their allies should be kept well in hand, for their power depended on3 the revenues which they derived from
them; military successes were generally gained by a wise policy and command of money.
The state of their4 finances was encouraging;
[3]
they had on an average six hundred talents5 of tribute coming in annually from their allies, to say
nothing of their other revenue; and there were still remaining in the Acropolis six
thousand talents of coined silver.
(The whole amount had once been as much as nine thousand seven hundred talents6, but from this had to be deducted
a sum of three thousand seven hundred expended on various buildings, such as the
Propylaea of the Acropolis, and also on the siege of Potidaea.)
[4]
Moreover there was uncoined gold and silver in the form of private and public
offerings, sacred vessels used in processions and games, the Persian spoil and other
things of the like nature, worth at least five hundred talents7 more.
[5]
There were also at their disposal, besides what they had in the Acropolis, considerable
treasures in various temples.
If they were reduced to the last extremity they could even take off the plates of gold
with which the image of the goddess was overlaid; these, as he pointed out, weighed
forty talents, and were of refined gold, which was all removeable.
They might use this treasure in self-defence, but they were bound to replace all that
they had taken.
[6]
By this estimate of their wealth he strove to encourage them.
He added that they had thirteen thousand hoplites, besides the sixteen thousand who
occupied the fortresses or who manned the walls of the city.
[7]
For this was the number engaged on garrison duty at the beginning of the war8, whenever the enemy invaded Attica; they were made up of the elder and younger
men, and of such metics as bore heavy arms.
The Phaleric wall extended four miles from Phalerum to the city walls: the portion of
the city wall which was guarded was somewhat less than five miles; that between the Long
Wall and the Phaleric requiring no guard.
The Long Walls running down to the Piraeus were rather more than four and a half miles
in length; the outer only was guarded.
The whole circuit of the Piraeus and of Munychia was not quite seven miles, of which
half required a guard.
[8]
The Athenian cavalry, so Pericles pointed out, numbered twelve hundred, including
mounted archers; the foot-archers, sixteen hundred;
[9]
of triremes fit for service the city had three hundred.—The forces of various
kinds which Athens possessed at the commencement of the war, when the first
Peloponnesian invasion was impending, cannot be estimated at less.—To these
Pericles added other arguments, such as he was fond of using, which were intended to
prove to the Athenians that victory was certain.
1 Pericles, suspecting that Archidamus will spare his lands, either from friendship, or to prejudice him with the Athenians, promises to give them to the public if they are uninjured by the enemy.
2 Cp. 1.126 init. and 127.
3 B.C. 431.
4 He reminds the Athenians of their enormous wealth and military and naval resources, telling them that victory is certain if they act with prudence.
5 About £120,000.
6 About £1,940,000.
7 About £100,000.
8 Cp. what is said of the citizens on garrison duty, 7.28 init.
Thucydides translated into English; with introduction, marginal analysis, notes, and indices. Volume 1. Thucydides. Benjamin Jowett. translator. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1881.
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