History of the Peloponnesian War

For the following nations on either side had entered the war at Syracuse, coming against Sicily or in behalf of Sicily, to aid the Athenians to win the country or the Syracusans to save it; and they chose sides, not so much on the ground of right or even of kinship, but either out of regard for their own advantage or from necessity, according to the circumstances in which they each happened to be placed.[*](Or, by adopting Heilmann's and Boehme's conjecture ὡς ἕκαστοι τῆς ξυντυχίας. . . εἶχον, “severally choosing their side, not so much from a sense of right or from obligations of kinship, as from the accident of compulsion or their own interest.”)

The Athenians themselves, as Ionians, went of their own free will against the Syracusans, who were Dorians, and with them went as members of the expedition the Lemnians, the Imbrians,[*](cf. 4.28.4. The occupation of Lemnos was effected by Miltiades a few years after the battle of Marathon (Herod. VI. 137-140), that of Imbros probably about the same time; of Aegina in 431 B.C. (2.27.1); of Hestiaea in 446 B.C. (1.114.5).) and the Aeginetans, who at this time held Aegina, as also the Hestiaeans who inhabit Hestiaea in Euboea, all these being colonists of the Athenians and having the same language and institutions as they had.

Of the rest, some took part in the expedition as subjects, others in consequence of an alliance, although independent, and some were mercenaries.

The peoples that were subjects and tributaries were the Eretrians, Chalcidians, Styreans and Carystians from Euboea; from the islands the Ceans, Andrians and Tenians; and from Ionia the Milesians, Samians and Chians. Of these last, however, the Chians followed as independent allies, not subject to the payment of tribute but furnishing ships instead.[*](cf. 6.85.2) Of the above-mentioned almost all were Ionians and colonists of Athens—except the Carystians, who are Dryopians[*](An aboriginal people, dwelling near Mount Oeta; cf. Herod. VIII. 43.)—and although they followed as subjects and under compulsion, nevertheless they were Ionians going against Dorians. Besides these there were Aeolians: the Methymnaeans,[*](cf. III, 1. 2; 6.85.2.) who paid service with ships and not with tribute, and as tributaries the Tenedians and Aenians. These, though Aeolians, were constrained to fight against Aeolians, that is, the Boeotians, their founders, who were on the side of the Syracusans;

while the Plataeans[*](Those who had escaped to Athens at the siege of Plataea (3.24.3), or those who had settled in Scione (5.32.1).) were the only outright Boeotians who were opposed to Boeotians—as was natural considering their hatred. And there were the Rhodians and Cytherians, both Dorians; the Cytherians, although colonists of the Lacedaemonians, bore arms with the Athenians against the Lacedaemonians who were with Gylippus, while the Rhodians, Argives by descent, were compelled to make war not only upon the Syracusans, who were Dorians, but also upon the Geloans, their own colonists,[*](cf. 6.4.3.) who were serving with the Syracusans.

Of the inhabitants of the islands off the shores of the Peloponnesus, the Cephallenians and Zacynthians[*](cf. 2.7.3; 7.31.2.) went with the Athenians as independent allies, it is true, but on account of their insular position were under a measure of restraint, because the Athenians were masters of the sea.

The Corcyraeans, who were not only Dorians but confessedly Corinthians, were serving against the Corinthians and Syracusans, though colonists of the former and kinsmen of the latter, under the specious pretext indeed of compulsion, but really quite as much from choice, on account of their hatred of the Corinthians. Also the Messenians, as they are now called, who live in Naupactus,[*](Settled by the Athenians at Naupactus since 462 B.C. (1.103.3). Some of them were employed in garrison duty at Pylos in 425 B.C. (4.41.2).) as well as the Messenians at Pylos, which was now in the possession of the Athenians, were taken along as participants in the war.

Furthermore, there were a few exiles from Megara[*](4.74.2; 6.43.) who, because of their misfortune, were fighting against the Selinuntians,[*](6.4.2.) who were Megarians. So far as the rest were concerned, their part in the expedition was, as compared with the others, of a more voluntary character.

The Argives,[*](Five hundred according to vi. 43.) on the one hand, were led to take part, not so much by their alliance, as by their hatred of the Lacedaemonians, and out of regard each for his own immediate advantage, associating themselves, Dorians against Dorians, with the Athenians who were Ionians; the Mantineans, on the other hand, and other Arcadians went as mercenaries, for they were accustomed to go against any who at any time were pointed out to them as enemies, and at this time were led by desire of gain to regard as enemies the Arcadians who were with the Corinthians.[*](cf. 7.19.4.) The Cretans and the Aetolians were also induced by pay; and in the case of the Cretans it so fell out that, although they had assisted the Rhodians in the founding of Gela,[*](cf. 6.4.3.) they went, not with their colonists, but against them, and of their own free will, for hire. Some of the Acarnanians served, it is true, for gain, but the greater portion were moved by friendship for Demosthenes and goodwill[*](cf. 3.7.1, 3.94.2, 3.105.3, 3.107.2, 3.114.1.) toward the Athenians, whose allies they were, to come to their aid.

All these were within the boundary of the Ionian Gulf;

but of the Italiots the Thurians and Metapontians took part in the expedition, being reduced at this time to such straits by party crises that they could not do otherwise; and of the Siceliots the Naxians and the Catanaeans. Of Barbarians there were the Egestaeans, who had brought the Athenians to Sicily, and the greater part of the Sicels; and of those outside of Sicily a certain number of Tyrrhenians,[*](cf. 6.88.6, 6.103.2.) who had a quarrel with the Syracusans, and some Iapygian mercenaries.[*](cf. 7.33.4.) So many were the peoples who took part in the struggle on the side of the Athenians.