Expenses of the war
In this page we align three literary sources on the expenses of the Samian war. Isocrates and Cornelius Nepos preserve the sum of 1,000 and 1,200 talents, while Diodorus Siculus writes 200 talents.
The evidence of Isocrates and Cornelius Nepos can be aligned with the text of the inscription of the expenses of the Samian war, where, according to the restoration suggested by Meritt, we have the sum of 128 talents (l. 5) for the subjugation of Byzantium and the sum of 1,276 talents (ll. 12 and 17) for the expenses of the war against Samos (368 talents in 441/0 + 908 talents in 440/39): see R. Meiggs - D. Lewis, A Selection of Greek Historical Inscriptions to the End of the Fifth Century BC. Revised edition, Oxford 1988, pp. 150-151.
According to Thucydides (1.117.3), the Samians agreed to repay the money spent by the Athenians in the war at days appointed (for the epigraphical evidence, see B.D. Meritt - H.T. Wade-Gery - M.F. McGregor, The Athenian Tribute Lists, 3, Princeton 1950, pp. 334-335; G.F. Hill, Sources for Greek History between the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, A new edition by R. Meiggs and A. Andrewes, Oxford 1952, pp. 306-307).
As far as concerns the Athenian ships used for the Samian war, we have different numbers in our sources:
- Thuc. 1.115.3 (40 ships), 116.1 (60 ships, of which 16 went to Caria to look out for the Phoenician fleet and to Chios and Lesbos to look for reinforcements), 116.2 (40 ships from Athens + 25 from Chios and Lesbos), and 117.2 (60 ships from Athens + 30 from Chios and Lesbos).
- Isocr. 15.111 (200 ships)
- Diod. Sic. 12.27.1 (40 ships), 27.4 (60 ships + 25 from Chios and Mytilene), and 28.2 (60 ships from Athens + 30 from Chios and Mytilene)
- Plut. Per. 25.3 (44 ships) and 26.1 (60 ships)
Greek text (→ English translation)
Highlight corresponding passages ✎
|
(ed. Norlin
|
(ed. Oldfather)
|
Cornelius Nepos, Timotheus 1.4-11
(ed. Rolfe
|
|
IG I3 363 = M-L 55 (440 and 439 BC) [․․5․․]εκ — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — |
ΤΤΤ — — — — — — — — — — —
ΤΤΤ — — — — — — — — — — — —
ΤΤΤ — — — — — — — — — — — — —
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
English translation (→ Greek text)
|
(trans. Norlin
After these exploits he (sc. Timotheus) led an expedition against Samos; and that city which Perikles, renowned above all others for his wisdom, his justice, and his moderation, reduced with a fleet of two hundred ships and the expenditure of a thousand talents, Timotheus, without receiving from you or collecting from your allies any money whatsoever, captured after a siege of ten months with a force of eight thousand light-armed troops and thirty triremes, and he paid all these forces from the spoils of war. |
(trans. Oldfather)
He (sc. Perikles) built also siege machines, being the first of all men to do so, such as those called “rams” and “tortoises,” Artemon of Clazomenae having built them; and by pushing the siege with energy and throwing down the walls by means of the siege machines he gained the mastery of Samos. After punishing the ringleaders of the revolt he exacted of the Samians the expenses incurred in the siege of the city, fixing the penalty at two hundred talents.
|
Cornelius Nepos, Timotheus 1.4-11
(trans. Watson)
Many honourable actions of his (sc. of Timotheus) are recorded, the following are the most famous. He subdued the Olynthians and Byzantians by force of arms; he took Samos, on the siege of which, in a previous war, the Athenians had spent twelve hundred talents. This sum he restored to the people without any expense to them; for he carried on a war against Cotys, and thence brought twelve hundred talents' worth of spoil into the public treasury. He relieved Cyzicus from a siege.
|
|
IG I3 363 = M-L 55 (440 and 439 BC) [․․5․․] — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — |