hstry

Spartans surrender on Sphacteria

425 BCE, Pylos. An event.

Where and when

425 BCEPylos

2,450 years ago

Explore
3000 BCE2900 BCE2800 BCE2700 BCE2600 BCE2500 BCE2400 BCE2300 BCE2200 BCE2100 BCE2000 BCE1900 BCE1800 BCE1700 BCE1600 BCE1500 BCE1400 BCE1300 BCE1200 BCE1100 BCE1000 BCE900 BCE800 BCE700 BCE600 BCE500 BCE400 BCE300 BCE200 BCE100 BCE1 CE100 CE200 CE300 CE400 CE500 CE600 CE700 CE800 CE900 CE1000 CE1100 CE1200 CE1300 CE1400 CE1500 CE1600 CE1700 CE1800 CE1900 CE2000 CEGreat Pyramid of Giza built, c. 2600 BCERome founded (traditional date), 753 BCELast western Roman emperor deposed, 476 CEGutenberg's printing press, c. 1440 CEColumbus reaches the Americas, 1492 CEFirst people on the Moon, 1969 CEToday, 2026

Swipe the line. Bars: entries. Dots: events.

, Pylos

Spartan soldiers trapped on the island of Sphacteria near Pylos give up. About 120 Spartans are among the prisoners taken to Athens.

four hundred and twenty heavy infantry had passed over; three hundred all but eight were taken alive to Athens; the rest were killed. About a hundred and twenty of the prisoners were Spartans.

Thucydides 4.38.5Translated by Richard Crawley (1874)Read the full passage (Thucydides 4.38.5, opens scaife.perseus.org)

Background: Battle of Sphacteria, Wikipedia (opens en.wikipedia.org)

Why it matters

The capture radically shifted the balance of power in the war. Athens threatened to kill the prisoners if Sparta invaded Attica, and the yearly invasions stopped.

Based on Wikipedia: Battle of Sphacteria

The capture of over 292 hoplites (120 of which were Spartans) by Athens radically shifted the balance of power in the war.

Athens threatened to execute its prisoners if Sparta invaded Attica, and the annual invasions which had occurred since the war's declaration were thus halted.

Wikipedia, Battle of Sphacteria (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-08-22. Text CC BY-SA 4.0. Our line is checked against these sentences only.

Related moments

In time order, with this one in its place. Each says why it is here.

  1. 429 BCE4 years earlier Pericles dies Same years
  2. 427 BCE2 years earlier Athens votes to kill Mytilene's men, then relents Same years
  3. c. 430–425 BCEDuring it Herodotus on why he wrote his Histories Also about war and empire
  4. 425 BCEThis momentSpartans surrender on Sphacteria
  5. 424/423 BCE1 year later Thucydides fails to save Amphipolis and is exiled Also about war and empire
  6. 424 BCE, written later1 year later Thucydides on his exile Same years
  7. 422 BCE3 years later Cleon and Brasidas both die at Amphipolis Same years

See it among its momentsSee it in the feedExplore by place and time