Sophocles among the Generals

Abstract

ACCORDING TO THE FIRST ARGUMENT of the play,' which is attributed to Aristophanes of Byzantium, the Athenians elected Sophocles general as a recognition of his success in the production of the Antigone.2 It is certain that he was general with Pericles in 441/0, when the Samian revolt occurred (Thuc. 1.115.1), for his name occurs in a list of the generals of that year given by Androtion.' Ion of Chios, whose Visits was a contemporary source for these events, met him on his native island, to which Sophocles had sailed during his generalship on his way to Lesbos.' Thucydides reports (1.116.2) that in the course of the Athenian naval operations against Samos a small squadron was despatched from the main fleet to collect reinforcements from these two islands; it is probable that Sophocles was with those ships.5 That is all that can be said about his naval achievements. They were no doubt satisfactory in the performance of routine duties but we have no reason to believe that they went further than that.* The later tradition emphasises the part of Sophocles in the naval campaign, making him by implication Pericles' chief colleague,' but that appears to be a simplification and exaggeration. The tenor of the anecdotes related by the contemporary Ion and others is certainly against the tendency, shown in the late sources, to make much of Sophocles' military role. Ion reports that Sophocles was not active in politics, but merely took such a part as any Athenian gentleman might take.8 According to the same source, Sophocles quoted with approval a saying of Pericles about himself, that he knew how to compose but not how to be a general.' The