Battle of Mytilene (427 BC)

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The Battle of Mytilene was fought in 427 BC between Athens and Mytilene. Mytilene had rebelled against Athens, but in this battle, the rebellion was crushed. As punishment for the rebellion, Athens first decided to destroy the city and kill all of the inhabitants, a motion put forward by Cleon, but the following day another debate was called in which Diodotus opposed the plan on political grounds. The punishment given to the Mytilenians was that the leaders of the rebellion were executed; the fortifications torn down; and the land divided into 3000 holdings, 300 of which were set aside for the gods and the others held by Athenians. The native people still farmed the land but paid a rent of 2 minae (200 drachmae) per year per holding.

The debate between Cleon and Diodotus was recorded by Thucydides in his History of the Peloponnesian War, book 3.