resorted thither to contend therein hee againe maketh manifest in these Verses of the same Hymne For after hee hath spoken of the Delian Dance of the Women hee endeth their praise with these Verses wherin also he maketh mention of himselfe But well let Phoebus and Diana bee Propitious and farewell you each one But yet remember me when I am gone And if of earthly men you chance to see Any toyl'd Pilgrim that shall aske you Who O Damsels is the man that liuing here Was sweet'st in Song and that most had your eare Then all with a ioynt murmur thereunto Make answer thus A man depriu'd of seeing In th'lle of Sandie Chios is his beeing So much hath Homer witnessed touching the great meeting and solemnity celebrated of old in the I le of Delos And the Ilanders and the Athenians since that time haue continued still to send Dancers along with their Sacrificers but the Games and things of that kind were worne out as is likely by aduersity Till now that the Athenians restored the Games and added the Horse-race which was not before The same Winter the Ambraciotes according to their promise made to Eurylochus when they reteyned his Armie made Warre vpon Argos in Amphilochia with three thousand men of Armes and inuading Argia they tooke Olpae a strong Fort on a Hill by the Sea-side which the Acarnanians had fortified and vsed for the place of their common meetings for matters of Iustice and is distant from the Citie of Argos which stands also on the Sea-side about twenty fiue furlongs The Acarnanians with part of their Forces came to relieue Argos and with rest they encamped in that part of Amphilochia which is called Crenae to watch the Peloponnesians that were with Eurylochus that they might not passe through to the Ambraciotes without their knowledge and sent to Demosthenes who had beene Leader of the Athenians in the expedition against the Aetolians to come to them and bee their Generall They sent also to the twenty Athenian Gallies that chanced to be then on the Coast of Peloponnesus vnder the Conduct of Aristoteles the sonne of Timocrates and Ierophon the sonne of Antimnestus In like manner the Ambraciotes that were at Olpae sent a messenger to the Citie of Ambracia willing them to come to their ayde with their whole power as fearing that those with Eurylochus would not bee able to passe by the Acarnans and so they should bee either froced to fight alone or else haue an vnsafe Retreat But the Peloponnesians that were with Eurylochus as soone as they vnderstood that the Ambraciotes were come to Olpae dislodging from Proschion went with all speede to assist them And passing ouer the Riuer Achelous marched through Acarnania which by reason of the aydes sent to Argos was now disfurnished on their right hand they had the Citie of Stratus and that Garrison on the left the rest of Acarnania Hauing past the Territory of the Stratians they marched through Phytia and againe by the vtmost limits of Medeon then through Limâ—aea then they went into the Territory of the Agraeaâ—â— which are out of Acarnania and their friends and getting to the Hill Thiamus which is a desart Hill they marched ouer it and came downe into Argia when it was now night and passing betweene the Citie of the Argiues and the Acarnans that kept watch at the Welles came vnseene and ioyned with the Ambraciotes at Olpae When they were all together they sate downe about breake of day at a place called Metropolis and there encamped And the Athenians not long after with their 20. Gallies arriued in the Ambracian Gulfe to the aide of the Argiues To whom also came Demosthenes with 200. Messenian men of Armes and threscore Athenian Archers The Gallies lay at Sea before the Hill vpon which the Fort of Olpae standeth But the Acarnanians and those few Amphilochians for the greatest part of them the Ambraciotes kept backe by force that were come already together at Argos prepared themselues to giue the Enemy Battell and chose Demosthenes with their owne Commanders for Generall of the whole League Hee when hee had brought them vp neere vnto Olpae there encamped There was betweene them a great Hollow and for fiue dayes together they stirred not but the sixth day both sides put themselues into array for the Battell The Armie of the Peloponnesians reached a great way beyond the other for indeed it was much greater but Demosthenes fearing to bee encompassed placed an Ambush in a certaine hollow way and fit for such a purpose of armed and vnarmed Souldiers in all to the number of 400. which in that part where the number of the Enemies ouer-reached should in the heate of the battell rise out of Ambush and charge them on their backes When the Battels were in order on either side they came to Blowes Demosthenes with the Messenians and those few Athenians that were there stood in the right Wing and the Acarnanians as they could one after another bee put in order and those Amphilochian Darters which were present made vp the other The Peloponnesians and Ambraciotes were ranged promiscuously except onely the Mantineans who stood together most of them in the left Wing but not in the vtmost part of it for Eurylochus and those that were with him made the extremity of the left Wing against Demosthenes and the Messenians When they were in fight and that the Peloponnesians with that Wing ouer-reached and had encircled the right Wing of their Enemies those Acarnanians that lay in Ambush comming in at their backes charged them and put them to flight in such sort as they endured not the first brunt and besides caused the greatest part of the Armie through affright to runne away For when they saw that part of it defeated which was with Eurylochus which was the best of their Armie they were a great deale the more affraid And the Messenians that were in that part of the Armie with Demosthenes pursuing them dispatched the greatest part of the execution But the Ambraciotes that were in the right Wing on that part had the Victorie and chased the Enemie vnto the Citie of Argos but in their Retreat when they saw that the greatest part of the Armie was vanquished the rest of the Acarnanians setting vpon them they had much adoe to recouer Olpae in safety and many of them were slaine whilest they ranne into it out of array and in disorder Saue onely the Mantineans for these made a more orderly Retreat then any part of the Armie And so this Battell ended hauing lasted till the Euening The next day Menedaius Eurylochus and Macarius beeing now slaine taking the Command vpon him and not finding how if hee staid hee should bee able to sustaine a Siege wherein hee should both bee shut vp by Land and also with those Attique Gallies by Sea or if hee should depart how hee might doe it safely had speech
purpose to put into their hands The Lacedaemonians after their returne from Argos with their foure moneths Truce seuerely questioned Agis for that vpon so faire an opportunity as they neuer had before he subdued not Argos to the State for so many and so good Confederates would hardly be gotten together againe at one time But when also the newes came of the taking of Orchomenus then was their indignation much greater and they presently resolued contrary to their owne custome in their passion to raze his house and fine him in the summe of 10000 Drachmaes But he besought them that they would doe neither of these things yet and promised that leading out the Armie againe he would by some valiant action cancell those accusations or if not they might proceed afterwards to doe with him whatsoeuer they thought good So they forbore both the Fine and the razing of his house but made a decree for that present such as had neuer beene before that tenne Spartans should bee elected and ioyned with him as Councellours without whom it should not be lawfull for him to leade the Army into the field In the meane time came newes from their side in Tegea that vnlesse they came presently with aide the Tegeans would reuolt to the Argiues and their Confederates and that they wanted little of being reuolted already Vpon this the Lacedaemonians with speed leuyed all their forces both of themselues and their Helotes in such number as they had neuer done before and marched vnto Orestium in Maenalia and appointed the Arcadians such as were of their League to assemble and follow them at the heeles to Tegea The Lacedaemonians being come entire to Orestium from thence sent backe the sixt part of their Armie in which they put both the yongest and the eldest sort for the custody of the Citie and with the rest marched on to Tegea and not long after arriued also their Confederates of Arcadia They sent also to Corinth and to the Boeotians Phoceans and Locrians to come with their aydes with all speed to Mantinea But these had too short a warning nor was it easie for them vnlesse they came altogether and stayed for one another to come through the enemies Countrey which lay betweene and barred them of passage Neuerthelesse they made what hast they could And the Lacedaenians taking with them their Arcadian Confederates present entred into the Territory of Mantinea and pitching their Camp by the Temple of Hercules wasted the Territory about The Argiues and their Confederates as soone as they came in sight seazed on a certaine place fortified by nature and of hard accesse and put themselues into battell array And the Lacedaemonians marched presently towards them and came vp within a stone or a darts cast But then one of the ancient men of the Army cryed out vnto Agis seeing him to goe on against a place of that strength that he went about to amend one fault with another signifying that he intended to make amends for his former retreat from Argos which hee was questioned for with his now vnseasonable forwardnesse But he whether it were vpon that increpation or some other suddaine apprehension of his owne presently withdrew his Army before the fight began and marching vnto the Territory of Tegea turned the course of the water into the Territory of Mantinea touching which water because into what part soeuer it had his course it did much harme to the Countrey the Mantineans and Tegeates were at Warres Now his drift was by the turning of that water to prouoke those Argiues and their Confederates which kept the hill when they should heare of it to come down and oppose them that so they might fight with them in the Plaine And by that time he had stayed about the water a day he had diuerted the streame The Argiues their Confederates were at first amazed at this their sudden retreat from so neere them and knew not what to make of it But when after the retreat they returned no more in sight and that they themselues lying still on the place did not pursue them then began they anew to accuse their CoÌ„manders both for suffering the Lacedaemonians to depart formerly when they had them inclosed at so faire an aduantage before Argos and now againe for not pursuing them when they ran away but giuing them leaue to saue themselues betraying the Army The Commanders for the preseÌ„t were much troubled hereat but afterwards they drew downe the Armie from the Hill and comming forth into the Plaine encamped as to goe against the enemie The next day the Argiues and their Confederates put themselues into such order as if occasion serued they meant to fight in the Lacedaemonians returning froÌ„ the water to the temple of Hercules the same place where they had formerly encamped perceiue the enemies to be all of theÌ„ in order of battell hard by them come downe already from the hill Certainely the Lacedaemonians were more affrighted at this time then euer they had beene to their remembrance before For the time they had to prepare themselues was exceeding short and such was their diligence that euery man fell immediately into his owne Ranke Agis the King commanding all according to the Law For whilest the King hath the Army in the field all things are commanded by him and he signifieth what is to be done to the Polemarchi they to the Lochagi these to the Pentecontateres and these againe to the Enomatarchi who lastly make it knowne euery one to his owne Enomatia In this manner when they would haue any thing to be done their commands passe through the Army and are quickly executed For almost all the Lacedaemonian Army saue a very few are Captaines of Captaines and the care of what is to be put in execution lyeth vpon many Now their left Wing consisted of the Sciritae which amongst ahe Lacedaemonians haue euer alone that place Next to these were placed the Brasidian Souldiers lately come out of Thraâ—e and with them those that had been newly made free After them in order the rest of the Lacedaemonians Band after Band and by them Arcadians first the Heraeans after these the Maenalians In the right Wing were the Tegeates and a few Lacedaemonians in the point of the same Wing And vpon the out side of either Wing the horsemen So stood the Lacedaemonians Opposite to them in the right Wing stood the Mantineans because it was vpon their owne Territory and with them such Arcadians as were of their League Then the 1000 chosen Argiues which the City had for a long time caused to be trayned for the Warres at the publique charge and next to them the rest of the Argiues After these the Cleonaeans and Orneates their Confederaes And lastly the Athenians with the Horsemen which were also theirs had the left Wing This was the order and preparation of both the Armies The Army of the
which is the greatest towne in all Attica of those that are called Demoi and pitching there both fortified their Campe and staid a great while wasting the Countrey thereabout Archidamus was said to haue staid so long at Acharnas with his Armie in Battell array and not to haue come downe all the time of his invasion into the Champaigne with this intention Hee hoped that the Athenians flourishing in number of young men and better furnished for Warre then euer they were before would perhaps haue come forth against him and not endured to see their fields cut downe and wasted and therefore seeing they met him not in Thriasia hee thought good to try if they would come out against him lying now at Acharnas Besides the place seemed vnto him commodious for the Army to lye in and it was thought also that the Acharnans beeing a great piece of the Citie for they were 3000. men of Armes would not haue suffered the spoiling of their Lands but rather haue vrged all the rest to goe out and fight And if they came not out against him at this inuasion they might hereafter more boldly both waste the Champaigne Countrey and come downe euen to the Walles of the Citie For the Acharnans after they should haue lost their owne would not bee so forward to hazard themselues for the goods of other men But there would bee thoughts of Sedition in one towards another in the Citie These were the cogitations of Archidamus whilest he lay at Acharnas The Athenians as long as the Armie of the Enemie lay about Eleusis and the Fields of Thrius and as long as they had any hope it would come on no further remembring that also Plistoanax the sonne of Pausanias King of Lacedaemon when 14. yeeres before this Warre hee entred Attica with an Armie of the Peloponnesians as farre as Eleusis and Thriasia retired againe and came no further for which hee was also banished Sparta as thought to haue gone backe for money they stirred not But when they saw the Army now at Acharnas but 60. Furlongs from the Citie then they thought it no longer to bee endured and when their Fields were wasted as it was likely in their sight which the yonger sort had neuer seene before nor the elder but in the Persian Warre it was taken for a horrible matter and thought fit by all especially by the youth to goe out and not to endure it any longer And holding Councels apart one from another they were at much contention some to make a sally and some to hinder it And the Priests of the Oracles giuing out Prophecies of all kindes euery one made the interpretation according to the sway of his owne affection But the Acharnans conceiuing themselues to bee no small part of the Athenians were they that whilest their owne Lands were wasting most of all vrged their going out Insomuch as the Citie was euery way in tumult and in choler against Pericles remembring nothing of what hee had formerly admonished them but reuiled him for that being their Generall hee refused to leade them into the Field and imputing vnto him the cause of all their euill but Pericles seeing them in passion for their present losse and ill aduised and being confident hee was in the right touching not sallying assembled them not nor called any Councell for feare lest being together they might vpon passion rather then iudgement commit some error But looked to the guarding of the Citie and as much as hee could to keepe it in quiet Neuerthelesse he continually sent out Horse-men to keepe the Scowts of the Armie from entring vpon and doing hurt to the Fields neere the Citie And there happened at Phrygij a small Skirmish between one troope of Horse of the Athenians with whom were also the Thessalians and the Horsemen of the Boeotians wherein the Athenians and Thessalians had not the worse till such time as the Boeotians were ayded by the comming in of their men of Armes and then they were put to flight and a few of the Athenians and Thessalians slaine whose bodies notwithstanding they fetcht off the same day without leaue of the Enemie and the Peloponnesians the next day erected a Trophie This ayde of the Thessalians was vpon an ancient League with the Athenians and consisted of Larissaeans Pharsalians Parasians Cranonians Peirasians Gyrtonians Pheraeans The Leaders of the Larissaeans were Polymedes and Aristonus men of contrary factions in their Citie Of the Pharsalians Meno And of the rest out of the seuerall Cities seuerall Commanders The Peloponnesians seeing the Athenians would not come out to fight dislodging from Acharnas wasted certaine other Villages betweene the Hils Parnethus and Brelissus Whilest these were in Attica the Athenians sent the hundred Gallies which they had prouided and in them 1000. men of Armes and 400. Archers about Peloponnesus the Commanders whereof were Charcinus the sonne of Xenotimus Proteus the sonne of Epicles and Socrates the sonne of Antigenes who thus furnished weighed Anchor and went their way The Peloponnesians when they had stayd in Attica as long as their prouision lasted went home through Boeotia not the way they came in but passing by Oropus wasted the Countrey called Peiraice which is of the tillage of the Oropians Subiects to the People of Athens and when they were come backe into Peloponnesus they disbanded and went euery man to his owne Citie When they were gone the Athenians ordained Watches both by Sea and Land such as were to continue to the end of the Warre And made a Decree to take out a thousand Talents of the money in the Cittadell and set it by so as it might not bee spent but the charges of the Warre bee borne out of other monies and made it capitall for any man to moue or giue his vote for the stirring of this money for any other vse but onely if the Enemie should come with an Armie by Sea to inuade the Citie for necessity of that defence Together with this money they likewise set apart 100. Gallies and those to be euery yeere the best and Captaines to be appointed ouer them which were to bee employed for no other vse then the money was and for the same danger if need should require The Athenians that were with the 100. Gallies about Peloponnesus and with them the Corcyraeans with the ayde of 50. Sayle more and certaine others of the Confederates thereabout amongst other places which they infested in their course landed at Methone a Towne of Laconia and assaulted it as being but weake and few men within But it chanced that Brasidas the sonne of Tellis a Spartan had a Garrison in those parts and hearing of it succoured those of the Towne with 100. men of Armes wherewith running through the Athenian Army dispersed in the Fields directly towards the Towne hee put himselfe into Methone and with the losse of few of his men in the passage hee saued the place and
in to the ayde of their owne left wing put the right wing of the Athenians to flight and chased them to the Sea-side But then from their Gallies they turned head againe both the Athenians and the Carystians The other part of their Armie continued fighting on both sides especially the right wing of the Corinthians where Lycophron fought against the left wing of the Athenians for they expected that the Athenians would attempt to goe to Solygia so they held each other to it a long time neither side giuing ground But in the end for that the Athenians had Horse men which did them great seruice seeing the other had none the Corinthians were put to flight and retired to the Hill where they laid downe their Armes and descended no more but there rested In this Retreat the greatest part of their right wing was slaine and amongst others Lycophron one of the Generals But the rest of the Army being in this manner neither much vrged nor retiring in much haste when they could do no other made their Retreat vp the Hill there sate downe The Athenians seeing them come no more downe to Battel rifled the dead bodies of the Enemy and tooke vp their owne and presently erected a Trophie on the place That halfe of the Corinthians that lay at Cenchrea to watch the Athenians that they went not against Crommyon saw not this Battell for the Hill Oneius but when they saw the dust and so knew what was in hand they went presently to their ayde so did also the old men of Corinth from the Citie when they vnderstood how the matter had succeeded The Athenians when all these were comming vpon them together imagining them to haue been the succours of the neighbouring Cities of Peloponnesus retired speedily to their Gallies carrying with them the booty and the bodies of their dead all saue two which not finding they left Being aboard they crossed ouer to the Ilands on the other side and from thence sent a Herald and fetched away those two dead bodies which they left behinde There were slaine in this battell Corinthians two hundred and twelue and Athenians somewhat vnder fifty The Athenians putting off from the Ilands sayled the same day to Crommyon in the Territory of Corinth distant from the City a hundred and twenty Furlongs where anchoring they wasted the Fields and stayed all that night The next day they sailed along the shore first to to the Territory of Epidaurus whereinto they made some little incursion from their Gallies and then went to Methone betweene Epidaurus and Troezen and there tooke in the Isthmus of Chersonnesus with a Wall and placed a Garrison in it which afterwards exercised robberies in the Territories of Troezen Halias and Epidaurus and when they had fortified this place they returned home with their Fleet. About the same time that these things were in doing Eurymedon and Sophocles after their departure from Pylus with the Athenian Fleet towards Sicily arriuing at Corcyra ioyned with those of the Citie and made Warre vpon those Corcyraeans which lay encamped vpon the Hill Istone and which after the sedition had come ouer and both made themselues masters of the Field and much annoyed the Citie and hauing assaulted their fortification tooke it But the men all in one troupe escaped to a certaine high ground and thence made their composition which was this That they should deliuer vp the Strangers that ayded them and that they themselues hauing rendred their Armes should stand to the iudgement of the People of Athens Heereupon the Generals granted them truce and transported them to the Iland of Ptychia to bee there in custodie till the Athenians should send for them with this condition That if any one of them should be taken running away then the truce to bee broken for them all But the Patrons of the Commons of Corcyra fearing lest the Athenians would not kill them when they came thither deuise against them this plot To some few of those in the Iland they secretly send their friends and instruct them to say as if forsooth it were for good will that it was their best course with all speed to get away and withall to offer to prouide them of a Boat for that the Athenian Commanders intended verily to deliuer them to the Corcyraean people When they were perswaded to doe so and that a Boat was treacherously prepared as they rowed away they were taken and the Truce being now broken were all giuen vp into the hands of the Corcyraeans It did much further this Plot that to make the pretext seeme more serious and the agents in it lesse fearefull the Athenian Generals gaue out that they were nothing pleased that the men should be carried home by others whilest they themselues were to goe into Sicily and the honour of it be ascribed to those that should conuoy them The Corcyraeans hauing receiued them into their hands imprisoned them in a certaine Edifice from whence afterwards they tooke them out by twenty at a time and made them passe through a Lane of men of Armes bound together and receiuing stroakes and thrusts from those on eyther side according as any one espyed his Enemie And to hasten the pace of those that went slowliest on others were set to follow them with Whips They had taken out of the Roome in this manner and slaine to the number of threescore before they that remained knew it who thought they were but remoued and carried to some other place But when they knew the truth some or other hauing told them they then cryed out to the Athenians and said that if they would themselues kill them they should doe it and refused any more to go out of the Roome nor would suffer they said as long as they were able any man to come in But neither had the Corcyraeans any purpose to force entrance by the doore but getting vp to the top of the House vncouered the roofe and threw Tyles and shot Arrowes at them They in prison defended themselues as well as they could but many also slew themselues with the Arrowes shot by the Enemie by thrusting them into their throats and strangled themselues with the cords of certaine beds that were in the Roome and with ropes made of their owne garments rent in pieces And hauing continued most part of the night for night ouertooke them in the action partly strangling themselues by all such meanes as they found and partly shot at from aboue they all perished When day came the Corcyraeans laid them one acrosse another in Carts and carried them out of the City And of their Wiues as many as were taken in the Fortification they made bond-women In this manner were the Corcyraeans that kept the Hill brought to destruction by the Commons And thus ended this farre-spred sedition for so much as concerned this present Warre for of other seditions there remained nothing
it and required to be let in for that he was he said in hope to recouer Nisaea But the Megarean Factions being afraid one lest he should bring in the Outlawes and cast out them the other lest the Commons out of this very feare should assault them wherby the City being at battell within it selfe and the Athenians lying in wait so neere would be lost receiued him not but resolued on both sides to sit still and attend the successe For both the one faction and the other expected that the Athenians and these that came to succour the City would ioyne battell and then they might with more safety such as were the fauoured side turne vnto them that had the victory And Brasidas not preuailing went backe to the rest of the Army Betimes in the morning arriued the Boeotians hauing also intended to come to the aide of Megara before Brasidas sent as esteeming the danger to concerne themselues and were then with their whole forces come forward as farre as Plataea But when they had receiued also this message they were a great deale the more encouraged and sent 2200 men of Armes and 200 horse to Brasidas but went backe with the greater part of their Army The whole Army being now together of no lesse then 6000 men of Armes And the Athenian men of Armes lying indeed in good order about Nisaea and the Sea side but the light-armed straggling in the Plaines the Boeotian horsemen came vnexpected vpon the light-armed Souldiers and droue them towards the Sea For in all this time till now there had come no aide at all to the Megareans from any place But when the Athenian horse went likewise out to encounter them they fought and there was a battell between the horsemen of either side that held long wherein both sides claimed the victory For the Athenians slew the Generall of the Boeotian horse and some few others and rifled them hauing themselues bin first chased by them to Nisaea And hauing these dead bodies in their power they restored them vpon truce and erected a Trophie Neuerthe lesse in respect of the whole action neither side went off with assurance but parting asunder the Boeotians went to the Army and the Athenians to Nisaea After this Brasidas with his Army came downe neerer to the Sea and to the City of Megara and hauing seazed on a place of aduantage set his Army in battell array and stood still For they thought the Athenians would bee assaylants and knew the Megareans stood obseruing whether side should haue the Victory and that it must needs fall out well for them both wayes first because they should not be the assaylant and voluntarily begin the battel and danger since hauing shewed themselues ready to fight the victory must also iustly be attributed to them without their labour And next it must fall out well in respect of the Megareans For if they should not haue come in sight the matter had not beene any longer in the power of fortune but they had without all doubt been presently depriued of the City as men conquered Whereas now if haply the Athenians declined battell likewise they should obtaine what they came for without stroake stricken Which also indeed came to passe For the Megareans when the Athenians went out and ordered their Army without the Long-wals but yet because the enemy charged not stood also still their Commanders likewise considering that if they should begin the battell against a number greater then their owne after the greatest part of their enterprize was already atchieued the danger would be vnequall For if they should ouercome they could win but Megara and if they were vanquished must lose the best part of their men of Armes Whereas the enemy who out of the whole power and number that was present in the field did aduenture but euery one a part would in all likelihood put it to the hazzard And so for a while affronted each other and neither doing any thing withdrew againe the Athenians first into Nisaea and afterwards the Peloponnesians to the place from whence they had set forth then I say the Megareans such as were the friends of the Outlawes taking heart because they saw the Athenians were vnwilling to fight set open the Gates to Brasidas as Victor and to the rest of the Captaines of the seuerall Cities And when they were in those that had practised with the Athenians being all the while in a great feare they went to Councell Afterwards Brasidas hauing dismissed his Confederates to their seuerall Cities went himselfe to Corinth in pursute of his former purpose to leuy an Army for Thrace Now the Megareans that were in the Citie when the Athenians also were gone home all that had chiefe hand in the practice with the Athenians knowing themselues discouered presently slipt away but the rest after they had conferred with the friends of the Outlawes recalled them from Pegae vpon great oathes administred vnto them no more to remember former quarrels but to giue the Citie their best aduice These when they came into Office tooke a view of the Armes and disposing bands of Souldiers in diuers quarters of the Citie picked out of their enemies and of those that seemed most to haue co-operated in the treason with the Athenians about a hundred persons and hauing constrained the people to giue their sentence vpon them openly when they were condemned slew them and established in the Citie the estate almost of an Oligarchy And this change of gouernment made by a few vpon sedition did neuerthelesse continue for a long time after The same Summer when Antandrus was to be furnished by the Mitylenians as they intended Demodicus and Aristides Captaines of certaines Gallies set forth by the Athenians to fetch in Tribute being then about Hellespont for Lamachus that was the third in that Commission was gone with ten Gallies into Pontus hauing notice of the preparation made in that place and thinking it would be dangerous to haue it happen there as it had done in Anaea ouer against Samos in which the Samian Outlawes hauing setled themselues ayded the Peloponnesians in matters of the Sea by sending them Steersmen and both bred trouble within the Citie and entertained such as fled out of it leuyed an Army amongst the Confederates and marched to it and hauing ouercome in fight those that came out of Antandrus against them recouered the place againe And not long after Lamachus that was gone into Pontus as he lay at Anchor in the Riuer Calex in the territory of Heraclea much raine hauing fallen aboue in the Countrey and the streame of a Land Flood comming suddenly downe lost all his Gallies and came himselfe and his Army through the Territory of the Bithynians who are Thracians dwelling in Asia on the other side to Chalcedon a Colony of the Megareans in the mouth of Pontus Euxinus by Land The same
which was also in their owne hands before But the Athenians for now was Nicias also come backe and at the Towne side rushed into the City with the whole Army and rifled it not as opened to them by agreement but as taken by force And the Captaines had much adoe to keepe them that they also killed not the men After this they bade the Mendaeans vse the same forme of gouernment they had done before and to giue iudgement vpon those they thought the principall authors of the reuolt amongst themselues Those that were in the Cittadell they shut vp with a wall reaching on both sides to the Sea and left a guard to defend it and hauing thus gotten Menda they led their Army against Scione The Scionaeans and the Peloponnesians comming out against them possessed themselues of a strong hil before the Citie which if the enemy did not winne he should not be able to enclose the City with a wall The Athenians hauing strongly charged them with shot and beaten the defendants from it encamped vpon the hill and after they had set vp their Trophy prepared to build their wall about the Citie Not long after whilest the Athenians were at worke about this those aides that were besieged in the Cittadell of Menda forcing the watch by the Sea-side came by night and escaping most of them through the Campe before Scione put themselues into that City As they were enclosing of Scione Perdiccas sent a Herald to the Athenian Commanders and concluded a Peace with the Athenians vpon hatred to Brasidas about the retreat made out of Lyncus hauing then immediately begun to treat of the same For it happened also at this time that Ischagoras a Lacedaemonian was leading an Army of foot vnto Brasidas And Perdiccas partly because Nicias aduised him seeing the Peace was made to giue some cleare token that he would be firme and partly because he himselfe desired not that the Peloponnesians should come any more into his Territories wrought with his hostes in Thessaly hauing in that kind euer vsed the prime men and so stopped the Army and Munition as they would not so much as try the Thessalians whether they would let them passe or not Neuerthelesse Ischagoras and Ameinias and Aristeus themselues went on to Brasidas as sent by the Lacedaemonians to view the state of affaires there And also tooke with them from Sparta contrary to the Law such men as were but in the beginning of their youth to make them gouernours of Cities rather then to commit the Cities to the care of such as were there before And Clearidas the sonne of Cleonymus they made gouernour of Amphipolis and Epitelidas the sonne of Hegesander gouernour of Torone The same Summer the Thebans demolished the walles of the Thespians laying Atticisme to their charge And though they had euer meant to doe it yet now it was easier because the flower of their youth was slaine in the battell against the Athenians The Temple of Iuno in Argos was also burnt downe the same Summer by the negligence of Chrysis the Priest who hauing set a burning Torch by the Garlands fell asleepe insomuch as all was on fire and flamed out before shee knew Chrysis the same night for feare of the Argiues fled presently to Phlius and they according to the Law formerly vsed chose another Priest in her roome called Phaeinis Now when Chrysis fled was the eighth yeere of this Warre ended and halfe of the ninth Scione in the very end of this Summer was quite enclosed and the Athenians hauing left a guard there went home with the rest of their Army The Winter following nothing was done betweene the Athenians and the Lacedaemonians because of the Truce But the Mantineans and the Tegeatae with the Confederates of both fought a battell at Laodicea in the Territory of Orestis wherein the victory was doubtfull for either side put to flight one Wing of their enemies both sides set vp Trophies and both sides sent of their spoyles vnto Delphi Neuerthelesse after many slaine on either side and equall battell which ended by the comming of night the Tegeatae lodged all night in the place and erected their Trophie then presently whereas the Mantineans turned to Bucolion and set vp their Trophie afterwards The same Winter ending and the Spring now approaching Brasidas made an attempt vpon Potidaea For comming by night he applyed his Ladders and was thitherto vndiscerned He tooke the time to apply his Ladders when the Bell passed by and before he that carried it to the next returned Neuerthelesse being discouered he scaled not the Wall but presently againe withdrew his Army with speed not staying till it was day So ended this Winter and the ninth yeere of this Warre written by THVCYDIDES THE FIFTH BOOKE OF THE HISTORY OF THVCYDIDES The principall Contents The former yeeres Truce ended Cleon warreâ—h on the Chalcidicke Cities and recouereth Torone Phaeax is sent by the Athenians to moue a Warre amongst the Sicilians Cleon and Brasidas who were on both sides the principall maintainers of the Warre are both slaine at Amphipolis Presently after their death a Peace is concluded and after that againe a League betweene the Lacedaemonians and the Athenians Diuers of the Lacedaemonian Confederates hereat discontented seeke the Confederacy of the Argiues These make League first with the Corinthians Eleans and Mantineans then with the Lacedaemonians and then againe by the artifice of Alcibiades with the Athenians After this the Argiues make Warre vpon the Epidaurians and the Lacedaemonians vpon the Argiues The Athenian Captaines and the Melians treate by way of Dialogue touching the yeelding of Melos which the Athenians afterwards besiege and winne These are the Actes of almost sixe yeeres more of the same Warre THE Summer following the Truce for a yeere which was to last till the Pythian Holidayes expired During this Truce the Athenians remoued the Delians out of Delos because though they were consecrated yet for a certaine crime committed of old they esteemed them polluted persons because also they thought there wanted this part to make perfect the purgation of the Iland in the purging whereof as I declared before they thought they did well to take vp the sepulchres of the dead These Delians seated themselues afterwards euery one as he came in Adramyttium in Asia a Towne giuen vnto them by Pharnaces After the Truce was expired Cleon preuailed with the Athenians to be sent out with a Fleet against the Cities lying vpon Thrace He had with him of Athenians 1200 men of Armes and 300 horsemen Of Confederates more and thirty Gallies And first arriuing at Scione which was yet besieged he tooke aboord some men of Armes of those that kept the siege and sayled into the Hauen of the Colophonians not farre distant from the Citie of Torone And there hauing heard by fugitiues that Brasidas was not in Torone nor
battell and gaue out he went vp principally to see the place And stayed for greater forces not to secure him in case he should be compelled to fight but that he might therewith enuiron the Citie on all sides at once and in that manner take it by force So he went vp and set his Army down on a strong hill before Amphipolis standing himselfe to view the Fens of the riuer Strymon and the scituation of the Citie towards Torace and thought he could haue retired againe at his pleasure without battell For neither did any man appeare vpon the walls nor come out of the Gates which were all fast shut insomuch as he thought he had committed an errour in comming without Engines because he thought he might by such meanes haue wonne the Citie as being without defendants Brasidas as soone as he saw the Athenianâ— remoue came downe also from Cerdylium and put himselfe into Amphipolis He would not suffer them to make any sally nor to face the Athenians in order of battell mistrusting his owne Forces which he thought inferiour not in number for they were in a manner equall but in worth for such Athenians as were there were pure and the Lemnians and Imbrians which were amongst them were of the very ablest but prepared to set vpon them by a wile For if he should haue shewed to the enemy both his number and their Armour such as for the present they were forced to vse he thought that thereby he should not so soone get the victory as by keeping them out of sight and out of their contempt till the very point Wherefore chusing to him selfe 150 men of Armes and committing the charge of the rest to Clearidas he resolued to set suddenly vpon them before they should retire as not expecting to take them so alone another time if their succours chanced to arriue And when he had called his Souldiers together to encourage them and to make knowne vnto them his designe he said as followeth THE ORATION OF BRASIDAS to his Souldiers MEN of Peloponnesus as for your Countrey how by valour it hath euer retained her liberty and that being Dorians you are now to fight against Ionians of whom you were euer wont to get the victory let it suffice that I haue touched it thus briefly But in what manner I intend to charge that I am now to enforme you of lest the venturing by few at once and not altogether should seeme to proceed from weaknesse and so dishearten you I doe coniecture that it was in contempt of vs and as not expecting to bee fought withall that the enemy both came vp to this place and that they haue now betaken themselues carelesly and out of order to view the Countrey But he that best obseruing such errours in his enemies shall also to his strength giue the onset not alwayes openly and in ranged battell but as is best for his present aduantage shall for the most part attaine his purpose And these wiles carry with them the greatest glory of all by which deceiuing most the enemy a man doth most benefit his friends Therefore whilest they are secure without preparation and intend for ought I see to steale away rather then to stay I say in this their loosnesse of resolution and before they put their minds in order I for my part with those I haue chosen will if I can before they get away fall in vpon the midst of their Army running And you Clearidas afterwards as soone as you shall see me to haue charged and as it is probable to haue put them into affright take those that are with you both Amphipolitans and all the rest of the Confederates and setting open the Gates runne out vpon them and with all possible speed come vp to stroke of hand for there is great hope this way to terrifie them seeing they which come after are euer of more terrour to the enemy then those that are already present and in fight And be valiant as is likely you should that are a Spartan and you Confederates follow manfully and beleeue that the parts of a good Souldier are willingnesse sense of shame and obedience to his Leaders and that this day you shall either gaine your selues liberty by your valour and to be called Confederates of the Lacedaemonians or else not onely to serue the Athenians your selues and at the best if you be not led Captiues nor put to death to be in greater seruitude then before but also to be the hinderers of the liberty of the rest of the Grecians But be not you cowards seeing how great a matter is at stake and I for my part will make it appeare that I am not more ready to perswade another then to put my selfe into action When Brasidas had thus said he both prepared to goe out himselfe and also placed the rest that were with Clearidas before the Gates called the Thracian Gates to issue forth afterwards as was appointed Now Brasidas hauing been in sight when he came downe from Cerdylium and againe when he sacrificed in the City by the Temple of Pallas which place might be seene from without it was told Cleon whilst Brasidas was ordering of his men for he was at this time gone off a little to looke about him that the whole Army of the enemies was plainly to be discerned within the Towne and that the feet of many men and horses ready to come forth might be discerned from vnder the Gate Hearing this he came to the place and when he saw it was true being not minded to fight vntill his aides arriued and yet making no other account but that his retreat would be discouered he commanded at once to giue the signall of retreat and that as they went the left Wing should march formost which was the only meanes they had to withdraw towards Eion But when he thought they were long about it causing the right Wing to wheel about and lay open their disarmed parts to the enemy hee led away the Army himselfe Brasidas at the same time hauing spied his opportunity and that the Army of the Athenians remoued said to those about him and the rest These men stay not for vs it is apparant by the wagging of their Speares and of their heads For where such motion is they vse not stay for the charge of the enemy Therefore open me some body the Gates appointed and let vs boldly and speedily sally forth vpon them Then hee went out himselfe at the Gate towards the Trench and which was the first Gate of the Long-wall which then was standing and at high speed tooke the straightway in which as one passeth by the strongest part of the Towne there standeth now a Trophy And charging vpon the midst of the Athenian Army which was terrified both with their owne disarray and the valour of the man forced them to flie And Clearidas as was appointed hauing issued out by the Thracian Gates was withall comming
vpon them And it fell out that the Athenians by this vnexpected and sudden attempt were on both sides in confusion and the left wing which was next to Eion and which indeed was marching away before was immediately broken off from the rest of the Army and fled When that was gone Brasidas comming vp to the right wing was there wounded The Athenians saw not when he fell and they that were neere tooke him vp and carried him off The right wing stood longer to it and though Cleon himselfe presently fled as at first he intended not to stay and was intercepted by a Myrcinian Targettier and slaine yet his men of Armes casting themselues into a circle on the top of a little hill twice or thrice resisted the charge of Clearidas and shrunke not at all till begirt with the Myrcinian and Chalcidean horse and with the Targettiers they were put to flight by their Darts Thus the whole Army of the Athenians getting away with much adoe ouer the hills and by seuerall wayes all that were not slaine vpon the place or by the Chalcidean horse and Targettiers recouered Eion The other side taking vp Brasidas out of the battell and hauing so long kept him aliue brought him yet breathing into the City And he knew that his side had gotten the victory but expired shortly after When Clearidas with the rest of the Army were returned from pursute of the enemy they rifled those that were slaine and erected a Trophie After this the Confederates following the Corpes of Brasidas all of them in their Armes buried him in the City at the publique charge in the entrance of that which is now the Market place And the Amphipolitans afterwards hauing taken in his Monument with a wall killed vnto him as to a Heroe honoured him with Games and anniuersary sacrifice and attributed their Colony vnto him as to the Founder pulling downe the Edifices of Agnon and defacing whatsoeuer Monument might maintaine the memory of his foundation This they did both for that they esteemed Brasidas for their preseruer and also because at this time through feare of the Athenians they courted the Lacedaemonians for a League As for Agnon because of their hostility with the Athenians they thought it neither expedient for them to giue him honours nor that they would be acceptable vnto him if they did The dead bodies they rendred to the Athenians of whom there were slaine about 600 and but seuen of the other side by reason that it was no set battell but fought vpon such an occasion and precedent affright After the dead were taken vp the Athenians went home by Sea and Clearidas and those with him stayed to settle the estate of Amphipolis About the same time of the Summer now ending Ramphias Antocharidas and Epicydidas Lacedaemonians were leading a supply towards the parts vpon Thrace of 900 men of Armes and when they were come to Heraclea in Trachinia they stayed there to amend such things as they thought amisse Whilst they stayed this battell was fought And the Summer ended The next Winter they that were with Ramphias went presently forward as farre as the hill Pierium in Thessaly But the Thessalians forbidding them to goe on and Brasidas to whom they were carrying this Army being dead they returned homewards conceiuing that the opportunity now serued not both because the Athenians were vpon this ouerthrow gone away and for that they themselues were vnable to performe any of those designes which the other had intended But the principall cause of their returne was this that they knew at their comming forth that the Lacedaemonians had their mindes more set vpon a Peace then Warre Presently after the battell of Amphipolis and returne of Rhamphias out of Thessaly it fell out that neither side did any act of Warre but were inclined rather to a Peace the Athenians for the blow they had receiued at Delium and this other a little after at Amphipolis and because they had no longer that confident hope in their strength on which they relyed when formerly they refused the Peace as hauing conceiued vpon their present successe that they should haue had the vpper hand Also they stood in feare of their owne Confederates lest emboldned by these losses of theirs they should more and more reuolt and repented that they made not the Peace after their happy successe at Pylus when occasion was offered to haue done it honourably And the Lacedaemonians on the other side did desire Peace because the Warre had not proceeded as they expected for they had thought they should in a few yeeres haue warred downe the power of Athens by wasting their Territory and because they were falne into that calamity in the Iland the like whereof had neuer happened vnto Sparta before because also their Countrey was continually rauaged by those of Pylus and Cythera and their Helotes continually fled to the Enemie and because they feared lest those which remained trusting in them that were runne away should in this estate of theirs raise some innouation as at other times before they had done Withall it hapned that the 30. yeeres peace with the Argiues was now vpon the point of expiring and the Argiues would not renue it without restitution made them of Cynuria so that to warre against the Argiues and the Athenians both at once seemed impossible They suspected also that some of the Cities of Peloponnesus would reuolt to the Argiues as indeed it came afterwards to passe These things considered it was by both parts thought good to conclude a Peace but especially by the Lacedaemonians for the desire they had to recouer their men taken in the Iland for the Spartans that were amongst them were both of the prime men of the City and their kinsmen And therfore they began to treat presently after they were taken But the Athenians by reason of their prosperity would not lay downe the War at that time on equall termes But after their defeat at Delium the Lacedaemonians knowing they would be apter now to accept it made that Truce for a yeere during which they were to meet and consult about a longer time But when also this other ouerthrow happened to the Athenians at Amphipolis and that both Cleon and Brasidas were slaine the which on either side were most opposite to the Peace the one for that hee had good successe and honour in the Warre the other because in quiet times his euill actions would more appeare and his calumniations bee the lesse beleeued those two that in the two States aspired most to bee chiefe Pleistoanax the sonne of Pausanias and Nicias the sonne of Niceratus who in Military charges had beene the most fortunate of his time did most of all other desire to haue the Peace goe forward Nicias because he was desirous hauing hitherto neuer beene ouerthrowne to carry his good fortune through and to giue both himselfe and the
And the Corinthians were to man tenne Gallies of their owne two of Leucas and three of Ambracia and come after Gylippus went first from Tarentum to Thuria as Ambassadour by his Fathers right who was free of the Citie of Tarentum but not winning them to his side hee put out againe and sailed along the Coast of Italy Passing by the Terinaean Gulfe hee was put from the shore by a wind which in that quarter bloweth strongly against the North and driuen into the maine Sea and after another extreme Tempest brought in againe into Tarentum where he drew vp such of his Gallies as had beene hurt by the weather and repaired them Nicias hearing that hee came contemned the small number of his Gallies as also the Thurians had before supposing them furnished as for Piracie and appointed no Watch for them yet About the same time of this Summer the Lacedaemonians inuaded the Territory of Argos they and their Confederates and wasted a great part of their Land And the Athenians ayded the Argiues with thirty Gallies which most apparantly broke the Peace betweene them and the Lacedaemonians For before they went out from Pylus with the Argiues and Mantineans but in the nature of Free-booters and that also not into Laconia but other parts of Peloponnesus Nay when the Argiues haue often entreated them but onely to Land with their Armes in Laconia and hauing wasted neuer so little of their Territory to returne they would not But now vnder the Conduct of Pythodorus Laespodius and Demaratus they landed in the Territory of Epidaurus Limera and in Prasia and there and in other places wasted the Countrey and gaue vnto the Lacedaemonians a most iustifiable cause to fight against the Athenians After this the Athenians being departed from Argos with their Gallies and the Lacedaemonians gone likewise home the Argiues inuaded Phliasia and when they had wasted part of their Territory and killed some of their men returned THE SEVENTH BOOKE OF THE HISTORIE OF THVCYDIDES The principall Contents Gylippus arriueth at Syracuse checketh the fortune of the Athenians and cutteth off their workes with a Counterwall The Lacedaemonians inuade Attica and fortifie Decelea The Confederates of each side are sollicited for supplies to be sent to Syracuse Two battels fought in the great Hauen in the first of which the Syracusians are beaten in the second superiour Demosthenes arriueth with a new Army and attempting the workes of the enemy in Epipolae by night is repulsed with great slaughter of his men They fight the third time and the Syracusians hauing the Victory blocke vp the Hauen with Boats A Catalogue of the Confederates on each side They fight againe at the Barres of the Hauen where the Athenians losing their Gallies prepare to march away by land In their march they are afflicted beaten and finally subdued by the Syracusians The death of Nicias and Demosthenes and misery of the Captiues in the Quarry which hapned in the ninteenth yeere of this Warre GYlippus and Pythen hauing repaired their Gallies from Tarentum went along the Coast to Locri Epizephyrij And vpon certaine intelligence now that Syracuse was not wholly enclozed but that comming with an Army there was entrance still by Epipolae they consulted whether it were better to take Sicily on their right hand and aduenture into the Towne by Sea or on the left and so first to goe to Himera and then taking along both them and as many other as they could get to their side to goe into it by Land And it was resolued to goe to Himera the rather because the foure Attique Gallies which Nicias though he contemned them before had now when he heard they were at Locri sent to wait for them were not arriued yet at Rhegium Hauing preuented this guard they crossed the Streight and touching at Rhegium and Messaâ—a by the way came to Himera Being there they preuailed so farre with the Himeraeans that they not onely followed them to the War themselues but also furnished with Armour such of Gylippus and Pythens Mariners as wanted For at Himera they had drawne their Gallies to Land They likewise sent to the Selâ—â—untians to meet them at a place assigned with their whole Army The Gâ—loans also and other of the Siculi promised to send them Forces though not many being much the willinger to come to the side both for that Archonidas was lately dead who raigning ouer some of the Siculi in those parts and being a man of no meane power was friend to the Athenians and also for that Gylippus seemed to come from Lacedaemon with a good will to the businesse Gylippus taking with him of his owne Mariners and Sea-Souldiers for whom he had gotten Armes at the most 700. and Himeraeans with Armour and without in the whole 1000. and â—00 Horse and some Light-armed Selinuntians with some few Horse of the Gâ—loans and of the Siculi in all about 1000. marched with these towards Syracuse In the meane time the Corinthians with the rest of their Gallies putting to Sea from Leucas made after as they were euery one with what speed he could and Gongyâ—â—â— one of the Corinthian Commanders though the last that set forth arriued first at Syracuse with one Gallie and but a little before the comming of Gylippus And finding them ready to call an Assembly about an end of the Warre he hindred them from it and put them into heart relating both how the rest of the Gallies were comming and also Gylippus the sonne of Cleandridas for Generall sent vnto them by the Lacedaemonians With this the Syracusians were reconfirmed and went presently out with their whole Army to meet him for they vnderstood now that he was neere He hauing taken Iëgas a Fort in his way as he passed through the Territory of the Siculi and imbattelled his men commeth to Epipolae and getting vp by Euryalus where also the Athenians had gotten vp before marched together with the Syracusians towards the wall of the Athenians At the time when he arriued the Athenians had finished a double wall of seuen or eight furlongs towards the great Hauen saue onely a little next the Sea which they were yet at worke on And on the other side of their Circle towards Trogilus and the other Sea the Stones were for the most part laid ready vpon the place and the worke was left in some places halfe and in some wholly finished So great was the danger that Sycrause was now brought into The Athenians at the sodaine comming on of Gylippus though somewhat troubled at first yet put themselues in order to receiue him And he making a stand when he came neere sent a Herald to them saying That if they would abandon Sicily within fiue dayes with bagge and baggage he was content to giue them Truce Which the Athenians contemning sent him away without any answer After this they were putting themselues into order of battell one against another but Gylippus finding the Syracusians
troubled and not easily falling into their rankes led backe his Army in a more open ground Nicias led not the Athenians out against him but lay still at his owne Fortification And Gylippus seeing he came not vp withdrew his Army into the top called Temenites where he lodged all night The next day he drew out the greatest part of his Army and imbattelled them before the Fortification of the Athenians that they might not send succour to any other place but a part also they sent to the Fort of Labdalum and tooke it and slew all those they found within it For the place was out of sight to the Athenians The same day the Syracusians tooke also an Athenian Gally as it entred into the great Hauen After this the Syracusians and their Confederates began a wall through Epipolae frō the City towards the single crosse wall vpwards that the Athenians vnlesse they could hinder it might be excluded frō bringing their owne wall any further on And the Athenians by this time hauing made an end of their wall to the Sea were come vp againe and Gylippus for some part of the wall was but weake rising with his Army by night went to assault it but the Athenians also knowing it for they lodged all night without the wall went presently to releeue it which Gylippus perceiuing againe retired And the Athenians when they had built it higher kept the watch in this part themselues and diuided the rest of the Wall to the charge of their Confederates Also it seemed good to Nicias to fortifie the place called Plemmyrium it is a Promontory ouer ouer against the Citie which shooting into the entrance of the great Hauen streightneth the mouth of the same which fortified he thoght would facilitate the bringing in of necessaries to the Army For by this meanes their Gallies might ride neerer to the Hauen of the Syracusians and not vpon euery motion of the Nauy of the enemies to be to come out against them as they were before from the bottome of the great Hauen And he had his mind set chiefly now vpon the Warre by Sea seeing his hopes by Land deminished since the arriuall of Gylippus Hauing therefore drawne his Army and Gallies to that place he built about it three Fortifications wherein he placed his baggage and where now also lay at Road both his great vessels of Carriage and the nimblest of his Gallies Hereupon principally ensued the first occasion of the great losse of his Sea-Souldiers For hauing but little water and that farre to fetch and his Mariners going out also to fetch in wood they were continually intercepted by the Syracusian Horsemen that were masters of the Field For the third part of the Syracusian Cauallery were quartered in a little Towne called Olympieum to keepe those in Plemmyrium from going abroad to spoyle the Countrey Nicias was aduertized moreouer of the comming of the rest of the Corinthian Gallies and sent out a guard of twenty Gallies with order to wait for them about Locri and Rhegium and the passage there into Sicily Gylippus in the meane time went on with the wall through Epipolae vsing the Stones laid ready there by the Athenians and withall drew out the Syracusians and their Confederates beyond the point of the same and euer as hee brought them forth put them into their order and the Athenians on the other side imbattelled themselues against them Gylippus when he saw his time began the battell and being come to hands they fought betweene the Fortifications of them both where the Syracusians and their Confederates had no vse at all of their Horsemen The Syracusians and their Confederates being ouercome and the Athenians hauing giuen them Truce to take vp their dead and erected a Trophie Gylippus assembled the Armie and told them That this was not theirs but his owne fault who by pitching the Battell so farre within the Fortifications had depriued them of the vse both of their Cauallery and Darters and that therefore hee meant to bring them on againe and wished them to consider that for Forces they were nothing inferiour to the Enemie and for courage it were a thing not to be endured that being Peloponnesians and Doriens they should not master and driue out of the Countrey Ionians Ilanders and a rabble of mixed Nations After this when he saw his opportunity hee brought on the Armie againe Nicias and the Athenians who thought it necessary if not to beginne the Battell yet by no meanes to set light by the Wall in hand for by this time it wanted little of passing the point of theirs and proceeding would giue the Enemie aduantage both to winne if hee fought and not to fight vnlesse hee listed did therefore also set forth to meete the Syracusians Gylippus when hee had drawne his men of Armes further without the Walles than hee had done before gaue the onset His Horsemen and Darters hee placed vpon the Flanke of the Athenians in ground enough to which neither of their Walles extended And these Horsemen after the fight was begunne charging vpon the left Wing of the Athenians next them put them to flight by which meanes the rest of the Armie was by the Syracusians ouercome likewise and driuen headlong within their Fortifications The night following the Syracusians brought vp their Wall beyond the Wall of the Athenians so as they could no longer hinder them but should bee vtterly vnable though masters of the Field to encloze the City After this the other 12 Gallies of the Corinthians Ambraciotes and Leucadians vndescryed of the Athenian Gallies that lay in waite for them entred the Hauen vnder the Command of Erasinedes a Corinthian and helped the Syracusians to finish what remained to the crosse Wall Now Gylippus went vp and downe Sicily raysing Forces both for Sea and Land and solliciting to his side all such Cities as formerly either had not beene forward or had wholly abstained from the Warre Other Ambassadours also both of the Syracusians and Corinthians were sent to Lacedaemon and Corinth to procure new Forces to be transported either in Ships or Boats or how they could because the Athenians had also sent to Athens for the like In the meane time the Syracusians both manned their Nauie and made tryall of themselues as intending to take in hand that part also and were otherwise exceedingly encouraged Nicias perceiuing this and seeing the strength of the Enemie and his owne necessities dayly increasing hee also sent Messengers to Athens both at other times and often vpon the occasion of euery action that passed and now especially as finding himselfe in danger and that vnlesse they quickly sent for those away that were there already or sent a great supply vnto them there was no hope of safety and fearing lest such as hee sent through want of vtterance or iudgement or through desire to please the Multitude should deliuer things otherwise then they were
hee wrote vnto them a Letter Conceauing that thus the Athenians should best know his minde whereof no part could now be suppressed by the Messenger and might therefore enter into deliberation vpon true grounds With these Letters and other their instructions the Messengers tooke their Iourney and Nicias in the meane time hauing a care to the well guarding of his Campe was wary of entring into any voluntarie dangers In the end of this Summer Euetion Generall for the Athenians with Perdiccas together with many Toâ—acians warring against Amphipolis tooke not the Citie but bringing his Gallies about into Strymon besieged it from the Riuer lying at Imeraeum And so this Summer ended The next Winter the Messengers from Nicias arriued at Athens and hauing spoken what they had in charge and answered to such questions as they were asked they presented the Letter which the Clerke of the Citie standing foorth read vnto the Athenians containing as followeth THE LETTER OF NICIAS to the People of Athens ATHENIANS You know by many other my Letters what hath passed formerly nor is it lesse needfull for you to bee informed of the state we are in and to take counsell vpon it at this present When we had in many Battels beaten the Syracusians against whom we were sent and had built the Walles within which we now lye came Gylippus a Lacedaemonian with an Armie out of Peloponnesus and also out of some of the Cities of Sicily and in the first Battell was ouercome by vs but in the second forced by his many Horsemen and Darters we retired vvithin our Workes Whereupon giuing ouer our vvalling vp of the Citie for the multitude of our enemies we now sit still Nor can vve indeed haue the vse of our vvhole Army because some part of the men of Armes are employed to defend our Walles And they haue built a single Wall vp to vs so that now vve haue no more meanes to encloze it except one should come with a great Army and vvinne that crosse-wall of theirs by assault And so it is that wee vvho seemed to besiege others are besieged our selues for so much as concerneth the Land For wee cannot goe farre abroad by reason of their Cauallery They haue also sent Ambassadours for another Armie into Peloponnesus and Gylippus is gone amongst the Cities of Sicily both to sollicite such to ioyne with him in the Warre as haue not yet stirred and of others to get if he can both more Land-souldiers and more munition for their Nauie For they intend as I haue beene informed both to assault our Wall by Land with their Armie and to make tryall what they are able to doe with their Nauy by Sea For though our Fleet vvhich they also haue heard were vigorous at first both for soundnesse of the Gallies and entirenesse of the men yet our Gallies are now soaked with lying so long in the water and our men consumed For vve vvant the meanes to hale aland our Gallies and trim them because the Gallies of the Enemie as good as ours and more in number doe keepe vs in a continuall expectation of assault which they manifestly endeuour And seeing it is in their owne choice to attempt or not they haue therefore liberty to dry their Gallies at their pleasure For they lye not as we in attendance vpon others Nay vve could hardly doe it though we had many Gallies spare and vvere not constrained as now to keepe watch vpon them vvith our whole number For should we abate though but a little of our obseruance vve should want prouision vvhich as vve are being to passe so neere their Citie is brought in with difficulty and hence it is that our Mariners both formerly haue beene and are now wasted For our Mariners fetching wood and water and forraging farre off are intercepted by the Horsemen and our Slaues now wee are on equall termes runne ouer to the Enemie As for strangers some of them hauing come aboard by constraint returne presently to their Cities and others hauing beene leuied at first with great wages and thinking they came to enrich themselues rather then to fight now they see the Enemie make so strong resistance both otherwise beyond their expectation and especially with their Nauie partly take pretext to bee gone that they may serue the Enemie and partly Sicily beeing large shift themselues away euery one as hee can Some there are also who hauing bought heere Hyccarian slaues haue gotten the Captaines of Gallies to accept of them in the roome of themselues and thereby destroyed the purity of our Nauall strength To you I write who know how small a time any Fleet continueth in the height of vigour and how few of the Mariners are skilfull both how to hasten the course of a Gallie and how to containe the Oare But of all my greatest trouble is this that being Generall I can neither make them doe better for your natures are hard to be gouerned nor get Mariners in any other place which the Enemy can doe from many places but must of necessity haue them from whence wee brought both these we haue and those we haue lost For our now Confederate Cities Naxus and Catana are not able to supply vs. Had the Enemie but this one thing more that the Townes of Italy that now send vs prouision seeing what estate we are in and you not helpe vs would turne to them the Warre were at an end and wee expugned without another stroke I could haue written to you other things more pleasing then these but not more profitable seeing it is necessary for you to know certainely the affaires heere when you goe to councell vpon them withall because I know your natures to bee such as though you loue to heare the best yet afterwards when things fall not out accordingly you will call in question them that write it I thought best to write the truth for my owne safeties sake And now thinke thus that though we haue carried our selues both Captaines and Souldiers in that for which we came at first hither vnblameably yet since all Sicily is vnited against vs and another Army expected out of Peloponnesus you must resolue for those we haue here are not enow for the Enemies present forces eyther to send for these away or to send hither another Army both of Land and Sea-souldiers no lesse theâ— the former and money not a little and also a Generall to succeed me who am able no longer to stay heere being troubled with the stone in the Kidney I must craue your pardon I haue done you many good seruices in the conducts of your Armies when I had my health What you will doe doe in the very beginning of Spring and delay it not For the Enemie will soone haue furnished himselfe of his Sicilian aydes And though those from Peloponnesus will bee later yet if you looke not to it they will get hither partly vnseene as before and partly by preuenting you with
their Campes but because the attempt was vnexpected and in the night they charged the Athenians timorously and were euen at first forced to retire But as the Athenians aduanced more out of order chiefly as hauing already gotten the victory but desiring also quickly to passe through all that remained yet vnfoughten with lest through their remissenesse in following they might againe rally themselues the Boeotians withstood them first and charging forced them to turne their backs And here the Athenians were mightily in disorder and perplexed so that it hath been very hard to be informed of any side in what manner each thing passed For if in the day time when things are better seene yet they that are present cannot tell how all things goe saue onely what euery man with much adoe seeth neere vnto himselfe How then in a battell by night the onely one that hapned betweene great Armies in all this Warre can a man know any thing for certaine For though the Moone shined bright yet they saw one another no otherwise then as by Moone-light was likely so as to see a body but not be sure whether it were a friend or not And the men of Armes on both sides being not a few in number had but little ground to turne in Of the Athenians some were already ouercome others went on in their first way Also a great part of the rest of the Army was already part gotten vp and part ascending and knew not which way to march For after the Athenians once turned their backes all before them was in confusion and it was hard to distinguish of any thing for the noyse For the Syracusians and their Confederates preuailing encouraged each other and receiued the assailants with exceeding great shouts for they had no other meanes in the night to expresse themselues And the Athenians sought each other and tooke for Enemies all before them though friends and of the number of those that fled And by often asking the Word there being no other meanes of distinction all asking at once they both made a great deale of stirre amongst themselues and reuealed the Word to the Enemie But they did not in like manner know the Word of the Syracusians because these beeing victorious and vndistracted knew one another better So that when they lighted on any number of the Enemie though they themselues were more yet the Enemy escaped as knowing the Watch-word but they when they could not answer were slaine But that which hurt them most was the tune of the Paean which being in both Armies the same draue them to their wits end For the Argiues and Corcyraeans and all other of the Dorique Race on the Athenians part when they sounded the Paean terrified the Athenians on one side and the Enemy terrified them with the like on the other side Wherefore at the last falling one vpon another in diuers parts of the Armie friends against friends and Countreymen against Countreymen they not onely terrified each other but came to hand-strokes and could hardly againe be parted As they fled before the Enemie the way of the descent from Epipolae by which they were to goe backe being but straite many of them threw themselues downe from the Rockes and dyed so and of the rest that gate downe safely into the Plaine though the greatest part and all that were of the old Armie by their knowledge of the Countrey escaped into the Campe yet of these that came last some lost their way and straying in the Fields when the day came on were cut off by the Syracusian Horsemen that ranged the Countrey about The next day the Syracusians erected two Trophies one in Epipolae at the ascent and another where the first checke was giuen by the Boeotians The Athenians receiued their dead vnder Truce and many there were that dyed both of themselues and of their Confederates But the Armes taken were more then for the number of the slaine for of such as were forced to quit their Bucklers and leape downe from the Rockes though some perished yet some there also were that escaped After this the Syracusians hauing by such vnlooked for prosperity recouered their former courage sent Sicanus with fifteene Gallies to Agrigentum being in sedition to bring that Citie if they could to their obedience And Gylippus went againe to the Sicilian Cities by Land to raise yet another Army as being in hope to take the Campe of the Athenians by assault considering how the matter had gone in Epipolae In the meane time the Athenian Generals went to Councell vpon their late ouerthrow and present generall weaknesse of the Army For they saw not onely that their designes prospered not but that the Souldiers also were weary of staying For they were troubled with sicknesse proceeding from a double cause this being the time of the yeere most obnoxious to diseases and the place where they lay moorish and noysome And all things else appeared desperate Demosthenes thought fit to stay no longer and since the execution of his Designe at Epipolae had failed deliuered his opinion for going out of the Hauen whilest the Seas were open and whilest at least with this addition of Gallies they were stronger then the Army of the Enemy For it was better hee said for the Citie to make Warre vpon those which fortifie against them at home then against the Syracusians seeing they cannot now be easily ouercome and there was no reason why they should spend much money in lying before the City This was the opinion of Demosthenes Nicias though he also thought their estate bad yet was vnwilling to haue their weaknesse discouered and by decreeing of their departure openly with the Votes of many to make knowne the same to the enemy For if at any time they had a minde to bee gone they should then bee lesse able to doe it secretly Besides the estate of the Enemie in as much as hee vnderstood it better then the rest put him into some hope that it might yet grow worse then their owne in case they pressed the Siege especially beeing already Masters of the Sea farre and neere with their present Fleet. There was moreouer a party for the Athenians in Sycrause that desired to betray the State into their hands and that sent messengers vnto him and suffered him not to rise and be gone All which hee knowing though hee were intruth doubtfull what opinion to be of and did yet consider neuerthelesse openly in his speech hee was against the withdrawing of the Armie and said That he was sure the People of Athens would take it ill if hee went thence without their order For that they were not to haue such Iudges as should giue sentence vpon their owne sight of things done rather then vpon the report of Calumniators but such as would beleeue whatsoeuer some fine speaker should accuse them of That many nay most of the Souldiers heere who now cry out vpon their misery will there
Rhaetium this now is in Hellespont But some of his Gallies put in at Sigeum and other places thereabouts The Athenians that lay with eighteene Gallies at Sestus knew that the Peloponnesians were entring into the Hellespont by the Fires both those which their owne Watchmen put vp by the many which appeared on the Enemies shore and therefore the same night in all haste as they were kept the shore of Chersonnesus towards Elaeus desiring to get out into the wide Sea and to decline the Fleete of the Enemie and went out vnseene of those sixteene Gallies that lay at Abydus though these had warning before from the Fleete of their friends that came on to watch them narrowly that they went not out but in the morning beeing in sight of the Fleete with Mindarus and chased by him they could not all escape but the most of them got to the Continent and into Lemnos onely foure of the hindmost were taken neere Elaeus whereof the Peloponnesians tooke one with the men in her that had run her selfe a-ground at the Temple of Protesilaus and two other without the men and set fire on a fourth abandoned vpon the shoare of Imbrus After this they besieged Elaeus the same day with those Gallies of Abydus which were with them and with the rest being now all together fourescore and sixe Sayle But seeing it would not yeeld they went away to Abydus The Athenians who had beene deceiued by their Spyes and not imagining that the Enemies Fleete could haue gone by without their knowledge and attended at leasure the assault of Eressus when now they knew they were gone immediately left Eressus and hasted to the defence of Hellespont By the way they tooke two Gallies of the Peloponnesians that hauing ventured into the Maine more boldly in following the Enemy then the rest had done chanced to light vpon the Flett of the Athenians The next day they came to Elaeus and stayed and thither from Imbrus came vnto them those other Gallies that had escaped from the Enemy Heere they spent fiue dayes in preparation for a Battell After this they fought in this manner The Athenians went by the shore ordering their Gallies one by one towards Sestus The Peloponnesians also when they saw this brought out their Fleet against them from Abydus Beeing sure to fight they drew out their Fleetâ— in length the Athenians along the shoare of Chersonnesus beginning at Idacus and reaching as farre as Arrhianae threescore and sixe Gallies And the Peloponnesians from Abydus to Dardanus fourescore and sixe Gallies In the right Wing of the Peloponnesians were the Syracusians in the other Mindarus himselfe and those Gallies that were nimblest Amongst the Athenians Thrasyllus had the left Wing and Thrasybulus the right and the rest of the Commanders euery one the place assigned him Now the Peloponnesians laboured to giue the first onset and with their left Wing to ouer-reach the right Wing of the Athenians and keepe them from going out and to driue those in the middle to the shore which was neere The Athenians who perceiued it where the Enemy went about to cut off their way out put foorth the same way that they did and out-went them The left Wing of the Athenians was also gone forward by this time beyond the point called Cynos-sema by meanes whereof that part of the Fleet which was in the middest became both weake and diuided especially when theirs was the lesse Fleet and the sharpe and angular figure of the place about Cymos-sema tooke away the sight of what passed there from those that were on the other side The Peloponnesians therefore charging this middle part both draue their Gallies to the dry Land and beeing farre superiour in fight went out after them and assaulted them vpon the shore And to helpe them neither was Thrasibulus able who was in the right Wing for the multitude of the Enemies that pressed him nor Thrasyllus in the left Wing both because hee could not see what was done for the Promontory of Cynos-sema and because also hee was kept from it by the Syracusians and others lying vpon his hands no fewer in number then themselues Till at last the Peloponnesians bold vpon their victory chasing some one Gally some another fell into some disorder in a part of their Armie And then those about Thrasybulus hauing obserued that the opposite Gallies sought now no more to go beyond them turned vpon them and fighting put them presently to flight And hauing also cut off from the rest of the Fleet such Gallies of the Peloponnesians of that part that had the victory as were scattered abroad some they assaulted but the greatest number they put into affright vnfoughten The Syracusians also whom those about Thrasyllus had already caused to shrinke when they saw the rest fly fled out-right This defeat being giuen and the Peloponnesians hauing for the most part escaped first to the Riuer Pydius and afterwards to Abydus though the Athenians tooke but few of their Gallies for the narrownesse of the Hellespont afforded to the Enemy a short retreat yet the Victory was the most seasonable to them that could be For hauing till this day stood in feare of the Peloponnesian Nauie both for the losse which they had receiued by little and little and also for their great losse in Sicily they now ceased eyther to accuse themselues or to thinke highly any longer of the Nauall power of their Enemies The Gallies they tooke were these eight of Chios fiue of Corinth of Ambracia two of Leucas Laconia Syracuse and Pellene one apiece Of their owne they lost fifteene When they had set vp a Trophie in the Promontory of Cynos-sema and taken vp the wreckes and giuen truce to the Enemies to fecth away the bodies of their dead they presently sent away a Gally with a Messenger to carry newes of the Victory to Athens The Athenians vpon the comming in of this Gally hearing of their vnexpected good fortune were encouraged much after their losse in Euboea and after their sedition and conceiued that their estate might yet keepe vp if they plyed the businesse couragiously The fourth day after this Battell the Athenians that were in Sestus hauing hastily prepared their Fleet went to Cyzicus which was reuolted and espying as they past by the eight Gallies come from Byzantium riding vnder Harpagium and Priapus set vpon them and hauing also ouercome those that came to their ayde from the Land tooke them Then comming to Cyzicus being an open Towne they brought it againe into their owne power and leauied a summe of Money amongst them The Peloponnesians in the meane time going from Abydus to Elaeus recouered as many of their Gallies formerly taken as remained whole The rest the Eleusians had burnt They also sent Hippocrates and Epicles into Euboea to fetch away the Fleet that was there About the same time also returned Alcibiades to Samos with his thirteene Gallies
In this place is a 〈◊〉 and aboue it further from the Sea the Cittie of Ephyre in that part of Thesprotis which is called Eleatis and neere vnto it disbogueth into the Sea the Lake Acherusia and into that hauing first passed through Thesprotis the Riuer Acheron from which it taketh the Name Also the Riuer Thyanis runneth heere which divideth Thesprotis from Cestrine betwixt which two Riuers ariseth this Promontory of Cheimerium To this part of the Continent came the Corinthians and encamped The Corcyraeans vnderstanding that they made against them hauing ready 110. Gallies vnder the conduct of Miciades Aesimides and Eurybatus came and incamped in one of the Ilands called Sybota And the tenne Gallies of Athens were also with them But their Land-forces stayed in the Promontory of Leucimna and with them 1000. men of Armes of the Zacynthians that came to ayde them The Corinthians also had in the Continent the aydes of many Barbarians which in those quarters haue beene euermore their friends The Corinthians after they were ready and had taken aboard three dayes prouision of victuall put off by night from Cheimerium with purpose to fight and about breake of day as they were sayling descryed the Gallies of the Corcyraeans which were also put off from Sybota and comming on to fight with the Corinthians Assoone as they had sight one of another they put themselues into order of Battaile In the right wing of the Corcyraeans were placed the Gallies of Athens and the rest being their owne were diuided into three Commands vnder the three Commanders one vnder one This was the order of the Corcyraeans The Corinthians had in their right wing the Gallies of Megara and of Ambracia in the middle other their Confederates in order and opposite to the Athenians and right wing of the Corcyraeans they were themselues placed with such Gallies as were best of Sayle in the left The Standard being on either side lift vp they ioyned Battell hauing on both parts both many men of Armes and many Archers and Slingers but after the old fashion as yet somewhat vnskilfully appointed The Battell was not so artificially as cruelly fought neere vnto the maner of a fight at Land For after they had once runne their Gallies vp close aboard one of another they could not for the number and throng be easily gotten asunder againe but relyed for the victory especially vpon their men of Armes who fought where they stood whilst the Gallies remained altogether without motion Passages through each other they made none but fought it out with courage and strength rather then with skill insomuch as the Battell was in euery part not without much tumult and disorder In which the Athenian Gallies being alwaies where the Corcyraeans were oppressed at hand kept the enemies in feare but yet began no assault because their Commanders stood in awe of the prohibition of the Athenian people The right wing of the Corinthians was in the greatest distresse for the Corcyraeans with twenty Gallies had made them turne their backes and chased them dispersed to the Continent and sayling to their very Campe went aland burnt their abandoned Tents and tooke away their Baggage so that in this part the Corinthians and their Confederates were vanquished and the Corcyraeans had the victory But in the left wing where the Corinthians were themselues they were farre superiour because the Corcyraeans had twenty Gallies of their number which was at first lesse then that of the Corinthians absent in the chase of the Enemie And the Athenians when they saw the Corcyraeans were in distresse now ayded them manifestly whereas before they had abstained from making assault vpon any But when once they fled out right and that the Corinthians lay sore vpon them then euery one fell to the businesse without making difference any longer and it came at last to this necessity that they vndertooke one another Corinthians and Athenians The Corinthians when their enemies fled staid not to fasten the Hulles of the Gallies they had sunke vnto their owne Gallies that so they might tow them after but made after the men rowing vp and downe to kill rather then to take aliue and through ignorance not knowing that their right wing had beene discomfited slew also some of their owne friends For the Gallies of eyther side being many and taking vp a large space of Sea after they were once in the medly they could not easily discerne who were of the Victors and who of the vanquished party For this was the greatest Nauall Battell for number of Ships that euer had beene before of Grecians against Grecians When the Corinthians had chased the Corcyraeans to the shore they returned to take vp the broken Gallies and bodies of their dead which for the greatest part they recouered and brought to Sybota where also lay the Land-forces of the Barbarians that were come to ayde them This Sybota is a desart Hauen of Thesprotis When they had done they re-vnited themselues and made againe to the Corcyraeans and they likewise with such Gallies as they had fit for the Sea remaining of the former Battell together with those of Athens put foorth to meete them fearing lest they should attempt to land vpon their Territory By this time the day was farre spent and the Song which they vsed to sing when they came to charge was ended when suddenly the Corinthians beganne to row a Sterne for they had descried twenty Athenian Gallies sent from Athens to second the former tenne for feare lest the Corcyraeans as it also fell out should bee ouercome and those tenne Gallies of theirs bee too few to defend them When the Corinthians therefore had sight of these Gallies suspecting that they were of Athens and more in number then they were by little and little they fell off But the Corcyraeans because the course of these Gallies was vnto them more out of sight descryed them not but wondred why the Corinthians rowed a Sterne till at last some that saw them said they were Enemies and then retired also the Corcyraeans For by this time it was darke and the Corinthians had turned about the heads of their Gallies and dissolued themselues And thus were they parted and the Battell ended in night The Corcyraeans lying at Leucimna these twenty Athenian Gallies vnder the command of Glaucon the sonne of Leagrus and Androcides the sonne of Leogorus passing through the middest of the floating Carkasses and wrecke soone after they were descryed arriued at the Campe of the Corcyraeans in Leucimna The Corcyraeans at first being night were afraid they had beene Enemies but knew them afterwards so they anchored there The next day both the thirty Gallies of Athens and as many of Corcyra as were fit for seruice went to the Hauen in Sybota where the Corinthians lay at Anchor to see if they would fight But the Corinthians when they had put off from the Land
and arranged themselues in the wide Sea stood quiet not meaning of their owne accord to beginne the Battell both for that they saw the supply of fresh Gallies from Athens and for many difficulties that happened to them both about the safe custody of their Prisoners aboard and also for that beeing in a desart place their Gallies were not yet repaired but tooke thought rather how to goe home for feare lest the Athenians hauing the Peace for already broken in that they had fought against each other should not suffer them to depart They therefore thought good to send afore vnto the Athenians certaine men without priviledge of Heraulds for to â—ound them and to say in this manner Men of Athens You doe vniustly to beginne the Warre and violate the Articles For whereas wee goe about to right vs on our Enemies you stand in our way and beare Armes against vs. If therefore you bee resolued to hinder our going against Corcyra or whatsoeuer place else wee please dissolue the Peace and laying hands first vpon vs that are heere vse vs as Enemies Thus said they and the Corcyraeans as many of the Armie as heard them cryed out immediately to take and kill them But the Athenians made answer thus Men of Peloponnesus Neither doe wee beginne the Warre nor breake the Peace but wee bring ayde to these our Confederates the Corcyraeans if you please therefore to goe any whither else wee hinder you not but if against Corcyra or any place belonging vnto it we will not suffer you When the Athenians had giuen them this answer the Corinthians made ready to goe home and set vp a Trophie in Sybota of the Continent And the Corcyraeans also both tooke vp the wrecke and bodies of the dead which carried euery way by the Waues and the Wind that arose the night before came driuing to their hands and as if they had had the victory set vp a Trophie likewise in Sybota the Ilands The victory was thus challenged on both sides vpon these grounds The Corinthians did set vp a Trophie because in the Battell they had the better all day hauing gotten more of the wrecke and dead bodies then the other and taken no lesse then 1000. Prisoners and sunke about 70. of the Enemies Gallies And the Corcyraeans set vp a Trophie because they had sunke 30. Gallies of the Corinthians and had after the arriuall of the Athenians recouered the wrecke and dead bodies that droue to them by reason of the Wind and because the day before vpon sight of the Athenians the Corinthians had rowed a Sterne and went away from them and lastly for that when they went to Sybota the Corinthians came not out to encounter them Thus each side claimed victory The Corinthians in their way homeward tooke in Anactorium a Towne seated in the mouth of the Gulfe of Ambracia by deceipt this Towne was common to them and to the Corcyraeans and hauing put into it Corinthians onely departed and went home Of the Corcyraeans 800. that were seruants they sold and kept prisoners 250. whom they vsed with very much fauour that they might bee a meanes at their returne to bring Corcyra into the power of the Corinthians the greatest part of these being principall men of the Citie And thus was Corcyra deliuered of the Warre of Corinth and the Athenian Gallies went from them This was the first Cause that the Corinthians had of Warre against the Athenians namely because they had taken part with the Corcyraeans in a Battell by Sea against the Corinthians with whom they were comprized in the same Articles of Peace PRESENTLY after this it came to passe that other differences arose betweene the Peloponnesians and the Athenians to induce the Warre For whilest the Corinthians studied to bee reuenged the Athenians who had their hatred in iealousie coÌ„manded the Citizens of Potidaea a Citie seated in the Isthmus of Pallene a Colony of the Corinthians but confederatâ— and tributary to the Athenians to pull downe that part of the Wall of their Citie that stood towards Pallene and to giue them Hostages and also to send away and no more receiue the Epidemiurgi Magistrates so called which were sent vnto them yeere by yeere from Corinth fearing lest through the perswasion of Perdiccas and of the Corinthians they should reuolt and draw to reuolt with them their other Confederates in Thrace These things against the Potideans the Athenians had precontriued presently after the Nauall Battell fought at Corcyra For the Corinthians and they were now manifestly at difference and Perdiccas who before had beene their Confederate and friend now warred vpon them And the cause why hee did so was that when his Brother Philip and Derdas ioyned in Armes against him the Athenians had made a League with them And therefore being afraid hee both sent to Lacedaemon to negotiate the Peloponnesian Warre and also reconciled himselfe to the Corinthians the better to procure the reuolt of Potidaea and likewise he practised with the Chalcideans of Thrace and with the Bottieans to reuolt with them For if hee could make these confining Cities his Confederates with the helpe of them hee thought his Warre would bee the easier Which the Athenians perceiuing and intending to preuent the reuolt of these Citties gaue order to the Commanders of the Fleet for they were now sending thirty Gallies with a thousand men of Armes vnder the command of Archestratus the sonne of Lycomedes and tenne others into the Territories of Perdiccas both to receiue Hostages of the Potideans and to demolish their Walles and also to haue an eye to the neighbouring Cities that they reuolted not The Potidaeans hauing sent Ambassadours to Athens to try if they could perswade the people not to make any alteratioÌ„ amongst them by other Ambassadours whom they sent along with the Ambassadours of Corinth to Lacedaemon dealt with the Lacedaemonians at the same time if need required to be ready to reuenge their quarrell When after long sollicitation at Athens and no good done the Fleet was sent away against them no lesse then against Macedonia and when the Magistrates of Lacedaemon had promised them if the Athenians went to Potidaea to invade Attica then at last they reuolted and together with them the Chalcideans and Bottieans all mutually sworne in the same Conspiracy For Perdiccas had also perswaded the Chalcideans to abandon and pull downe their maritime Townes and to goe vp and dwell at Olynthus and that one City to make strong And vnto those that remoued gaue part of his owne and part of the Territorie of Maydonia about the Lake Bolbe to liue on so long as the Warre against the Athenians should continue So when they had demolished their Cities and were gone vp higher into the Countrey they prepared themselues to the Warre The Athenian Gallies when they arriued in Thrace found Potidaea and the other Cities already reuolted And the Commanders of
procure the Peloponnesians to invade Attica and by that meanes to draw the Athenians out of Aegypt But when this tooke no effect and money was spent to no purpose Megabazus returned with the money he had left into Asia And then was Megabazus the sonne of Zopirus a Persian sent into Aegypt with great Forces and comming in by Land ouerthrew the Aegyptians and their Confederates in a Battell draue the Grecians out of Memphis and finally inclosed them in the I le of Prosopis There hee besieged them a yeere and a halfe till such time as hauing dreined the Channell and turned the Water another way he made their Gallies lye aground and the Iland for the most part Continent and so came ouer and wonne the Iland with Land-Souldiers Thus was the Armie of the Grecians lost after sixe yeeres Warre and few of many passing through Africa saued themselues in Cyrene but the most perished So Aegypt returned to the obedience of the King except onely Amyrtaeus that raigned in the Fennes for him they could not bring in both because the Fennes are great and the people of the Fennes of all the Aegyptians the most warlike But Inarus King of the Africans and Author of all this stirre in Aegypt was taken by treason and crucified The Athenians moreouer had sent fifty Gallies more into Aegypt for a supply of those that were there already which putting in at Mendesium one of the mouthes of Nilus knew nothing of what had happened to the rest and being assaulted from the Land by the Armie and from the Sea by the Phoenician Fleet lost the greatest part of their Gallies and escaped home againe with the lesser part Thus ended the great expedition of the Athenians and their Confederates into Aegypt Also Orestes the sonne of Echecratidas King of the Thessalians driuen out of Thessaly perswaded the Athenians to restore him And the Athenians taking with them the Boeotians and Phocaeans their Confederates made Warre against Pharsalus a Citie of Thessaly and were Masters of the Field as farre as they strayed not from the Armie for the Thâ—ssalian Horsemen kept them from straggling but could not winne the Citie nor yet performe any thing else of what they came for but came backe againe without effect and brought Orestes with them Not long after this a thousand Athenians went aboard the Gallies that lay at Pegae for Pegae was in the hands of the Athenians vnder the command of Pericles the sonne of Xantippus and sayled into Sicyonia and landing put to flight such of the Sicyonians as made head and then presently tooke vp forces in Achaea and putting ouer made Warre on Oenias a Citie of Acarnania which they besieged neuerthelesse they tooke it not but returned home Three yeeres after this was a Truce made betweene the Peloponnesians and Athenians for fiue yeeres and the Athenians gaue ouer the Grecian Warre and with 200. Gallies part their owne and part their Confederates vnder the conduct of Cimon made Warre on Cyprus Of these there went 60. Sayle into Aegypt sent for by Amyrtaeus that reigned in the Fennes and the rest lay at the Siege of Citium But Cimon there dying and a Famine arising in the Armie they left Citium and when they had passed Salamine in Cyprus fought at once both by Sea and Land against the Phoenicians Cyprians Cilicians and hauing gotten victory in both returned home and with them the rest of their Fleet now come backe from Aegypt After this the Lacedaemonians tooke in hand the Warre called the Holy Warre and hauing wonne the Temple at Delphi deliuered the possession thereof to the Delphians But the Athenians afterward when the Lacedaemonians were gone came with their Armie and regaining it deliuered the possession to the Phocaeans Some space of time after this the Outlawes of Boeotia being seazed of Orchomenus and Chaeronea and certaine other places of Boeotia the Athenians made Warre vpon those places being their Enemies with a thousand men of Armes of their owne and as many of their Confederates as seuerally came in vnder the conduct of Tolmidas the sonne of Tolmaeus And when they had taken Chaeronea they carried away the Inhabitants Captiues and leauing a Garrison in the Citie departed In their returne those Outlawes that were in Orchomenus together with the Locrians of Opus and the Euboean Outlawes and others of the same Faction set vpon them at Coronea and ouercomming the Athenians in Battell some they slew and some they tooke aliue Wherevpon the Athenians relinquished all Boeotia and made peace with condition to haue their Prisoners released So the Outlawes and the rest returned and liued againe vnder their owne Lawes Not long after revolted Euboea from the Athenians and when Pericles had already passed ouer into it with the Athenian Armie there was brought him newes that Megara was likewise revolted and that the Peloponnesians were about to invade Attica and that the Megareans had slaine the Athenian Garrison except onely such as fled into Nisaea Now the Megareans when they reuolted had gotten to their ayd the Corinthians Epidaurians and Sicyonians Wherefore Pericles forthwith withdrew his Armie from Euboea and the Lacedaemonians afterward brake into Attica and wasted the Countrey about Eleusine and Thriasium vnder the conduct of Pleistoonax the sonne of Pausanias King of Lacedaemon and came no further on but so went away After which the Athenians passed againe into Euboea and totally subdued it the Hestiaeans they put quite out taking their Territory into their owne hands but ordered the rest of Euboea according to composition made Being returned from Euboea within a while after they made a Peace with the Lacedaemonians and their Confederates for thirty yeeres rendred Nisaea Achaia Pegae and Troezene for these places the Athenians held of theirs to the Peloponnesians In the sixth yeere of this Peace fell out the Warre betweene the Samians and Milesians concerning Priene and the Milesians being put to the worse came to Athens and exclaimed against the Samians wherein also certaine priuate men of Samos it selfe tooke part with the Milesians out of desire to alter the forme of Gouernment Wherevpon the Athenians went to Samos with a Fleet of forty Gallies and set vp the Democratie there and tooke of the Samians 50. Boyes and as many men for Hostages which when they had put into Lemnos and set a Guard vpon them they came home But certaine of the Samians for some of them not enduring the popular gouernment were fled into the Continent entring into a League with the mightiest of them in Samos with Pissuthnes the sonne of Hystaspes who then was Gouernour of Sardis and leuying about 700. auxiliary Souldiers passed ouer into Samos in the euening and first set vpon the popular Faction and brought most of them into their power and then stealing their Hostages out of Lemnos they reuolted and deliuered the Athenian Guard
fifteenth yeere being the forty eighth of the Priesthood of Chrysis in Argos Aenesias being thâ— Ephore at Sparta and Pythadorus Archon of Athens hauing then two moneths of his gouernment to come in the sixth moneth after the Battell at Potidaea and in the beginning of the Spring three hundred and odde Thebans led by Pythangelus the Sonne of Philides and Diemporus the sonne of Oenotoridas Boeotian Rulers about the first Watch of the night entred with their Armes into Plataea a Citie of Boeotia and Confederate of the Athenians They were brought in and the Gates opened vnto them by Nauclides and his Complices men of Plataea that for their owne priuate ambition intended both the destruction of such Citizens as were their enemies and the putting of the whole City vnder the subiection of the Thebans This they negotiated with one Eurymachus the Sonne of Leontiadas one of the most potent men of Thebes For the Thebans foreseeing the Warre desired to praeoccupate Plataea which was alwayes at variance with them whilest there was yet Peace and the Warre not openly on foot By which meanes they more easily entred vndiscouered there being no order taken before for a Watch. And making a stand in their Armes in the Market place did not as they that gaue them entrance would haue had them fall presently to the businesse and enter the Houses of their Aduersaries but resolued rather to make fauourable Proclamation and to induce the Cities to composition and friendship And the Herald proclaimed That if any man according to the ancient custome of all the Boeotians would enter into the same league of Warre with them hee should come and bring his Armes to theirs supposing the Citie by this meanes would easily be drawne to their side The Plataeans when they perceiued that the Thebans were already entred and had surprized the Citie through feare and opinion that more were entred then indeed were for they could not see them in the night came to composition and accepting the condition rested quiet and the rather for that they had yet done no man harme But whilest that these things were treating they obserued that the Thebans were not many and thought that if they should set vpon them they might easily haue the victory For the Plataean Commons were not willing to haue revolted from the Aâ—henians Wherefore it was thought fit to vndertake the matter and they vnited themselues by digging through the Common Walles betweene house and house that they might not be discouered as they passed the Streets They also placed Carts in the Streets without the Cattell that drew them to serue them in stead of a Wall and euery other thing they put in readinesse as they seuerally seemed necessary for the present enterprize When all things according to their meanes were ready they marched from their Houses towards the enemies taking their time whilest it was yet night and a little before breake of day because they would not haue to charge them when they should bee emboldned by the light and on equall termes but when they should by night bee terrified and inferiour to them in knowledge of the places of the Citie So they forthwith set vpon them and came quickly vp to hand-stroakes And the Thebans seeing this and finding they were deceiued cast themselues into a round figure and beat them backe in that part where the assault was made and twice or thrice they repulsed them But at last when both the Plataeans themselues charged them with a great clamour and their Wiues also and Families shouted and screeched from the Houses and withall threw stones and Tyles amongst them the night hauing beene also very wet they were afraid and turned their backes and fled heere and there about the Cittie ignorant for the most part in the darke and durt of the wayes out by which they should haue beene saued for this accident fell out vpon the change of the Moone and pursued by such as were well acquainted with the wayes to keepe them in insomuch as the greatest part of them perished The Gate by which they entred and which onely was left open a certaine Plataean shut vp againe with the head of a Iaueline which hee thrust into the Staple in stead of a bolt so that this way also their passage was stopped As they were chased vp and downe the City some climbed the Walles and cast themselues out and for the most part dyed some came to a desart Gate of the City and with a Hatchet giuen them by a Woman cut the staple and got forth vnseene but these were not many for the thing was soone discouered others againe were slaine dispersed in seuerall parts of the Citie But the greatest part and those especially who had cast themselues before into a Ring happened into a great Edifice adioyning to the Wall the doores whereof being open they thought had beene the Gates of the Citie and that there had beene a direct way through to the other side The Plataeans seeing them now pend vp consulted whether they should burne them as they were by firing the House or else resolue of some other punishment At length both these and all the rest of the Thebans that were straggling in the Citie agreed to yeeld themselues and their Armes to the Plataeans at discretion And this successe had they that entred into Plataea But the rest of the Thebans that should with their whole power haue beene there before day for feare the surprize should not succeed with those that were in came so late with their ayde that they heard the newes of what was done by the way Now Plataea is from Thebes 70. Furlongs and they marched the slowlier for the raine which had falne the same night For the Riuer Asopus was swolne so high that it was not easily passable so that what by the foulenesse of the way and what by the difficulty of passing the Riuer they arriued not till their men were already some slaine and some taken prisoners When the Thebans vnderstood how things had gone they lay in waite for such of the Plataeans as were without for there were abroad in the Villages both men and houshold stuffe as was not vnlikely the euill happening vnexpectedly and in time of peace desiring if they could take any Prisoners to keepe them for exchange for those of theirs within which if any were so were saued aliue This was the Thebans purpose But the Plataeans whilest they were yet in Councell suspecting that some such thing would bee done and fearing their case without sent a Herald vnto the Thebans whom they commanded to say That what they had already done attempting to surprize their Citie in time of Peace was done wickedly and to forbid them to doe any iniury to those without and that otherwise they would kill all those men of theirs that they had aliue which if they would withdraw their forces out of their
you ought not to bee lesse venturously minded against the enemie not weighing the profit by an Oration onely which any man amplifying may recount to you that know as well as hee the many commodities that arise by fighting valiantly against your enemies but contemplating the power of the Citie in the actions of the same from day to day performed and thereby becomming enamoured of it And when this power of the Citie shall seeme great to you consider then that the same was purchased by valiant men and by men that know their duty and by men that were sensible of dishonour when they were in fight and by such men as though they failed of their attempt yet would not bee wanting to the Citie with their vertue but made vnto it a most honourable contribution For hauing euery one giuen his body to the Common-wealth they receiue in place thereof an vndecaying commendation and a most remarkeable Sepulcher not wherein they are buried so much as wherein their glory is laid vp vpon all occasions both of speech and action to bee remembred for euer For to famous men all the earth is a Sepulcher and their vertues shall bee testified not onely by the inscription in stone at home but by an vnwritten record of the minde which more then of any Monument will remaine with euery one for euer In imitation therefore of these men and placing happinesse in liberty and liberty in valour bee forward to encounter the dangers of Warre For the miserable and desperate men are not they that haue the most reason to bee prodigall of their liues but rather such men as if they liue may expect a change of fortune and whose losses are greatest if they miscarry in ought For to a man of any spirit Death which is without sense arriuing whilest hee is in vigour and common hope is nothing so bitter as after a tender life to bee brought into miserie Wherefore I will not so much bewaile as comfort you the parents that are present of these men For you know that whilest they liued they were obnoxious to manifold calamities whereas whilest you are in griefe they onely are happy that dye honourably as these haue done and to whom it hath beene granted not only to liue in prosperity but to dye in it Though it bee a hard matter to disswade you from sorrow for the losse of that which the happinesse of others wherein you also when time was reioyced your selues shall so often bring into your remembrance for sorrow is not for the want of a good neuer tasted but for the priuation of a good wee haue beene vsed to yet such of you as are of the age to haue children may beare the losse of these in the hope of more For the later children will both draw on with some the obliuion of those that are slaine and also doubly conduce to the good of the Citie by population and strength For it is not likely that they should equally giue good counsell to the State that haue not children to bee equally exposed to danger in it As for you that are past hauing of children you are to put the former and greater part of your life to the account of your gaine and supposing the remainder of it will bee but short you shall haue the glory of these for a consolation of the same For the loue of honour neuer groweth old nor doth that vnprofitable part of our life take delight as some haue said in gathering of wealth so much as it doth in being honoured As for you that are the children or brethren of these men I see you shall haue a difficult taske of aemulation For euery man vseth to praise the dead so that with oddes of vertue you will hardly get an equall reputation but still be thought a little short For men enuy their Competitors in glory while they liue but to stand out of their way is a thing honoured with an affection free from opposition And since I must say somewhat also of feminine vertue for you that are now Widdowes I shall expresse it all in this short admonition It will bee much for your honour not to recede from your Sexe and to giue as little occasion of rumour amongst the men whether of good or euill as you can Thus also haue I according to the prescript of the Law deliuered in word what was expedient and those that are here interred haue in fact beene already honoured and further their children shall bee maintained till they be at mans estate at the charge of the Citie which hath therein propounded both to these and them that liue a profitable Garland in their matches of valour For where the rewards of vertue are greatest there liue the worthiest men So now hauing lamented euery one his owne you may be gone Such was the Funerall made this Winter which ending ended the first yeere of this Warre In the very beginning of Summer the Peloponnesians and their Confederates with two thirds of their forces as before inuaded Attica vnder the conduct of Archidamus the sonne of Zeuxidamas King of Lacedaemon and after they had encamped themselues wasted the countrey about them They had not beene many dayes in Attica when the plague first began amongst the Athenians said also to haue seazed formerly on diuers other parts as about Lemnos and elsewhere but so great a plague and mortality of men was neuer remembred to haue hapned in any place before For at first neither were the Physicians able to cure it through ignorance of what it was but dyed fastest themselues as being the men that most approached the sicke nor any other art of man auailed whatsoeuer All supplications to the Gods and enquiries of Oracles and whatsoeuer other meanes they vsed of that kind proued all vnprofitable insomuch as subdued with the greatnesse of the euill they gaue them all ouer It began by report first in that part of Aethiopia that lyeth vpon Aegypt and thence fell downe into Aegypt and Afrique and into the greatest part of the Territories of the King It inuaded Athens on a sudden and touched first vpon those that dwelt in Pyraeus insomuch as they reported that the Peloponnesians had cast poyson into their Welles for Springs there were not any in that place But afterwards it came vp into the high City and then they dyed a great deale faster Now let euery man Physitian or other concerning the ground of this sickenesse whence it sprung and what causes hee thinkes able to produce so great an alteration speake according to his owne knowledge for my owne part I will deliuer but the manner of it and lay open onely such things as one may take his marke by to discouer the same if it come againe hauing beene both sicke of it my selfe and seene others sicke of the same This yeere by confession of all men was of all other for other diseases most free and healthfull If any
enuy But to be hated and to displease is a thing that happeneth for the time to whosoeuer hee be that hath the command of others and he does well that vndergoeth hatred for matters of great consequence For the hatred lasteth not and is recompenced both with a present splendor and an immortall glory hereafter Seing then you foresee both what is honourable for the future and not dishonourable for the present procure both the one and the other by your courage now Send no more Heraulds to the Lacedaemonians nor let them know that the euill present does any way afflict you for they whose mindes least feele and whose actions most oppose a calamity both amongst States and priuate persons are the best In this speech did Pericles endeauour to appease the anger of the Athenians towards himselfe and withall to withdraw their thoughts from the present affliction But they though for the State in generall they were won and sent to the Lacedaemonians no more but rather enclined to the Warre yet they were euery one in particular grieued for their seuerall losses The poore because entring the Warre with little they lost that little and the rich because they had lost faire possessions together with goodly houses and costly furniture in them in the Countrey but the greatest matter of all was that they had Warre in stead of Peace And altogether they deposed not their anger till they had first fined him in a summe of money Neuerthelesse not long after as is the fashion of the multitude they made him Generall againe and committed the whole State to his administration For the sense of their domestique losses was now dulled and for the need of the Common-wealth they prised him more then any other whatsoeuer For as long as he was in authority in the Citie in time of Peace he gouerned the same with moderation and was a faithfull watchman of it and in his time it was at the greatest And after the Warre was on foot it is manifest that he therein also fore-saw what it could doe Hee liued after the Warre began two yeeres and sixe moneths And his foresight in the Warre was best knowne after his death For he told them that if they would be quiet and looke to their Nauy and during this Warre seeke no further dominion nor hazzard the Citie it selfe they should then haue the vpper hand But they did contrary in all and in such other things besides as seemed not to concerne the Warre managed the State according to their priuate ambition and couetousnesse pernitiously both for themselues and their Confederates What succeeded well the honour and profit of it came most to priuate men and what miscarried was to the Cities detriment in the Warre The reason whereof was this that being a man of great power both for his dignity and wisdome for bribes manifestly the most incorrupt he freely controuled the multitude and was not so much led by them as he led them Because hauing gotten his power by no euill Artes he would not humour them in his speeches but out of his authority durst anger them with contradiction Therefore whensoeuer he saw them out of season insolently bold he would with his Orations put them into a feare and againe when they were afraid without reason he would likewise erect their spirits and imbolden them It was in name a State Democraticall but in fact A gouernment of the principall Man But they that came after being more equall amongst themselues and affecting euery one to be the chiefe applyed themselues to the people and let goe the care of the Common-wealth From whence amongst many other errours as was likely in a great and dominant Citie proceeded also the voyage into Sicily which was not so much vpon mistaking those whom they went against as for want of knowledge in the senders of what was necessary for those that went the voyage For through priuate quarrels about who should beare the greatest sway with the people they both abated the vigour of the Armie and then also first troubled the State at home with diuision Being ouerthrowne in Sicily and hauing lost besides other ammunition the greatest part of their Nauy and the Citie being then in sedition yet they held out 3 yeeres both against their first enemies and the Sicilians with them and against most of their reuolted Confederates besides and also afterwards against Cyrus the Kings sonne who tooke part with and sent money to the Peloponnesians to maintaine their Fleet and neuer shrunke till they had ouerthrowne themselues with priuate dissentions So much was in Pericles aboue other men at that time that he could foresee by what meanes the Citie might easily haue out-lasted the Peloponnesians in this Warre The Lacedaemonians and their Confederates made Warre the same Summer with 100 Gallies against Zacynthus an Iland lying ouer against Elis. The Inhabitants whereof were a Colony of the Achaeans of Peloponnesus but Confederates of the people of Athens There went in this Fleet 1000 men of Armes and Cnemus a Spartan for Admirall who landing wasted the greatest part of the Territory But they of the Iland not yeelding they put off againe and went home In the end of the same Summer Aristaeus of Corinth and Anaristus Nicolaus Pratodemus and Timagoras of Tegea Ambassadours of the Lacedaemonians and Polis of Argos a priuate man as they were trauelling into Asia to the King to get mony of him and to draw him into their league tooke Thrace in their way and came vnto Sitalces the sonne of Teres with a desire to get him also if they could to forsake the league with Athens and to send his forces to Potidaea which the Athenian Army now besieged and not to aide the Athenians any longer and withall to get leaue to passe through his Countrey to the other side of Hellespont to goe as they intended to Pharnabazus the sonne of Pharnaces who would conuoy them to the King But the Ambassadours of Athens Learchus the sonne of Callimachus and Ameiniades the sonne of Philemon then resident with Sitalces perswaded Sadocus the sonne of Sitalces who was now a Citizen of Athens to put them into their hands that they might not goe to the King and doe hurt to the Citie whereof hee himselfe was now a member Whereunto condiscending as they iourneyed thorow Thrace to take ship to crosse the Hellespont he apprehended them before they got to the ship by such others as he sent along with Learchus and Ameiniades with command to deliuer them into their hands And they when they had them sent them away to Athens When they came thither the Athenians fearing Aristaeus lest escaping he should doe them further mischiefe for he was manifestly the authour of all the businesse of Potidaea and about Thrace the same day put them all to death vniudged and desirous to haue spoken and threw them into the Pits thinking it but iust to take
them fire together with Brimstone and Pitch kindled the Wood and raised such a flame as the like was neuer seene before made by the hand of man For as for the woods in the Mountaines the trees haue indeed taken fire but it hath bin by mutuall attrition and haue flamed out of their own accord But this fire was a great one and the Plataeans that had escaped other mischiefes wanted little of being consumed by this For neere the Wall they could not get by a great way and if the Wind had beene with it as the enemy hoped it might they could neuer haue escaped It is also reported that there fell much raine then with great Thunder and that the flame was extinguished and the danger ceased by that The Peloponnesians when they failed likewise of this retayning a part of their Armie and dismissing the rest enclosed the Citie about with a Wall diuiding the circumference thereof to the charge of the seuerall Cities There was a Ditch both within and without it out of which they made their Brickes and after it was finished which was about the rising of Arcturus they left a guard for one halfe of the Wall for the other was guarded by the Boeotians and departed with the rest of their Armie and were dissolued according to their Cities The Plataeans had before this sent their Wiues and Children and all their vnseruiceable men to Athens The rest were besieged beeing in number of the Plataeans themselues 400. of Athenians 80. and 100 Women to dresse their meate These were all when the Siege was first laid and not one more neither free nor bond in the Citie In this manner was the Citie besieged The same Summer at the same time that this Iourney was made against Plataea the Athenians with 2000. men of Armes of their owne Citie and 200. Horsemen made Warre vpon the Chalcideans of Thrace and the Bottiaeans when the Corne was at the highest vnder the conduct of Xenophon the sonne of Eurypides and two others These comming before Spartolus in Bottiaea destroyed the Corne expected that the Town should haue bin rendred by the practice of some within But such as would not haue it so hauing sent for aid to Olynthus before there came into the Citie for safegard thereof a supply both of men of Armes and other Souldiers from thence And these issuing forth of Spartolus the Athenians put themselues into order of Battell vnder the Towne it selfe The men of Armes of the Chalcideans and certaine auxiliaries with them were ouercome by the Athenians and retired within Spartolus And the Horsemen of the Chalcideans and their light-armed Souldiers ouercame the Horsemen and light-armed of the Athenians but they had some few Targettiers besides of the Territory called Chrusis When the Battell was now begun came a supply of other Targettiers from Olynthus which the light armed Souldiers of Spartolus perceiuing emboldned both by this addition of strength and also as hauing had the better before with the Chalcidean Horse and this new supply charged the Athenians afresh The Athenians heereupon retired to two companies they had left with the Carriages and as oft as the Athenians charged the Chalcideans retired and when the Athenians retired the Chalcideans charged them with their shot Especially the Chalcidean Horsemen rode vp and charging them where they thought fit forced the Athenians in extreme affright to turne their backes and chased them a great way The Athenians fled to Potidaea and hauing afterwards fetched away the bodies of their dead vpon truce returned with the remainder of their Armie to Athens Foure hundred and thirty men they lost and their chiefe Commanders all three And the Chalcideans and Bottiaeans when they had set vp a Trophie and taken vp their dead bodies disbanded and went euery one to his Citie Not long after this the same Summer the Ambraciotes and Chaonians desiring to subdue all Acarnania and to make it reuolt from the Athenians perswaded the Lacedaemonians to make ready a Fleet out of the Confederate Cities and to send 1000. men of Armes into Acarnania saying that if they ayded them both with a Fleet and a Land Armie at once the Acarnanians of the Sea-cost being thereby disabled to assist the rest hauing easily gained Acarnania they might be Masters afterward both of Zacynthus and Cephalonia and the Athenians hereafter lesse able to make their voyages about Peloponnesus and that there was a hope besides to take Naupactus The Peloponnesians assenting sent thither Cnemus who was yet Admirall with his men of Armes in a few Gallies immediately and withall sent word to the Cities about as soone as their Gallies were ready to sayle with all speed to Leucas Now the Corinthians were very zealous in the behalfe of the Ambraciotes as being their owne Colony And the Gallies which were to goe from Corinth Sicyonia and that part of the Coast were now making ready and those of the Leucadians Anactorians and Ambraciotes were arriued before and stayed at Leucas for their comming Cnemus and his 1000. men of Armes when they had crossed the Sea vndiscryed of Phormio who commanded the 20. Athenian Gallies that kept watch at Naupactus presently prepared for the War by Land He had in his Army of Grecians the Ambraciotes Leucadians Anactorians and the thousand Peloponnesians he brought with him and of Barbarians a thousand Chaonians who haue no King but were led by Photius and Nicanor which two being of the Families eligible had now the annuall gouernment With the Chaonians came also the Thesprotians they also without a King The Molossians and Antitanians were led by Sabylinthus protector of Tharups their King who was yet in minority The Paraueans were led by their King Oraedus and vnder Oroedus serued likewise by permission of Antiochus their King a thousand Orestians Also Perdiccas sent thither vnknowne to the Athenians a thousand Macedonians but these last were not yet arriued With this Armie began Cnemus to march without staying for the Fleet from Corinth And passing through Argia they destroyed Limnaea a Towne vnwalled From thence they marched towards Stratus the greatest Citie of Acarnania conceiuing that if they could take this first the rest would come easily in The Acarnanians seeing a great Army by Land was entred their Countrey already and expecting the enemy also by Sea ioyned not to succour Stratus but guarded euery one his owne and sent for ayde to Phormio But he answered them that since there was a Fleet to bee set forth from Corinth he could not leaue Naupactus without a guard The Peloponnesians and their Confederates with their Armie diuided into three marched on towards the Citie of the Stratians to the end that being encamped neere it if they yeelded not on parley they might presently assault the Walles So they went on the Chaonians and other Barbarians in the middle the Leucadians and Anactonians and such others as were with these on the
right hand and Cnemus with the Peloponnesians and Ambraciotes on the left each Armie at great distance and sometimes out of sight one of another The Grecians in their march kept their order and went warily on till they had gotten a conuenient place to encampe in But the Chaonians confident of themselues and by the inhabitants of that Continent accounted most warlike had not the patience to take in any ground for a Campe but carried furiously on together with the rest of the Barbarians thought to haue taken the Towne by their clamour and to haue the Action ascribed onely to themselues But they of Stratus aware of this whilest they were yet in their way and imagining if they could ouercome these thus deuided from the other two Armies that the Grecians also would be the lesse forward to come on placed diuers Ambushes not farre from the Citie and when the enemies approached fell vpon them both from the Citie and from the Ambushes at once and putting them into affright slew many of the Chaonians vpon the place And the rest of the Barbarians seeing these to shrinke staid no longer but fled outright Neither of the Grecian Armies had knowledge of this Skirmish because they were gone so farre before to chuse as they then thought a commodious place to pitch in But when the Barbarians came backe vpon them running they receiued them and ioyning both Campes together stirred no more for that day And the Stratians assaulted them not for want of the ayde of the rest of the Acarnanians but vsed their slings against them and troubled them much that way For without their men of Armes there was no stirring for them And in this kinde the Acarnanians are held excellent When night came Cnemus withdrew his Armie to the Riuer Anapus from Stratus 80. Furlongs and fetched off the dead bodies vpon truce the next day And whereas the Citie Oeniades was come in of it selfe he made his retreat thither before the Acarnanians should assemble with their succours and from thence went euery one home And the Stratians set vp a Trophie of the Skirmish against the Barbarians In the meane time the Fleet of Corinth and the other Confederates that was to set out from the Crissaean Gulfe and to ioyne with Cnemus to hinder the lower Acarnanians from ayding the vpper came not at all but were compelled to fight with Phormio and those twenty Athenian Gallies that kept watch at Naupactus about the same time that the Skirmish was at Stratus For as they sayled along the shore Phormio waited on them till they were out of the streight intending to set vpon them in the open Sea And the Corinthians and their Confederates went not as to fight by Sea but furnished rather for the Land-seruice in Acarnania and neuer thought that the Athenians with their twenty Gallies durst fight with theirs that were seuen and forty Neuerthelesse when they saw that the Athenians as themselues sayled by one shore kept ouer against them on the other and that now when they went off from Patrae in Achaia to goe ouer to Acarnania in the opposite Continent the Athenians came towards them from Chalcis and the Riuer Euenus and also knew that they had come to anchor there the night before they found they were then to fight of necessity directly against the mouth of the Straight The Commanders of the Fleet were such as the Cities that set it foorth had seuerally appointed but of the Corinthians these Machon Isocrates and Agatharchidas The Peloponnesians ordered their Fleet in such manner as they made thereof a Circle as great as without leauing the spaces so wide as for the Athenians to passe through they were possibly able with the stemmes of their Gallies outward and sternes inward and into the middest thereof receiued such small Vessels as came with them and also fiue of their swiftest Gallies the which were at narrow passages to come forth in whatsoeuer part the Enemy should charge But the Athenians with their Gallies ordered one after one in file went round them and shrunke them vp together by wiping them euer as they past and putting them in expectation of present fight But Phormio had before forbidden them to fight till he himselfe had giuen them the signall For he hoped that this order of theirs would not last long as in an Army on Land but that the Gallies would fall foule of one another and be troubled also with the smaller vessels in the middest And if the wind should also blow out of the Gulfe in expectation whereof he so went round them and which vsually blew there euery morning hee made account they would then instantly be disordered As for giuing the onset because his Gallies were more agile then the Gallies of the enemy he thought it was in his owne election and would bee most opportune on that occasion When this wind was vp and the Gallies of the Peloponnesians being already contracted into a narrow compasse were both waies troubled by the wind and withall by their owne lesser vessels that encumbred them and when one Gallie fell foule of another and the Mariners laboured to set them cleere with their poles and through the noyse they made keeping off and reuiling each other heard nothing neither of their charge nor of the Gallies direction and through want of skill vnable to keepe vp their Oares in a troubled Sea rendred the Gallie vntractable to him that sate at the Helme Then and with this opportunity he gaue the signall And the Athenians charging drowned first one of the Admirall Gallies and diuers others after it in the seuerall parts they assaulted and brought them to that passe at length that not one applying himselfe to the fight they fled all towards Patrae and Dyme Cities of Achaia The Athenians after they had chased them and taken twelue Gallies and slain most of the men that were in them fell off and went to Molychrium and when they had there set vp a Trophie and consecrated one Gallie to Neptune they returned with the rest to Naupactus The Peloponnesians with the remainder of their Fleet went presently along the Coast of Cyllene the Arsenall of the Eleans and thither after the Battell at Stratus came also Cnemus from Leucas and with him those Gallies that were there and with which this other Fleet should haue beene ioyned After this the Lacedaemonians sent vnto Cnemus to the Fleet Timocrates Brasidas and Lycophron to be of his Councell with command to prepare for another better fight and not to suffer a few Gallies to depriue them of the vse of the Sea For they thought this accident especially being their first proofe by sea very much against reason and that it was not so much a defect of the Fleet as of their courage neuer cōparing the long practice of the Athenians with their own short study in these businesses And therefore they sent these men thither in passion
who being arriued with Cnemus intimated to the Cities about to prouide their Gallies and caused those they had before to be repayred Phormio likewise sent to Athens to make knowne both the Enemies preparation and his owne former victory and withall to will them to send speedily vnto him as many Gallies as they could make ready because they were euery day in expectation of a new fight Heereupon they sent him twenty Gallies but commanded him that had the charge of them to goe first into Crete For Nicias a Cretan of Gortys the publike Host of the Athenians had perswaded them to a voyage against Cydonia telling them they might take it in being now their Enemie Which he did to gratifie the Polichnitae that bordered vpon the Cydonians Therefore with these Gallies hee sayled into Crete and together with the Polichnitae wasted the Territory of the Cydonians where also by reason of the Winds and weather vnfit to take Sea in hee wasted not a little of his time In the meane time whilest these Athenians were Wind-bound in Crete the Peloponnesians that were in Cyllene in order of Battell sayled along the Coast to Panormus of Achaia to which also were their Land-forces come to ayde them Phormio likewise sayled by the shore to Rhium Molychricum and anchored without it with twenty Gallies the same hee had vsed in the former Battell Now this Rhium was of the Athenians side and the other Rhium in Peloponnesus lyes on the opposite shore distant from it at the most but seuen furlongs of Sea and these two make the mouth of the Crissaean Gulfe The Peloponnesians therefore came to an anchor at Rhium of Achaia with 77. Gallies not farre from Panormus where they left their Land Forces After they saw the Athenians and had lyen sixe or seuen daies one against the other meditating and prouiding for the Battell the Peloponnesians not intending to put off without Rhium into the wide Sea for feare of what they had sufferd by it before nor the other to enter the Streight because to fight within they thought to be the Enemies aduantage At last Cnemus Brasidas and the other Commanders of the Peloponnesians desiring to fight speedily before a new supply should arriue from Athens called the Soldiers together and seeing the most of them to be fearefull through their former defeat and not forward to fight againe encouraged them first with words to this effect THE ORATION OF CNEMVS MEn of Peloponnesus If any of you be afraid of the Battell at hand for the successe of the Battell past his feare is without ground For you know wee were inferiour to them then in preparation and set not forth as to a fight at Sea but rather to an expedition by Land Fortune likewise crossed vs in many things and somewhat wee miscarried by vnskilfulnesse so as the losse can no way be ascribed to cowardise Nor is it iust so long as we were not ouercome by meere force but haue somewhat to alledge in our excuse that the mind should bee deiected for the calamity of the euent But we must thinke that though Fortune may faile men yet the courage of a valiant man can neuer faile and not that we may iustifie cowardise in any thing by pretending want of skill and yet bee truely valiant And yet you are not so much short of their skill as you exceede them in valour And though this knowledge of theirs which you so much feare ioyned with courage will not bee without a memory also to put what they know in execution yet without courage no act in the world is of any force in the time of danger For feare confoundeth the memory and skill without courage auaileth nothing To their oddes therefore of skill oppose your oddes of valour and to the feare caused by your ouerthrow oppose your being then vnprouided You haue further now a greater Fleet and to fight on your owne shore with your aydes at hand of men of Armes and for the most part the greatest number and best prouided get the victory So that wee can neither see any one cause in particular why wee should miscarry and whatsoeuer were our wants in the former Battell supplyed in this will now turne to our instruction With courage therefore both Masters and Mariners follow euery man in his order not forsaking the place assigned him And for vs wee shall order the battaile as well as the former Commanders and leaue no excuse to any man of his cowardize And if any will needes be a coward hee shall receiue condigne punishment and the valiant shall be rewarded according to their merit Thus did the Commanders encourage the Peloponnesians And Phormio he likewise doubting that his Souldiers were but faint-hearted and obseruing they had consultations apart and were afraid of the multitude of the enemies Gallies thought good hauing called them together to encourage and admonish them vpon the present occasion For though he had alwayes before told them and predisposed their mindes to an opinion that there was no number of Gallies so great which setting vpon them they ought not to vndertake and also most of the Souldiers had of long time assumed a conceit of themselues that being Athenians they ought not to decline any number of Gallies whatsoeuer of the Peloponnesians yet when he saw that the sight of the enemy present had deiected them he thought fit to reuiue their courage and hauing assembled the Athenians said thus THE ORATION OF PHORMIO SOuldiers hauing obserued your feare of the enemies number I haue called you together not enduring to see you terrified with things that are not terrible For first they haue prepared this great number and oddes of Gallies for that they were ouercome before and because they are euen in their owne opinions too weake for vs. And next their present boldnesse proceeds onely from their knowledge in Land-seruice in confidence whereof as if to be valiant were peculiar vnto them they are now come vp wherin hauing for the most part prospered they thinke to doe the same in seruice by Sea But in reason the oddes must be ours in this as well as it is theirs in the other kinde For in courage they exceed vs not and as touching the aduantage of either side we may better be bold now then they And the Lacedaemonians who are the leaders of the Confederates bring them to fight for the greatest part in respect of the opinion they haue of vs against their wills For else they would neuer haue vndertaken a new battaile after they were once so cleerely ouerthrowne Feare not therefore any great boldnesse on their part But the feare which they haue of you is farre both greater and more certaine not onely for that you haue ouercome them before but also for this that they would neuer beleeue you would goe about to resist vnlesse you had some notable thing to put in practice vpon them For when the enemy is the greater number as
by the Megareans thought good to make an attempt vpon Piraeus the Hauen of the Athenians Now it was without guard or barre and that vpon very good cause considering how much they exceeded others in the power of their Nauy And it was resolued that euery Mariner with his Oare his Cushion and one Thong for his Oare to turne in should take his way by Land from Corinth to the other Sea that lyeth to Athens and going with all speed to Megara lanch forty Gallies out of Nisaea the Arsenall of the Megareans which then were there and sayle presently into Piraeus For at that time there neither stood any Gallies for a watch before it nor was there any imagination that the enemies would on such a sudden come vpon them For they durst not haue attempted it openly though with leasure nor if they had had any such intention could it but haue been discouered As soone as it was resolued on they set presently forward and arriuing by night lanched the said Gallies of Nisaea and set Sayle not now towards Piraeus as they intended fearing the danger and a wind was also said to haue risen that hindred them but toward a Promontory of Salamis lying out towards Megara Now there was in it a little Fort and vnderneath in the Sea lay three Gallies that kept watch to hinder the imporâ—ation and exportation of any thing to or from the Megareans This Fort they assaulted and the Gallies they towed empty away after them And being come vpon the Salaminians vnawares wasted also other parts of the Iland By this time the fires signifying the comming of enemies were lifted vp towards Athens and affrighted them more then any thing that had happened in all this Warre For they in the Citie thought the enemies had been already in Piraeus And they in Piraeus thought the Citie of the Salaminians had been already taken and that the enemy would instantly come into Piraeus Which had they not been afraid nor been hindred by the wind they might also easily haue done But the Athenians as soone as it was day came with the whole strength of the Citie into Piraeus and lanched their Gallies and imbarking in haste and tumult set sayle toward Salamis leauing for the guard of Piraeus an Army of Foot The Peloponnesians vpon notice of those succours hauing now ouer-runne most of Salamis and taken many prisoners and much other booty besides the three Gallies from the Fort of Budorus went backe in all haste to Nisaea And somewhat they feared the more for that their Gallies had lyen long in the water and were subiect to leaking And when they came to Megara they went thence to Corinth againe by Land The Athenians likewise when they found not the Enemy at Salamis went home and from that time forward looked better to Piraeus both for the shutting of the Ports and for their diligence otherwaies About the same time in the beginning of the same Winter Sytalces an Odrysian the sonne of Teres King of Thrace made Warre vpon Perdiccas the sonne of Alexander King of Macedonia and vpon the Chalcideans bordering on Thrace vpon two promises one of which hee required to be performed to him and the other hee was to performe himselfe For Perdiccas had promised somewhat vnto him for reconciling him to the Athenians who had formerly oppressed him with Warre and for not restoring his Brother Philip to the Kingdome that was his Enemie which hee neuer paid him And Sytalces himselfe had couenanted with the Athenians when he made League with them that he would end the Warre which they had against the Chalcideans of Thrace For these causes therefore hee made this Expedition and tooke with him both Amyntas the sonne of Philip with purpose to make him King of Macedonia and also the Athenian Ambassadours then with him for that businesse and Agnon the Athenian Commander For the Athenians ought also to haue ioyned with him against the Chalcideans both with a Fleet and with as great Land-forces as they could prouide Beginning therefore with the Odrysians he leuied first those Thracians that inhabite on this side the Mountaines Aemus and Rhodope as many as were of his owne dominion downe to the shore of the Euxine Sea and the Hellespont Then beyond Aemus he leuied the Getes and all the Nations betweene Ister and the Euxine Sea The Getes and people of those parts are borderers vpon the Scythians and furnished as the Scythians are all Archers on Horsebacke He also drew forth many of those Scythians that inhabite the Mountaines and are free-States all Sword-men and are called Dij the greatest part of which are on the Mountaine Rhodope whereof some he hyred and some went as Voluntaries He leuied also the Agrianes and Leaeans and all other the Nations of Paeonia in his owne Dominion These are the vtmost bounds of his Dominion extending to the Graeans and Leaeans Nations of Paeonia and to the Riuer Strymon which rising out of the Mountaine Scomius passeth through the Territories of the Graeans and Leaeans who make the bounds of his Kingdome toward Paeonia and are subiect onely to their owne Lawes But on the part that lyeth to the Triballians who are also a free people the Treres make the bound of his Dominion and the Tilataeans These dwell on the North side of the Mountaine Scomius and reach Westward as farre as to the Riuer Oscius which commeth out of the same Hill Nestus and Hebrus doth a great and desart Hill adioyning to Rhodope The Dimension of the Dominion of the Odrysians by the Sea side is from the Citie of the Abderites to the mouth of Ister in the Euxine Sea and is the neerest way foure dayes and as many nights Sayle for a round Ship with a continuall fore-wind By Land likewise the neerest way it is from the Citie Abdera to the mouth of Ister eleuen dayes iourney for an expedite Footman Thus it lay in respect of the Sea Now for the Continent from Byzantium to the Leaeans and to the Riuer Strymon for it reacheth this way farthest into the maine Land it is for the like Footman thirteene dayes iourney The Tribute they receiued from all the Barbarian Nations and from the Cities of Greece in the reigne of Seuthes who reigned after Sitalces and made the most of it was in gold and siluer by estimation 400. Talents by yeere And Presents of gold and siluer came to as much more Besides Vestures both wrought and plaine and other furniture presented not onely to him but also to all the men of authority and Odrysian Nobility about him For they had a custome which also was generall to all Thrace contrary to that of the Kingdome of Persia to receiue rather then to giue and it was there a greater shame to be asked and deny then to aske and goe without Neuerthelesse they held this custome long by reason of their power for without gifts there was nothing to be gotten
done amongst them So that this Kingdome arriued thereby to great power for of all the Nations of Europe that lye betweene the Ionian Gulfe and the Euxine Sea it was for reuenue of money and other wealth the mightiest though indeed for strength of an Army and multitudes of Souldiers the same be farre short of the Scythians For there is no Nation not to say of Europe but neither of Asia that are comparable to this or that as long as they agree are able one Nation to one to stand against the Scythians and yet in matter of counsell and wisdome in the present occasions of life they are not like to other men Sitalces therefore King of this great Countrey prepared his Armie and when all was ready set forward and marched towards Macedonia First through his owne Dominion then ouer Cercine a desart Mountaine diuiding the Sintians from the Paeonians ouer which he marched the same way himselfe had formerly made with Timber when he made Warre against the Paeonians Passing this Mountaine out of the Countrey of the Odrysians they had on their right hand the Paeonians and on the left the Sintians and Maedes and beyond it they came to the Citie of Doberus in Paeonia His Army as hee marched diminished not any way except by sicknesse but encreased by the accession of many free Nations of Thrace that came in vncalled in hope of Booty Insomuch as the whole number is said to haue amoūted to no lesse then 150000. men Wherof the most were foot the Horse being a third part or thereabouts And of the Horse the greatest part were the Odrysians themselues and the next most the Getes And of the Foot those Sword-men a free Nation that came downe to him out of the Mountaine Rhodope were most warlike The rest of the promiscuous multitude were formidable onely for their number Being all together at Doberus they made ready to fall in from the Hilles side into the lower Macedonia the dominion of Perdiccas For there are in Macedonia the Lyncestians and the Helimiotes and other High-land Nations who though they bee Confederates and in subiection to the other yet haue their seuerall Kingdomes by themselues But of that part of the now Macedonia which lyeth toward the Sea Alexander the Father of this Perdiccas and his Ancestors the Temenidae who came out of Argos were the first possessors and raigned in the same hauing first driuen out of Pieria the Pierians which afterwards seated themselues in Phagres and other Townes beyond Strymon at the foot of Pangeum From which cause that Countrey is called the Gulfe of Pieria to this day which lyeth at the foot of Pangeum and bendeth toward the Sea and out of that which is called Bottia the Bottiaeans that now border vpon the Chalcideans They possessed besides a certaine narrow portion of Paeonia neere vnto the Riuer of Axius reaching from aboue downe to Pella and to the Sea Beyond Axius they possesse the Countrey called Mygdonia as farre as to Strymon from whence they haue driuen out the Eidonians Furthermore they draue the Eordians out of the Territory now called Eorda of whom the greatest part perished but there dwell a few of them yet about Physca and the Almopians out of Almopia The same Macedonians subdued also other Nations and hold them yet as Anthemus Grestonia and Bisaltia and a great part of the Macedonians themselues But the whole is called Macedonia and was the Kingdome of Perdiccas the sonne of Alexander when Sitalces came to inuade it The Macedonians vnable to stand in the Field against so huge an Armie retired all within their strong Holds and walled Townes as many as the Countrey afforded which were not many then but were built afterwards by Archelaus the sonne of Perdiccas when he came to the kingdome who then also laid out the high wayes straight and tooke order both for matter of Warre as Horses and Armes and for other prouision better then all the other 8. Kings that were before him The Thracian Army arising from Doberus invaded that Territory first which had beene the Principality of Philip and tooke Eidomene by force but Gortynia Atalanta and some other Townes he had yeelded to him for the loue of Amyntas the sonne of Philip who was then in the Armie They also assaulted Europus but could not take it Then they went on further into Macedonia on the part that lyes on the right hand of Pella and Cyrrhus but within these into Bottiaea and Pieria they entred not but wasted Mygdonia Grestonia and Anthemus Now the Macedonians had neuer any intention to make head against them with their Foot but sending out their Horsemen which they had procured from their Allyes of the higher Macedonia they assaulted the Thracian Armie in such places where few against many they thought they might doe it with most conuenience and where they charged none was able to resist them being both good Horsemen and well armed with Brestplates but enclosed by the multitude of the Enemies they fought against manifold oddes of number so that in the end they gaue it ouer esteeming themselues too weake to hazard Battell against so many After this Sitalces gaue way to a conference with Perdiccas touching the motiues of this Warre And forasmuch as the Athenians were not arriued with their Fleet for they thought not that Sitalces would haue made the Iourney but had sent Ambassadours to him with Presents he sent a part of his Army against the Chalcideans and Bottiaeans wherewith hauing compelled them within their walled Townes he wasted and destroyed their Territory Whilest he stayed in these parts the Thessalians Southward and the Magnetians and the rest of the Nations subiect to the Thessalians and all the Grecians as far as to Thermopylae were afraid he would haue turned his Forces vpon them and stood vpon their guard And Northward those Thracians rhat inhabite the Champaigne Countrey beyond Strymon namely the Panaeans Odomantians Droans and Dersaeans all of them free-States were afraid of the same He gaue occasion also to a rumour that hee meant to leade his Army against all those Grecians that were enemies to the Athenians as called in by them to that purpose by vertue of their League But whilest hee stayed hee wasted the Chalcidean Bottiaean and Macedonian Territories and when hee could not effect what he came for and his Army both wanted victuall and was afflicted wtih the coldnesse of the season Seuthes the sonne of Spardocus his cousin German and of greatest authority next himselfe perswaded him to make haste away Now Perdiccas had dealt secretly with Seuthes and promised him his Sister in marriage and money with her and Sitalces at the perswasion of him after the stay of full thirty dayes wherof he spent eight in Chalcidea retyred with his Army with all speed into his owne Kingdome And Perdiccas shortly after gaue to Seuthes his Sister Stratonica in marriage as hee had promised
This was the issue of this Expedition of Sitalces The same Winter after the Fleet of the Peloponnesians was dissolued the Athenians that were at Naupactus vnder the conduct of Phormio sayled along the Coast to Astacus and disbarking marched into the inner parts of Acarnania Hee had in his Army 400. men of Armes that hee brought with him in his Gallies and 400. more Messenians With these he put out of Stratus Corontae and other places all those whose fidelity hee thought doubtfull And when he had restored Cynes the sonne of Theolytus to Corontae they returned againe to their Gallies For they thought they should not be able to make Warre against the Oeniades who onely of all Acarnania are the Athenians Enemies in respect of the Winter For the Riuer Achelous springing out of the Mountaine Pindus and running through Dolopia and through the Territories of the Agraeans and the Amphilochians and through most part of the Champaigne of Acarnania passing aboue by the City of Stratus and falling into the Sea by the Citie of the Oeniades which also it moateth about with Fens by the abundance of Water maketh it hard lying there for an Army in time of Winter Also most of the Ilands Echinades lye iust ouer against Oenia hard by the mouth of Achelous And the Riuer being a great one continually heapeth together the grauell insomuch that some of those Ilands are become Continent already and the like in short time is expected by the rest For not onely the streame of the Riuer is swift broad and turbidous but also the Ilands themselues stand thicke and because the Grauell cannot passe are ioyned one to another lying in and out not in a direct line nor so much as to giue the Water his course directly forward into the Sea These Ilands are all Desart and but small ones It is reported that Apollo by his Oracle did assigne this place for an habitation to Alcmaeon the sonne of Amphiraus at such time as he wandred vp and downe for the killing of his Mother telling him That he should neuer be free from the terrours that haunted him till he had found out and seated himselfe in such a Land as when he slew his Mother the Sunne had neuer seene nor was then Land because all other Lands were polluted by him Hereupon being at a Non-plus as they say with much adoe hee obserued this ground congested by the Riuer Achelöus and thought there was enough cast vp to serue his turne already since the time of the slaughter of his Mother after which it was now a long time that hee had beene a Wanderer Therefore seating himselfe in the places about the Oeniades hee reigned there and named the Countrey after the name of his sonne Acarnas Thus goes the report as we haue heard it concerning Alcmaeon But Phormio and the Athenians leauing Acarnania and returning to Naupactus in the very beginning of the Spring came backe to Athens and brought with them such Gallies as they had taken and the Free-men they had taken Prisoners in their fights at Sea who were againe set at liberty by exchange of man for man So ended that Winter and the third Yeere of the Warre written by THVCYDIDES THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE HISTORY OF THVCYDIDES The principall Contents Attica inuaded by the Peloponnesians The Mitylenians reuolt and are receiued by the Peloponnesians at Olympia into their league The Athenians send Paches to Mitylene to besiege it Part of the besieged Plataeans escape through the fortifications of the enemie The Commons of Mitylene armed by the Nobility for a sally on the enemy deliuer the towne to the Athenians The residue of the Plataeans yeeld to the besiegers and are put to the sword The proceedings vpon the Mitylenians and their punishment The sedition in Corcyra Laches is sent by the Athenians into Sicily And Nicias into Melos Demosthenes fighteth against the Aetolians vnfortunately and afterwards against the Ambraciotes fortunately Pythadorus is sent into Sicily to receiue the Fleet from Laches This in other three yeeres of this Warre THe Summer following the Peloponnesians and their Confederates at the time when Corne was at the highest entred with their Army into Attica vnder the Conduct of Archidamus the son of Zeuxidamus King of the Lacedaemonians there set them downe and wasted the Territory about And the Athenian horsemen as they were wont fell vpon the enemy where they thought fit and kept backe the multitude of light-armed Souldiers from going out before the men of Armes and infesting the places neere the Citie And when they had stayed as long as their victuall lasted they returned and were dissolued according to their Cities After the Peloponnesians were entred Attica Lebsos immediately all but Methymne reuolted from the Athenians which though they would haue done before the Warre and the Lacedaemonians would not then receiue them yet euen now they were forced to reuolt sooner then they had intended to doe For they stayed to haue first straightened the mouth of their Hauen with Dammes of Earth to haue finished their Walles and their Gallies then in building and to haue gotten in all that was to come out of Pontus as Archers and Victuall and whatsoeuer else they had sent for But the Tenedians with whom they were at oddes and the Methymnians and of the Mitylenians themselues certaine particular men vpon Faction beeing Hostes to the Athenians made knowne vnto them that the Lesbians were forced to goe all into Mitylene that by the helpe of the Lacedaemonians and their Kindred the Boeotians they hastned all manner of prouision necessary for a Reuolt and that vnlesse it were presently preuented all Lesbos would be lost The Athenians afflicted with the Disease and with the Warre now on foot and at the hottest thought it a dangerous matter that Lesbos which had a Nauie and was of strength entire should thus bee added to the rest of their Enemies and at first receiued not the accusations holding them therefore the rather feigned because they would not haue had them true But after when they had sent Ambassadours to Mitylene and could not perswade them to dissolue themselues and vndoe their preparation they then feared the worst and would haue preuented them And to that purpose suddenly sent out the 40. Gallies made ready for Pelopōnesus with Cleippedes and 2. other Commanders For they had bin aduertised that there was a Holiday of Apollo Maloeis to be kept without the Citie and that to the celebration thereof the Mitylenians were accustomed to come all out of the Towne and they hoped making haste to take them there vnawares And if the attempt succeeded it was well if not they might command the Mitylenians to deliuer vp their Gallies and to demollish their Walles or they might make Warre against them if they refused So these Gallies went their way And tenne Gallies of Mitylene which then chanced to be at Athens by vertue
to light and diuide it amongst them all or else they said they would make their composition by deliuering vp the Citie to the Athenians Those that managed the State perceiuing this and vnable to hinder it knowing also their owne danger in case they were excluded out of the composition they all ioyntly agreed to yeeld the Citie to Paches and his Army with these conditions To be proceeded withall at the pleasure of the people of Athens and to receiue the Armie into the Citie and that the Mitylenians should send Ambassadors to Athens about their owne businesse And that Paches till their returne should neither put in bonds nor make Slaue of nor slay any Mitylenian This was the effect of that composition But such of the Mitylenians as had principally practized with the Lacedaemonians being afraid of themselues when the Army was entred the Citie durst not trust to the Conditions agreed on but tooke Sanctuary at the Altars But Paches hauing raised them vpon promise to doe them no iniury sent them to Tenedos to be in custody there till the people of Athens should haue resolued what to doe After this he sent some Gallies to Antissa and tooke in that Towne and ordered the affaires of his Armie as he thought conuenient In the meane time those 40 Gallies of Peloponnesus which should haue made all possible haste trifled away the time about Peloponnesus and making small speed in the rest of their Nauigation arriued at Delos vnknowne to the Athenians at Athens From thence sayling to Icarus and Myconum they got first intelligence of the losse of Mitylene But to know the truth more certainly they went thence to Embatus in Erythraea It was about the seuenth day after the taking of Mitylene that they arriued at Embatus where vnderstanding the certainty they went to counsell about what they were to doe vpon the present occasion and Teutiaplus an Elean deliuered his opinion to this effect Alcidas and the rest that haue command of the Peloponnesians in this Army it were not amisse in my opinion to goe to Mitylene as we are before aduice be giuen of our arriuall For in all probability we shall find the City in respect they haue but lately won it very weakly guarded and to the Sea where they expect no enemy and we are chiefly strong not guarded at all It is also likely that their land Souldiers are dispersed some in one house and some in another carelesly as victors Therefore if we fall vpon them suddenly and by night I thinke with the helpe of those within if any bee left there that will take our part we may be able to possesse our selues of the Citie And we shall neuer feare the danger if we but thinke this that all Stratagems of Warre whatsoeuer are no more but such occasions as this which if a Commander auoid in himselfe and take the aduantage of them in the enemy he shall for the most part haue good successe Thus said he but preuailed not with Alcidas And some others Fugitiues of Ionia and those Lesbians that were with him in the Fleet gaue him counsell That seeing he feared the danger of this he should seaze some Citie of Ionia or Cume in Aeolia that hauing some Towne for the seat of the Warre they might from thence force Ionia to reuolt whereof there was hope because the Ionians would not be vnwilling to see him there And if they could withdraw from the Athenians this their great reuenue and withall put them to maintaine a Fleet against them it would be a great exhausting of their treasure They said besides that they thought they should be able to get Pissuthnes to ioyne with them in the Warre But Alcidas reiected this aduice likewise inclining rather to this opinion that since they were come too late to Mitylene they were best to returne speedily into Peloponnesus Whereupon putting off from Embatus he sayled by the Shoare to Myonnesus of the Teians and there slew most of the prisoners he had taken by the way After this hee put in at Ephesus and thither came Ambassadours to him from the Samians of Anaea and told him that it was but an ill manner of setting the Grecians at liberty to kill such as had not lift vp their hands against him nor were indeed enemies to the Peloponnesians but Confederates to the Athenians by constraint And that vnlesse he gaue ouer that course he would make few of the enemies his friends but many now friends to become his enemies Wherefore vpon these words of the Ambassadours he set the Chians and some others all that he had left aliue at liberty For when men saw their Fleet they neuer fled from it but came vnto them as to Athenians little imagining that the Athenians being masters of the Sea the Peloponnesians durst haue put ouer to Ionia From Ephesus Alcidas went away in haste indeed fled for he had bin descried by the Salaminia and the Paralus which by chance were then in their course for Athens whilest he lay at Anchor about Claros and fearing to bee chased kept the wide Sea meaning by his good will to touch no Land till hee came into Peloponnesus But the newes of them came to Paches from diuers places especially from Erythraea for the Cities of Ionia being vnwalled were afraid extremely lest the Peloponnesians sayling by without intention to stay should haue pillaged them as they passed But the Salaminia and the Paralus hauing seene him at Claros brought the newes themselues And Paches thereupon made great haste after and followed him as farre as Latmos the Iland but when he saw hee could not reach him he came backe againe and thought he had a good turne seeing hee could not ouertake those Gallies vpon the wide Sea that the same were not compelled by being taken in some place neere Land to fortifie themselues and so to giue him occasion with guards and Gallies to attend them As hee came by in his returne hee put in at Notium a City of the Colophonians into which the Colophonians came and inhabited after the Towne aboue through their owne sedition was taken by Itamanes and the Barbarians This Towne was taken at the time when Attica was the second time inuaded by the Peloponnesians They then that came downe and dwelt in Notium falling againe into sedition the one part hauing procured some forces Arcadians and Barbarians of Pissuthnes kept them in a part of the Towne which they had seuered from the rest with a Wall and there with such of the Colophonians of the high Towne as being of the Medan faction entred with them they gouerned the Citie at their pleasure and the other part which went out from these and were the Fugitiues brought in Paches He when he had called out Hippias Captaine of the Arcadians that were within the said wall with promise if they should not agree to set him safe and sound
same opinion in the same case And thinke this onely to be profitable that doing what is vsefull for the present occasion you reserue withall a constant acknowledgement of the vertue of your good Confederates Consider also that you are an example of honest dealing to the most of the Grecians Now if you shall decree otherwise then is iust for this iudgement of yours is conspicuous you that be praised against vs that be not blamed take heed that they doe not dislike that good men should vndergoe an vniust sentence though at the hands of better men or that the spoyle of vs that haue done the Grecians seruice should be dedicated in their Temples For it will be thought a horrible matter that Plataea should be destroyed by Lacedaemonians and that you wheras your Fathers in honour of our valour inscribed the name of our Citie on the Tripode at Delphi should now blot it out of all Greece to gratifie the Thebans For we haue proceeded to such a degree of calamity that if the Medes had preuailed we must haue perished then and now the Thebans haue ouercome vs againe in you who were before our greatest friends and haue put vs to two great hazzards one before of famishing if we yeelded not and another now of a Capitall sentence And we Plataeans who euen beyond our strength haue been zealous in the defence of the Grecians are now abandoned and left vnreleeued by them all But we beseech you for those gods sakes in whose names once we made mutuall league and for our valours sake shewne in the behalfe of the Grecians to be moued toward vs and if at the perswasion of the Thebans you haue determined ought against vs to change your mindes and reciprocally to require at the hands of the Thebans this courtesie that whom you ought to spare they would be contented not to kill and so receiue an honest benefit in recompence of a wicked one and not to bestow pleasure vpon others and receiue wickednesse vpon your selues in exchange For though to take away our liues be a matter quickely done yet to make the infamy of it cease will be worke enough For being none of your enemies but welwillers and such as haue entred into the Warre vpon constraint you cannot put vs to death with Iustice. Therefore if you will iudge vncorruptly you ought to secure our persons and to remember that you receiued vs by our owne voluntary submission and with hands vpheld and it is the Law among Grecians not to put such to death besides that we haue from time to time been beneficiall to you For looke vpon the sepulchres of your Fathers whom slaine by the Medes and buried in this Territory of ours we haue yeerely honoured at the publike charge both with Vestments and other Rites and of such things as our Land hath produced we haue offered vnto them the first fruits of it all as friends in an amicable Land and Confederats vse to doe to those that haue formerly been their fellowes in Armes But now by a wrong sentence you shall doe the contrary of this For consider this Pausanias as he thought enterred these men in amicable ground and amongst their friends But you if you slay vs and of Plataeis make Thebais what doe you but leaue your Fathers and kinred depriued of the honours they now haue in an hostile Territory and amongst the very men that slew them And moreouer put into seruitude that soyle whereon the Grecians were put into liberty and make desolate the Temples wherein they prayed when they preuailed against the Medes and destroy the Patriall sacrifices which were instituted by the Builders and Founders of the same These things are not for your glory men of Lacedaemon nor to violate the common institutions of Greece and wrong your progenitors nor to destroy vs that haue done you seruice for the hatred of another when you haue receiued no iniury from vs your selues But to spare our liues to relent to haue a moderate compassion in contemplation not onely of the greatnesse of the punishment but also of who we are that must suffer and of the vncertainty where calamity may light and that vndeseruedly which wee as becommeth vs and our need compelleth vs to doe cry aloud vnto the common gods of Greece to perswade you vnto producing the oath sworne by your Fathers to put you in minde and also wee become here Sanctuary men at the sepulchres of your Fathers crying out vpon the dead not to suffer themselues to be in the power of the Thebans nor to let their greatest friends be betrayed into the hands of their greatest enemies remembring thē of that day vpon which though we haue done glorious acts in their company yet wee are in danger at this day of most miserable suffering But to make an end of speaking which is as necessary so most bitter to men in our case because the hazzard of our liues commeth so soone after for a conclusion we say that it was not to the Thebans that we rendred our Citie for we would rather haue dyed of Famine the most base perdition of all other but we came out on trust in you And it is but iustice that if wee cannot perswade you you should set vs againe in the estate we were in and let vs vndergoe the danger at our owne election Also we require you Men of Lacedaemon not onely not to deliuer vs Plataeans who haue beene most zealous in the seruice of the Grecians especially being Sanctuary men out of your owne hands and your owne trust into the hands of our most mortall Enemies the Thebans but also to be our sauiours and not to destroy vs vtterly you that set at liberty all other Grecians Thus spake the Plataeans But the Thebans fearing lest the Lacedaemonians might relent at their Oration stood forth and said that since the Plataeans had had the liberty of a longer speech which they thought they should not then for answer to the question was necessary they also desired to speake and being commanded to say on spake to this effect THE ORATION OF THE THEBANS IF these men had answered briefly to the question and not both turned against vs with an accusation and also out of the purpose and wherein they were not charged made much apologie and commendation of themselues in things vnquestioned wee had neuer asked leaue to speake but as it is we are to the one point to answer and to confute the other that neither the faults of vs nor their owne reputation may doe them good but your Sentence may bee guided by hearing of the truth of both The quarell betweene vs and them arose at first from this that when wee had built Plataea last of all the Cities of Boeotia together with some other places which hauing driuen out the promiscuous Nations wee had then in our dominion they would not as was ordained at first allow vs to be their Leaders but beeing the onely men of all the
the Thessalians who had the Townes of those parts in their power and vpon whose ground it was built afflicted these new planters with a continuall Warre till they had worne them out though they were many indeed in the beginning for being the foundation of the Lacedaemonians euery one went thither boldly conceiuing the Citie to bee an assured one and chiefly the Gouernours themselues sent thither from Lacedaemon vndid the businesse and dispeopled the City by frighting most men away for that they gouerned seuerely and sometimes also vniustly by which meanes their neighbours more easily preuailed against them The same Summer and about the same time that the Athenians stayed in Melos those other Athenians that were in the thirtie Gallies about Peloponnesus slew first certaine Garrison Souldiers in Ellomenus a place of Leucadia by Ambushment But afterwards with a greater Fleet and with the whole power of the Acarnanians who followed the Army all but the Oeniades that could beare Armes and with the Zacynthians and Cephalonians and fifteene Gallies of the Corcyraeans made Warre against the City it selfe of Leucas The Leucadians though they saw their Territorie wasted by them both without the Isthmus and within where the Citie of Leucas standeth and the Temple of Apollo yet they durst not stirre because the number of the Enemie was so great And the Acarnanians entreated Demosthenes the Athenian Generall to Wall them vp conceauing that they might easily be expugned by a Siege and desiring to be rid of a Citie their continuall Enemy But Demosthenes was perswaded at the same time by the Messenians that seeing so great an Armie was together it would bee honourable for him to inuade the Aetolians principally as being Enemies to Naupactus and that if these were subdued the rest of the Continent thereabouts would easily bee added to the Athenian dominion For they alledged that though the Nation of the Aetolians were great and Warlike yet their habitation was in Villages vnwalled and those at great distances and were but light-armed and might therefore with no great difficulty bee all subdued before they could vnite themselues for defence And they aduised him to take in hand first the Apodotians next the Ophionians and after them the Eurytanians which are the greatest part of Aetolia of a most strange language and that are reported to eate raw flesh for these beeing subdued the rest would easily follow But hee induced by the Messenians whom he fauoured but especially because hee thought without the Forces of the People of Athens with the Confederates onely of the Continent and with the Aetolians to inuade Boeotia by Land going first through the Locri Ozolae and so to Cytinium of Doris hauing Pernassus on the right hand till the descent thereof into the Territory of the Phocaeans which people for the friendship they euer bore to the Athenians would he thought be willing to follow his Armie and if not might be forced and vpon the Phocaeans bordereth Boeotia Putting off therefore with his whole Armie against the minds of the Acarnanians from Leucas he sailed vnto Solium by the shoare and there hauing communicated his conceit with the Acarnanians when they would not approue of it because of his refusall to besiege Leucas he himselfe with the rest of his Armie Cephalonians Zacynthians and 300. Athenians the Souldiers of his own Fleet for the fifteene Gallies of Corcyra were now gone away warred on the Aetolians hauing Oeneon a Citie of Locris for the seate of his Warre Now these Locrians called Ozolae were Confederates of the Athenians and were to meete them with their whole power in the heart of the Countrey For being Confiners on the Aetolians and vsing the same manner of arming it was thought it would bee a matter of great vtility in the Warre to haue them in their Armie for that they knew their manner of fight and were acquainted with the Country Hauing lyen the night with his whole Armie in the Temple of â—upiter Nemeius wherein the Poet Hesiodus is reported by them that dwell thereabout to haue dyed foretold by an Oracle that hee should dye in Nemea in the morning betimes he dislodged and marched into Aetolia The first day hee tooke Potidania the second day Crocylium the third Tichium There he stayed and sent the booty hee had gotten to Eupolium in Locris For he purposed when hee had subdued the rest to inuade the Ophionians afterwards if they submitted not in his returne to Naupactus But the Aetolians knew of this preparation when it was first resolued on and afterwards when the Armie was entred they were vnited into a mighty Armie to make head Insomuch as that the furthest off of the Ophionians that reach out to the Melian Gulfe the Bomians and Callians came in with their aydes The Messenians gaue the same aduice to Demosthenes that they had done before and alleadging that the Conquest of the Aetolians would bee but easie willed him to march with all speed against them Village after Village and not to stay till they were all vnited and in order of Battell against him but to attempt alwayes the place which was next to hand Hee perswaded by them and confident of his fortune because nothing had crossed him hitherto without tarrying for the Locrians that should haue come in with their aides for his greatest want was of Darters light-armed marched to Aegitium which approaching hee wonne by force the men hauing fled secretly out and encamped themselues on the Hilles aboue it for it stood in a Mountainous place and about eighty Furlongs from the Sea But the Aetolians for by this time they were come with their Forces to Aegitium charged the Athenians and their Confederates and running downe vpon them some one way some another from the Hilles plyed them with their Darts And when the Armie of the Athenians assaulted them they retired and when it retired they assaulted So that the Fight for a good while was nothing but alternate chase and retreate and the Athenians had the worst in both Neuerthelesse as long as their Archers had Arrowes and were able to vse them for the Aetolians by reason they were not armed were put backe still with the shot they held out But when vpon the death of their Captaine the Archers were dispersed and the rest were also wearied hauing a long time continued the said labour of pursuing and retyring and the Aetolians continually afflicting them with their Darts they were forced at length to fly and lighting into Hollowes without issue and into places they were not acquainted withall were destroyed For Chromon a Messenian who was their Guide for the wayes was slaine And the Aetolians pursuing them still with Darts slew many of them quickly whilest they fled being swift of foot and without Armour But the most of them missing their way and entring into a Wood which had no passage through the Aetolians set it on fire and burnt
with Demosthenes and the Acarnian Captaines both about a Truce for his departure and for the receiuing of the bodies of the slaine And they deliuered vnto them their dead and hauing erected a Trophie tooke vp their owne dead which were about three hundred but for their departure they would make no Truce openly nor to all but secretly Demosthenes with his Acarnanian fellow-Commanders made a Truce with the Mantineans and with Menedaius and the rest of the Peloponnesian Captaines and men of most worth to bee gone as speedily as they could with purpose to disguard the Ambraciotes and multitude of mercenary Strangers and withall to vse this as a meanes to bring the Peloponnesians into hatred with the Grecians of those parts as men that had treacherously aduanced their particular interest Accordingly they tooke vp their dead and buryed them as fast as they could and such as had leaue consulted secretly touching how to bee gone Demosthenes and the Acarnanians had now intelligence that the Ambraciotes from the Citie of Ambracia according to the message sent to them before from Olpae which was that they should bring their whole power through Amphilochia to their ayde were already on their March ignorant of what had passed here to ioyne with those at Olpae And hereupon he sent a part of his Armie presently forth to beset the wayes with Ambushment and to preoccupate all places of strength and prepared withall to encounter with the rest of his Armie In the meane time the Mantineans and such as had part in the Truce going out on pretence to gather Pot-hearbs and Fire-wood stole away by small numbers and as they went did indeed gather such things as they pretended to goe forth for but when they were gotten farre from Olpae they went faster away But the Ambraciotes and others that came forth in the same manner but in greater troopes seeing the others goe quite away were eager to bee gone likewise and ranne out-right as desiring to ouertake those that were gone before The Acarnanians at first thought they had gone all without Truce alike and pursued the Peloponnesians and threw darts at their owne Captaines for forbidding them and for saying that they went away vnder truce as thinking themselues betrayed But at last they let goe the Manâ—ineans and Peloponnesians and slew the Ambraciotes onely And there was much contention and ignorance of which was an Ambraciote and which a Peloponnesian So they slew about 200 of them and the rest escaped into Agraeis a bordering Territory where Salynthius King of the Agraeans and their friend receiued them The Ambraciotes out of the Citie of Ambracia were come as farre as Idomene Idomene are two high hils to the greater whereof came first vndiscouered that night they whom Demosthenes had sent afore from the Campe and seazed it But the Ambraciotes got first to the lesser and there encamped the same night Demosthenes after Supper in the twilight marched forward with the rest of the Army one halfe whereof himselfe tooke with him for the assault of the Campe and the other halfe he sent about through the Mountaines of Amphilochia And the next morning before day he inuaded the Ambraciotes whilest they were yet in their lodgings and knew not what was the matter but thought rather that they had been some of their owne company For Demosthenes had placed the Messenians on purpose in the formost rankes and commanded them to speake vnto them as they went in the Dorique Dialect and to make the Sentinels secure Especially seeing their faces could not be discerned for it was yet night Wherefore they put the Army of the Ambraciotes to flight at the first onset and slew many vpon the place The rest fled as fast as they could towards the Mountaines But the wayes being beset and the Amphilochians being well acquainted with their owne Territory and armed but lightly against men in Armour vnacquainted and vtterly ignorant which way to take they light into hollow wayes and to the places forelayed with Ambushes and perished And hauing been put to all manner of shift for their liues some fled towards the Sea and when they saw the Gallies of Athens sayling by the Shoare this accident concurring with their defeate swamme to them and chose rather in their present feare to be killed of those in the Gallies then by the Barbarians and their most mortall enemies the Amphilochians The Ambraciotes with this losse came home a few of many in safety to their Citie And the Acarnanians hauing taken the spoyle of the dead and erected their Trophies returned vnto Argos The next day there came a Herald from those Ambraciotes which fled from Olpae into Agraeis to demand leaue to carry away the bodies of those dead which were slaine after the first battell when without Truce they went away together with the Mantineans and with those that had Truce But when the Herald saw the Armors of those Ambraciotes that came from the City he wondred at the number For he knew nothing of this last blow but thought they had been the Armors of those with them Then one asked him what hee wondred at and how many hee thought were slaine For he that asked him the question thought on the other side that he had been a Herald sent from those at Idomene And he answered about 200. Then he that asked replyed and said Then these are not the armours of them but of aboue a thousand Then said he againe they belong not to them that were in the battell with vs. The other answered yes if you fought yesterday in Idomene But we fought not yesterday at all but the other day in our retreate But we yet fought yesterday with those Ambraciotes that came from the Citie to ayde the rest When the Herald heard that and knew that the ayde from the Citie was defeated he burst out into Aimees and astonished with the greatnesse of the present losse forthwith went his way without his errand and required the dead bodies no further For this losse was greater then in the like number of dayes happened to any one Citie of Greece in all this Warre I haue not written the number of the slaine because it was said to be such as is incredible for the quantity of the City But this I know that if the Acarnanians and Amphilochians as Demosthenes and the Athenians would haue had them would haue subdued Ambracia they might haue done it euen with the shout of their voyces but they feared now that if the Athenians possessed it they would proue more troublesome Neighbors vnto them then the other After this hauing bestowed the third part of the spoyles vpon the Athenians they distributed the other two parts according to the Cities The Athenians part was lost by Sea For those 300 compleat Armors which are dedicated in the Temples in Attica were pick'd out for Demosthenes himselfe and he brought them away with him His returne was
say as they said whom hee before calumniated oâ— saying the contrary be proued a lyer hee aduised the Athenians seeing them enclined of themselues to send thither greater forces then they had before thought to doe that it was not fit to send to view the place nor to lose their opportunity by delay but if the report seemed vnto them to bee true they should make a voyage against those men and glanced at Nicias the sonne of Niceratus then Generall vpon malice and with language of reproach Saying it was easie if the Leaders were men to goe and take them there in the Iland And that himselfe if hee had the Command would doe it But Nicias seeing the Athenians to bee in a kinde of tumult against Cleon for that when hee thought it so easie a matter hee did not presently put it in practice seeing also he had vpbraided him willed him to take what strength hee would that they could giue him and vndertake it Cleon supposing at first that he gaue him this leaue but in words was ready to accept it but when he knew he would giue him the authority in good earnest then he shrunke backe and said that not he but Nicias was Generall being now indeed afraid and hoping that he durst not haue giuen ouer the office to him But then Nicias againe bade him doe it and gaue ouer his command to him for so much as concerned Pylus and called the Athenians to witnesse it They as is the fashion of the multitude the more Cleon declined the Voyage and went backe from his word pressed Nicias so much the more to resigne his power to him and cryed out vpon Cleon to goe Insomuch as not knowing how to disengage himselfe of his word hee vndertooke the Voyage and stood forth saying that he feared not the Lacedaemonians and that hee would not carry any man with him out of the Citie but onely the Lemnians and Imbrians that then were present and those Targettieres that were come to them from Aenus and 400. Archers out of other places and with these he said added to the Souldiers that were at Pylus already he would within twenty dayes either fetch away the Lacedaemonians aliue or kill them vpon the place This vaine speech moued amongst the Athenians some laughter and was heard with great content of the wiser sort For of two benefits the one must needs fall out either to be rid of Cleon which was their greatest hope or if they were deceiued in that then to get those Lacedaemonians into their hands Now when he had dispatched with the Assembly and the Athenians had by their voices decreed him the Voyage he ioyned vnto himselfe Demosthenes one of the Commanders at Pylus and presently put to Sea Hee made choice of Demosthenes for his Companion because he heard that hee also of himselfe had a purpose to set his Souldiers a land in the I le For the Armie hauing suffered much by the straightnesse of the place and being rather the besieged then the besieger had a great desire to put the matter to the hazard of a Battell confirmed therein the more for that the Iland had been burnt For hauing beene for the most part wood and by reason it had lyen euer desart without path they were before the more afraid and thought it the aduantage of the Enemie for assaulting them out of sight they might annoy a very great Armie that should offer to come aland For their errours being in the Wood and their preparation could not so well haue beene discerned whereas all the faults of their owne Armie should haue beene in sight So that the Enemy might haue set vpon them suddenly in what part soeuer they had pleased because the onset had beene in their owne election Againe if they should by force come vp to fight with the Lacedaemonians at hand in the thicke Woods the fewer and skilfull of the wayes hee thought would bee too hard for the many and vnskilfull Besides their owne Armie beeing great it might receiue an ouerthrow before they could know of it because they could not see where it was needfull to relieue one another These things came into his head especially from the losse hee receiued in Aetolia Which in part also happened by occasion of the Woods But the Souldiers for want of roome hauing beene forced to put in at the outside of the Iland to dresse their dinners with a watch before them and one of them hauing set fire on the Wood it burnt on by little and little and the Wind afterwards rising the most of it was burnt before they were aware By this accident Demosthenes the better discerning that the Lacedaemonians were more then hee had inagined hauing before by victuall sent vnto them thought them not so many did now prepare himselfe for the Enterprize as a matter deseruing the Athenians vtmost care and as hauing better commodity of landing in the Iland then before he had and both sent for the forces of such Confederates as were neere and put in readinesse euery other needfull thing And Cleon who had sent a Messenger before to signifie his comming came himselfe also with those forces which he had required vnto Pylus When they were both together first they sent a Herald to the Campe in the Continent to know if they would command those in the Iland to deliuer vp themselues and their Armes without battell to be held with easie imprisonment till some agreement were made touching the maine Warre Which when they refused the Athenians for one day held their hands but the next day hauing put aboord vpon a few Gallies all their men of Armes they put off in the night and landed a little before day on both sides of the Iland both from the Mayne and from the Hauen to the number of about 800 men of Armes and marched vpon high speed towards the formost watch of the Iland For thus the Lacedaemonians lay quartered In this formost watch were about thirty men of Armes The middest and euenest part of the Iland and about the water was kept by Epitadas their Captaine with the greatest part of the whole number And another part of them which were not many kept the last guard towards Pylus which place to the Sea-ward was on a Cliffe and least assaileable by Land For there was also a certaine Fort which was old and made of chosen not of hewne stones which they thought would stand them in stead in case of violent retreat Thus they were quartered Now the Athenians presently killed those of the formost guard which they so ran to in their Cabins and as they were taking Armes For they knew not of their landing but thought those Gallies had come thither to Anchor in the night according to custome as they had been wont to doe Assoone as it was morning the rest of the Army also landed out of somewhat more then 70 Gallies euery
one with such Armes as he had being all that rowed except only the Thalamij eight hundred Arâ—hers Targuetiers as many all the Messenians that came to aide them and as many of them besides as held any place about Pylus except onely the Garrison of the Fort it selfe Demosthenes then disposing his Army by two hundred and more in a company and in some lesse at certaine distances seazed on all the higher grounds to the end that the enemies compassed about on euery side might the lesse know what to doe or against what part to set themselues in battel and be subiect to the shot of the multitude from euery part and when they should make head against those that fronted them be charged behind and when they should turne to those that were opposed to their flancks be charged at once both behind and before And which way soeuer they marched the light-armed and such as were meanliest prouided of Armes followed them at the backe with Arrowes Darts Stones and Slings who haue courage enough afarre off and could not be charged but would ouercome flying and also presse the enemies when they should retyre With this designe Demosthenes both intended his landing at first and afterwards ordered his forces accordingly in the action Those that were about Epitadâ—s who were the greatest part of those in the Iland when they saw that the formost guard was slaine and that the Army marched towards them put themselues in array and went towards the men of Armes of the Athenians with intent to charge them for these were opposed to them in front and the light-armed Souldiers on their flancks and at their backs But they could neither come to ioyne with them nor any way make vse of their skill For both the light-armed Souldiers kept them off with shot from either side and the men of Armes aduanced not Where the light-armed Souldiers approached neerest they were driuen backe but returning they charged them afresh being men armed lightly and that easily got out of their reach by running especially the ground being vneasie and rough by hauing been formerly desert so that the Lacedaemonians in their Armour could not follow them Thus for a little while they skirmished one against another a farre off But when the Lacedaemonians were no longer able to run out after them where they charged these light-armed Souldiers seeing them lesse earnest in chasing them and taking courage chiefly from their sight as being many times their number and hauing also been vsed to them so much as not to thinke them now so dangerous as they had done for that they had not receiued so much hurt at their hands as their subdued mindes because they were to fight against the Lacedaemonians had at their first landing pre-iudged contemned them and with a great cry ran all at once vpon them casting Stones Arrowes and Darts as to euery man came next to hand Vpon this cry and assault they were much terrified as not accustomed to such kind of fight and withall a great dust of the woods lately burnt mounted into the ayre so that by reason of the Arrowes and Stones that together with the dust flew from such a multitude of men they could hardly see before them Then the battell grew sore on the Lacedaemonians side for their Iackes now gaue way to the Arrowes and the Darts that were throwne stucke broken in them so as they could not handle themselues as neither seeing before them nor hearing any direction giuen them for the greater noyse of the enemy but danger being on all sides were hopelesse to saue themselues vpon any side by fighting In the end many of them being now wounded for that they could not shift their ground they made their retreat in close order to the last guard of the Iland and to the watch that was there When they once gaue ground then were the light-armed Souldiers much more confident then before and pressed vpon them with a mighty noyse And as many of the Lacedaemonians as they could intercept in their retreat they slew but the most of them recouered the Fort and together with the watch of the same put themselues in order to defend it in all parts that were subiect to assault The Athenians following could not now encompasse and hemme them in for the strong situation of the place but assaulting them in the face sought onely how to put them from the wall And thus they held out a long time the better part of a day either side tyred with the fight and with thirst and with the Sunne one endeauouring to driue the enemy from the top the other to keepe their ground And the Lacedaemonians defended themselues easilier now then before because they were not now encompassed vpon their flancks When there was no end of the businesse the Captaine of the Messenians said vnto Cleon and Demosthenes that they spent their labour there in vaine and that if they would deliuer vnto him a part of the Archers and light-armed Souldiers to get vp by such a way as he himselfe should find out and come behinde vpon their backes hee thought the entrance might bee forced And hauing receiued the Forces hee asked hee tooke his way from a place out of sight to the Lacedaemonians that hee might not be discouered making his approach under the Cliffes of the Iland where they were continuall In which part 〈…〉 the naturall strength therof they kept no watch and with much labour and hardly vnseene came behinde them And appearing suddenly from aboue at their backes both terrified the Enemies with the sight of what they expected not and much confirmed the Athenians with the sight of what they expected And the Lacedaemonians being now charged with their shot both before and behind were in the same case to compare small matters with great that they were in at Thermopylae For then they were slaine by the Persians shut vp on both sides in a narrow path And these now being charged on both sides could make good the place no longer but fighting few against many and beeing weake withall for want of foode were at last forced to giue ground and the Athenians by this time were also Masters of all the entrances But Cleon and Demosthenes knowing that the more they gaue backe the faster they would bee killed by their Armie staid the fight and held in the Souldiers with desire to carry them aliue to Athens in case their spirits were so much broken and their courage abated by this miserie as vpon Proclamation made they would bee content to deliuer vp their Armes So they proclaimed that they should deliuer vp their Armes and themselues to the Athenians to be disposed of as to them should seeme good Vpon hearing heereof the most of them threw downe their Bucklers and shooke their hands aboue their heads signifying their acceptation of what was proclaimed Whereupon a Truce was made and they came to treat Cleon and
Summer likewise Demosthenes Generall of the Athenians with fortie Gallies presently after his departure out of Megaris sayled to Naupactus For certaine men in the Cities thereabouts desiring to change the forme of the Boeotian gouernment and to turne it into a Democratie according to the gouernment of Athens practised with him and Hippocrates to betray vnto him the estates of Boeotia Induced thereunto principally by Ptoecdorus a Theban Outlaw And they ordered the designe thus Some had vndertaken to deliuer vp Siphae Siphae is a Citie of the Territory of Thespiae standing vpon the Sea side in the Crissaean Gulfe and Chaeronea which was a Towne that payed duties to Orchomenus called heretofore Orchomenus in Minyeia but now Orchomenus in Boeotia some others of Orchomenus were to surrender into their hands And the Orchomenian Outlawes had a principall hand in this and were hyring Soldiers to that end out of Peloponnesus This Chaeronea is the vtmost Towne of Boeotia towards Phanocis in the Countrey of Phocis and some Phocians also dwelt in it On the other side the Athenians were to seaze on Delium a place consecrated to Apollo in the Territory of Tanagra on the part toward Euboea All this ought to haue been done together vpon a day appointed to the end that the Boeotians might not oppose them with their forces vnited but might be troubled euery one to defend his owne And if the attempt succeeded and that they once fortified Delium they easily hoped though no change followed in the state of the Boeotians for the present yet being possessed of those places and by that meanes continually fetching in prey out of the Countrey because there was for euery one a place at hand to retire vnto that it could not stand long at a stay but that the Athenians ioyning with such of them as rebelled and the Boeotians not hauing their forces vnited they might in time order the State to their owne liking Thus was the Plot layed And Hippocrates himselfe with the forces of the Citie was ready when time should serue to march but sent Demosthenes before with forty Gallies to Naupactus to the end that he should leuy an Army of Acarnanians and other their Confederates in these quarters and sayle to Siphae to receiue it by Treason And a day was set downe betwixt them on which these things should haue been done together Demosthenes when he arriued and found the Oeniades by compulsion of the rest of Acarnania entred into the Athenian Confederation and had himselfe raised all the Confederates thereabouts made Warre first vpon Salynthius and the Agraeans and hauing taken in other places thereabouts stood ready when the time should require to goe to Siphae About the same time of this Summer Brasidas marching towards the Cities vpon Thrace with 1700 men of Armes when he came to Heraclea in Trachinia sent a Messenger before him to his friends at Pharsalus requiring them to be guides vnto him and to his Army And when there were come vnto him Panaerus and Dorus and Hippolochidas and Torylaus and Sâ—rophacus who was the publique Hoste of the Chalcideans all which met him Melitia a towne of Achaia he marched on There were other of the Thessalians also that conuoyed him and from Larissa he was conuoyed by Niconidas a friend of Perdiccas For it had beene hard to passe Thessaly without a guide howsoeuer but especially with an Army And to passe through a neighbour Territory without leaue is a thing that all Grecians alike are iealous of Besides that the people of Thessaly had euer borne good affection to the Athenians Insomuch as if by custome the gouernment of that Countrey had not beene Lordly rather then a Common-wealth he could neuer haue gone on For also now as he marched forward there met him at the Riuer Enipeus others of a contrary mind to the former that forbad him and told him that he did vniustly to goe on without the common consent of all But those that conuoyed him answered that they would not bring him through against their wils but that comming to them on a sudden they conducted him as friends And Brasidas himselfe said he came thither a friend both to the countrey and to them and that he bore Armes not against them but against the Athenians their enemies And that he neuer knew of any enmity between the Thessalians Lacedaemonians wherby they might not vse one anothers ground and that euen now he would not goe on without their consent for neither could hee but onely entreated them not to stop him When they heard this they went their wayes And he by the aduice of his guides before any greater number should vnite to hinder him marched on with all possible speed staying no whereby the way and the same day he set forth from Melitia he reached Pharsalus and encamped by the Riuer Apidanus From thence he went to Phacium From thence into Peraebia The Peraebians though subiect to the Thessalonians set him at Dion in the Dominion of Perdiccas a little City of the Macedonians scituate at the foot of Olympus on the side toward Thessalie In this manner Brasidas ran through Thessalie before any there could put in readinesse to stop him and came into the Territorie of the Chalcideans and to Perdiccas For Perdiccas and the Chalcideans all that had reuolted from the Athenians when they saw the affaires of the Athenians prosper had drawne this Armie out of Peloponnesus for feare the Chalcideans because they thought the Athenians would make Warre on them first as hauing been also incited thereto by those Cities amongst them that had not reuolted and Perdiccas not that he was their open enemy but because he feared the Athenians for ancient quarrels but principally because he desired to subdue Arrhibaeus King of the Lyncesteans And the ill successe which the Lacedaemonians in these times had was a cause that they obtained an Armie from them the more easily For the Athenians vexing Peloponnesus and their particular Territory Laconia most of all they thought the best way to diuert them was to send an Armie to the Confederates of the Athenians so to vexe them againe And the rather because Perdiccas and the Chalcideans were content to maintain the Armie hauing called it thither to helpe the Chalcideans in their reuolt And because also they desired a pretence to send away part of their Helotes for feare they should take the opportunity of the present state of their affaires the enemies lying now in Pylus to innouate For they did also this further Fearing the youth and multitude of their Helotes For the Lacedaemonians had euer many Ordinances concerning how to look to theÌ„selues against the Helotes they caused Proclamation to be made that as many of theÌ„ as claimed the estimation to haue done the Lacedaemonians best seruice in their Warres should be made free feeling them in this manner and conceiuing that as they should euery
their sudden appearing that they had bin a fresh Army was put into affright and the whole Army of the Athenians now doubly terrified by this accident and by the Thebans that continually won ground brake their ranks betooke themselues to flight Some fled toward Delium and the sea and some towards Oropus others toward the mountaine Parnethus and others other wayes as to each appeared hope of safety The Boeotians especially their horse those Locrians that came in after the enemy was already defeated followed killing thē But night surprising them the multitude of thē that fled was the easier saued The next day those that were gotten to Oropus and Delium went thence by Sea to Athens hauing left a Garrison in Delium which place notwithstanding this defeat they yet retayned The Boeotians when they had erected their Trophy taken away their owne dead rifled those of the enemy and left a guard vpon the place returned backe to Tanagra and there entred into consultation for an assault to be made vpon Delium In the meane time a Herald sent from the Athenians to require the bodies met with a Herald by the way sent by the Boeotians which turned him backe by telling him he could get nothing done till himselfe was returned from the Athenians This Herald when he came before the Athenians deliuered vnto them what the Boeotians had giuen him in charge namely That they had done iniustly to transgresse the vniuersall law of the Grecians being a constitution receiued by them all that the Inuader of anothers countrey shall abstaine from all holy places in the same That the Athenians had fortified Delium and dwelt in it and done whatsoeuer else men vse to doe in places profane and had drawne that water to the common vse which was vnlawfull for themselues to haue touched saue onely to wash their hands for the sacrifice That therfore the Boeotians both in the behalfe of the god and of themselues inuoking Apollo and all the interessed spirits did warne them to be gone and to remoue their stuffe out of the Temple After the Herald had said this the Athenians sent a Herald of their owne to the Boeotians Denying that either they had done any wrong to the holy place already or would willingly doe any hurt to it hereafter For neither did they at first enter into it to such intent but to requite the greater iniuries which had beene done vnto them As for the law which the Grecians haue it is no other but that they which haue the dominion of any territory great or small haue euer the Temples also besides the accustomed rites may superinduce what other they can For also the Boeotians and most men else all that hauing driuen out another nation possesse their territory did at first inuade the Temples of others and make them their owne That therefore if they could win from them more of their Land they would keepe it and for the part they were now in they were in it with a good will and would not out of it as being their owne That for the water they medled with it vpon necessity which was not to be ascribed to insolence but to this that fighting against the Boeotians that had inuaded their territory first they were forced to vse it For whatsoeuer is forced by War or danger hath in reason a kind of pardon euen with the god himselfe For the Altars in cases of inuoluntary offences are a refuge and they are said to violate Lawes that are euill without constraint not they that are a little bold vpon occasion of distresse That the Boeotians themselues who require restitution of the holy places for a redemption of the dead are more irreligious by farre then they who rather then let their Temples goe are content to goe without that which were fit for them to receiue And they bad him say plainly That they would not depart out of the Boeotian Territory for that they were not now in it but in a Territory which they had made their owne by the Sword And neuerthelesse required Truce according to the Ordinances of the Countrey for the fetching away of the dead To this the Boeotians answered That if the dead were in Boeotia they should quit the ground and take with them whatsoeuer was theirs But if the dead were in their owne Territory the Athenians themselues knew best what to doe For they thought that though Oropia wherein the dead lay for the battell was fought in the border betweene Attica and Boeotia by subiection belonged to the Athenians yet they could not fetch them off by force and for Truce that the Athenians might come safely on Athenian ground they would giue none but conceiued it was a handsome answer to say That if they would quit the ground they should obtaine whatsoeuer they required Which when the Athenian Herald heard he went his way without effect The Boeotian presently sent for Darters and Slingers from the Townes on the Melian Gulfe and with these and with two thousand men of Armes of Corinth and with the Peloponnesian Garrison that was put out of Nisaea and with the Megareans all which arriued after the battell they marched forthwith to Delium and assaulted the wall and when they had attempted the same many other wayes at length they brought to it an Engine wherewith they also tooke it made in this manner Hauing slit in two a great Mast they made hollow both the sides and curiously set them together againe in forme of a Pipe At the end of it in chaines they hung a Caldron and into the Caldron from the end of the Mast they conveyed a snowt of Iron hauing with Iron also armed a great part of the rest of the wood They carried it to the wall being farre off in Carts to that part where it was most made vp with the matter of the Vineyard and with wood And when it was to they applied a paire of great bellowes to the end next themselues and blew The blast passing narrowly through into the Caldron in which were coales of fire brimstone and pitch raised an exceeding great flame and set the wall on fire so that no man being able to stand any longer on it but abandoning the same and betaking themselues to flight the wall was by that meanes taken Of the Defendants some were slaine and 200 taken prisoners The rest of the number recouered their Gallies and got home Delium thus taken on the seuenteenth day after the battell and the Herald which not long after was sent againe about the fetching away of the dead not knowing it the Boeotians let him haue them and answered no more as they had formerly done In the battell there dyed Boeotians few lesse then fiue hundred Athenians few lesse then a thousand with Hippocrates the Generall but of light-atmed Souldiers and such as carried the prouisions of the Army a great number Not long after this battell Demosthenes
could not send an Army against it without breach of the Truce and vpon Brasidas his word challenged the City to belong vnto them offering themselues to the decision of Law But the Athenians would by no meanes put the matter to iudgement But meant with all the speed they could make to send an Army against it Being angry at the heart that it should come to this passe that euen Ilanders durst reuolt trust to the vnprofitable helpe of the strength of the Lacedaemonians by Land Besides touching the time of the reuolt the Athenians had more truth on their side then themselues alleadged For the reuolt of the Scioneans was after the Truce two dayes Whereupon by the aduice of Cleon they made a Decree to take them by force and to put them all to the Sword And forbearing Warre in all places else they prepared themselues onely for that In the meane time reuolted also Menda in Pallene a Colony of the Eretrians These also Brasidas receiued into protection holding it for no wrong because they came in openly in time of Truce And somewhat there was also which he charged the Athenians with about breach of the Truce For which cause the Mendaeans had also beene the bolder as sure of the intention of Brasidas which they might guesse at by Scione in as much as he could not be gotten to deliuer it Withall the Few were they which had practised the reuolt who being once about it would by no meanes giue it ouer but fearing lest they should bee discouered forced the multitude contrary to their owne inclination to the same The Athenians being hereof presently aduertised and much more angry now then before made preparation to Warre vpon both and Brasidas expecting that they would send a Fleet against them receiued the women and children of the Scionaeans and Mendaeans into Olynthus in Chalcidea and sent ouer thither 500 Peloponnesian men of Armes and 300 Chalcidean Targettiers and for Commander of them all Polydamidas And those that were left in Scione and Menda ioyned in the administration of their affaires as expecting to haue the Athenian Fleet immediately with them In the meane time Brasidas and Perdiccas with ioynt forces march into Lyncus against Arrhibaeus the second time Perdiccas led with him the power of the Macedonians his subiects and such Grecian men of Armes as dwelt among them Brasidas besides the Peloponnesians that were left him led with him the Chalcideans Acanthians and the rest according to the Forces they could seuerally make The whole number of the Grecian men of Armes were about 3000. The horsemen both Macedonians and Chalcideans somewhat lesse then 1000 but the other Rabble of Barbarians was great Being entred the Territory of Arrhibaeus and finding the Lyncesteans encamped in the field they also sate downe opposite to their Campe. And the Foot of each side being lodged vpon a hil and a Plain lying betwixt them both the horsemen ran downe into the same and a skirmish followed first betweene the Horse onely of them both but afterwards the men of Armes of the Lyncesteans comming downe to aide their Horse from the hill and offring battell first Brasidas and Perdiccas drew downe their Army likewise and charging put the Lyncestians to flight many of which being slaine the rest retired to the hill top and lay still After this they erected a Trophy and stayed two or three dayes expecting the Illyrians who were comming to Perdiccas vpon hire and Perdiccas meant afterwards to haue gone on against the Villages of Arrhibaeus one after another and to haue sitten still there no longer But Brasidas hauing his thoughts on Menda lest if the Athenians came thither before his returne it should receiue some blow seeing withall that the Illyrians came not had no liking to doe so but rather to retire Whilest they thus varied word was brought that the Illyrians had betrayed Perdiccas ioyned themselues with Arrhibaeus So that now it was thought good to retyre by them both for feare of these who were a warlike people but yet for the time when to march there was nothing cōcluded by reason of their variance The next night the Macedonians and multitude of Barbarians as it is vsuall with great Armies to be terrified vpon causes vnknowne being suddenly affrighted and supposing them to be many more in number then they were and euen now vpon them betooke themselues to present flight went home And Perdiccas who at first knew not of it they constrained when he knew before he had spoken with Brasidas their Campes being farre asunder to be gone also Brasidas betimes in the morning when hee vnderstood that the Macedonians were gone away without him and that the Illyrians and Arrhibaeans were comming vpon him putting his men of Armes into a square forme and receiuing the multitude of his light-armed into the middest intended to retire likewise The youngest men of his Souldiers he appointed to run out vpon the enemy when they charged the Army any where with shot and he himselfe with three hundred chosen men marching in the Rere intended as he retyred to sustaine the formost of the enemy fighting if they came close vp But before the enemie approached hee encouraged his Souldiers as the shortnesse of time gaue him leaue with words to this effect THE ORATION OF BRASIDAS to his Souldiers MEN of Peloponnesus If I did not mistrust in respect you are thus abandoned by the Macedonians and that the Barbarians which come vpon you are many that you were afraid I should not at this time instruct you and encourage you as I doe But now against this desertion of your companions and the multitude of your enemies I will endeuour with a short instruction and hortatiue to giue you encouragement to the full For to be good Souldiers is vnto you naturall not by the presence of any Confederates but by your owne valour and not to feare others for the number seeing you are not come from a Citie where the Many beare rule ouer the Few but the Few ouer Many and haue gotten this for power by no other meanes then by ouercomming in fight And as these Barbarians whom through ignorance you feare you may take notice both by the former battels fought by vs against them before in fauour of the Macedonians and also by what I my selfe coniecture and haue heard by others that they haue no great danger in them For when any enemy whatsoeuer maketh shew of strength being indeed weake the truth once knowne doth rather serue to embolden the other side whereas against such as haue valour indeed a man will bee the boldest when hee knoweth the least These men here to such as haue not tryed them doe indeed make terrible offers for the sight of their number is fearefull the greatnesse of their cry intolerable and the vaine shaking of their weapons on high is not without signification of menacing But they are not
Citie rest from their troubles for the present and for the future to leaue a name that in all his time hee had neuer made the Common-wealth miscarry which hee thought might be done by standing out of danger and by putting himselfe as little as hee might into the hands of Fortune And to stand out of danger is the benefit of Peace Pleistoanax had the same desire because of the imputation laid vpon him about his returne from exile by his enemies that suggested vnto the Lacedaemonians vpon euery losse they receiued that the same befell them for hauing contrary to the Law repealed his banishment For they charged him further that hee and his Brother Aristocles had suborned the Prophetesse of Delphi to answer the Deputies of the Lacedaemonians when they came thither most commonly with this That they should bring backe the seed of the Semigod the sonne of Iupiter out of a strange Countrey into his owne and that if they did not they should plow their land with a siluer plough and so at length to haue made the Lacedaemonians 19. yeeres after with such Dances and Sacrifices as they who were the first founders of Lacedaemon had ordained to be vsed at the enthroning of their Kings to fetch him home againe who liued in the meane time in exile in the Mountaine Lycaeum in a House whereof the one halfe was part of the Temple of Iupiter for feare of the Lacedaemonians as being suspected to haue taken a bribe to withdraw his Armie out of Attica Being troubled with these imputations and considering with himselfe there being no occasion of calamity in time of Peace and the Lacedaemonians thereby recouering their men that he also should cease to bee obnoxious to the calumniations of his enemies whereas in Warre such as had charge could not but bee quarrelled vpon their losses hee was therefore forward to haue the Peace concluded And this Winter they fell to treaty and withall the Lacedaemonians braued them with a preparation already making against the Spring sending to the Cities about for that purpose as if they meant to fortifie in Attica to the end that the Athenians might giue them the better eare When after many meetings and many demands on eyther side it was at last agreed that Peace should be concluded each part rendring what they had taken in the Warre saue that the Athenians should hold Nisaea for when they likewise demanded Plataea and the Thebans answered that it was neither taken by force nor by treason but rendred voluntarily the Athenians said that they also had Nisaea in the same manner The Lacedaemonians calling together their Confederates and all but the Boeotians Corinthians Eleans and Megareans for these disliked it giuing their votes for the ending of the Warre they concluded the Peace and confirmed it to the Athenians with sacrifice and swore it and the Athenians againe vnto them vpon these Articles The Athenians and Lacedaemonians and their Confederates haue made Peace and sworne it Citie by Citie as followeth Touching the publique Temples it shall bee lawfull to whomsoeuer will to sacrifice in them and to haue accesse vnto them and to aske counsell of the Oracles in the same and to send their Deputies vnto them according to the custome of his Countrey securely both by Sea and Land The whole place consecrate and Temple of Apollo in Delphi and Delphi it selfe shall be gouerned by their owne Law taxed by their owne State and iudged by their owne Iudges both City and Territory according to the institution of the place The Peace shall endure betweene the Athenians with their Confederates and the Lacedaemonians with their Confederates for fiftie yeeres both by Sea and Land without fraud and without harme-doing It shall not be lawfull to beare Armes with intention of hurt neither for the Lacedaemonians and their Confederates against the Athenians nor for the Athenians and their Confederates against the Lacedaemonians by any Art or Machination whatsoeuer If any Controuersie shall arise betweene them the same shall be decided dy Law and by Oath in such manner as they shall agree on The Lacedaemonians and their Confederates shall render Amphipolis to the Athenians The Inhabitants of whatsoeuer City the Lacedaemonians shall render vnto the Athenians shall be at liberty to goe forth whither they will with bagge and baggage Those Cities which paid the tribute taxed in the time of Aristides continuing to pay it shall be gouerned by their owne Lawes and now that the Peace is concluded it shall be vnlawfull for the Athenians or their Confederates to beare Armes against them or to doe them any hurt as long as they shall pay the said tribute The Cities are these Argilus Stagirus Acanthus Scolus Olynthus Spartolus And they shall be Confederates of neither side neither of the Lacedaemonians nor of the Athenians But if the Athenians can perswade these Cities vnto it then it shall bee lawfull for the Athenians to haue them for Confederates hauing gotten their consent The Mecybernians Sanaeans and Singaeans shall inhabite their owne Cities on the same conditions with the Olynthians and Acanthians The Lacedaemonians and their Confederates shall render Panactum vnto the Athenians And the Athenians shall render to the Lacedaemonians Coryphasium Cythera Methone Pteleum and Atalante They shall likewise deliuer whatsoeuer Lacedaemonians are in the prison of Athens or in any prison of what place soeuer in the Athenian dominion and dismisse all the Peloponnesians besieged in Scione and all that Brasidas did there put in and whatsoeuer Confederates of the Lacedaemonians are in prison either at Athens or in the Athenian State And the Lacedaemonians and their Confederates shall deliuer whomsoeuer they haue in their hands of the Athenians or their Confederates in the same manner Touching the Scioneans Toronaeans and Sermylians and whatsoeuer other Citie belonging to the Athenians the Athenians shall doe with them what they thinke fit The Athenians shall take an Oath to the Lacedaemonians and their Confederates Citie by Citie and that Oath shall be the greatest that in each Citie is in vse The thing that they shall sweare shall be this I stand to these Articles and to this Peace truely and sincerely And the Lacedaemonians and their Confederates shall take the same Oath to the Athenians This oath they shall on both sides euery yeere renew and shall erect Pillars inscribed with this Peace at Olympia Pythia and in the Isthmus at Athens within the Cittadell and at Lacedaemon in the Amycleum And if any thing be on either side forgotten or shall be thought fit vpon good deliberation to be changed it shall be lawfull for them to doe it in such manner as the Lacedaemonians and Athenians shall thinke fit ioyntly This Peace shall take beginning from the 24 of the moneth Artemisium Pleistolas being Ephore at Sparta and the 15 of Elaphebolium after the account of Athens Alcaeus being Archon They that tooke
Lacedaemonians appeared to be the greater But what the number was either of the particulars of either side or in generall I could not exactly write For the number of the Lacedaemonians agreeable to the secrecy of that State was vnknowne and of the other side for the ostentation vsuall with all men touching the number of themselues was vnbeleeued Neuerthelesse the number of the Lacedaemonians may be attained by computing thus Besides the Sciritae which were 600. there fought in all seuen Regiments in euery Regiment were foure Companies in each Company were foure Enomatiae and of euery Enomatia there stood in Front foure but they were not ranged all alike in File but as the Captaines of Bands thought it necessary But the Army in generall was so ordered as to be eight men in depth and the first Ranke of the whole besides the Sciritae consisted of 448 Souldiers Now when they were ready to ioyne the Commanders made their hortatines euery one to those that were vnder his owne command To the Mantineans it was said That they were to fight for their Territory and concerning their liberty and seruitude that the former might not be taken from them and that they might not againe taste of the later The Argiues were admonished That whereas anciently they had the leading of Peloponnesus and in it an equall share they should not now suffer themselues to be depriued of it for euer and that withall they should now reuenge the many iniuries of a City their neighbour and enemy To the Athenians it was remembred how honourable a thing it would be for them in company of so many and good Confederates to be inferior to none of them and that if they had once vanquished the Lacedaemonians in Peloponnesus their owne Dominion would become both the more assured and the larger by it and that no other would inuade their Territory hereafter Thus much was said to the Argiues and their Confederates But the Lacedaemonians encouraged one another both of themselues and also by the manner of their Discipline in the Warres taking encouragement being valiant men by the commemoration of what they already knew as being well acquainted that a long actuall experience conferred more to their safety then any short verball exhortation though neuer so well deliuered After this followed the battell The Argiues and their Confederates marched to the charge with great violence and fury But the Lacedaemonians slowly and with many Flutes according to their Military Discipline not as a point of Religion but that marching euenly and by measure their Rankes might not be distracted as the greatest Armies when they march in the face of the Enemy vse to be Whilest they were yet marching vp Agis the King thought of this course All Armies doe thus In the Conflict they extend their right Wing so as it commeth in vpon the Flanke of the left Wing of the enemy and this happeneth for that that euery one through feare seeketh all he can to couer his vnarmed side with the Shield of him that standeth next him on his right hand conceiuing that to be so locked together is their best defence The beginning hereof is in the leader of the first File on the right hand who euer striuing to shift his vnarmed side from the enemy the rest vpon like feare follow after And at this time the Mantineans in the right Wing had farre encompassed the Sciritae and the Lacedaemonians on the other side and the Tegeates were come in yet farther vpon the Flanke of the Athenians by as much as they had the greater Army Wherfore Agis fearing lest his left Wing should be encompassed supposing the Mantineans to be come in farre signified vnto the Sciritae and Brasidians to draw out part of their Bands and therewith to equalize their left Wing to the right Wing of the Mantineans and into the void space he commanded to come vp Hipponoidas and Aristocles two Colonels with their Bands out of the right Wing and to fall in there and make vp the breach Conceiuing that more then enough would be still remaining in their right Wing and that the left Wing opposed to the Mantineans would be the stronger But it happened for he commanded it in the very onset and on the sodaine both that Aristocles and Hipponoidas refused to go to the place commanded for which they were afterwards banished Sparta as thought to haue disobeyed out of cowardise and that the enemy had in the meane time also charged And when those which he commanded to goe to the place of the Sciritae went not they could no more reunite themselues nor cloze againe the empty space But the Lacedaemonians though they had the worst at this time in euery point for skill yet in valour they manifestly shewed themselues superior For after the fight was once begun notwithstanding that the right Wing of the Mantineans did put to flight the Sciritae Brasidians and that the Mantineans together with their Confederates and those 1000 chosen men of Argos falling vpon them in Flanke by the breach not yet clozed vp killed many of the Lacedaemonians and put to flight and chased them to their Carriages slaying also certaine of the elder sort left there for a guard so as in this part the Lacedaemonians were ouercome But with the rest of the Army and especially the middle battell where Agis was himselfe and those which are called the 300 horsemen about him they charged vpon the eldest of the Argiues and vpon those which are named the fiue Cohorts and vpon the Cleonaeans and Orneates and certaine Athenians aranged amongst them and put them all to flight In such sort as many of them neuer strooke stroake but as soone as the Lacedaemonians charged gaue ground presently and some for feare to be ouertaken were trodden vnder foot As soone as the Army of the Argiues and their Confederates had in this part giuen ground they began also to breake on either side The right Wing of the Lacedaemonians and Tegeates had now with their surplusage of number hemmed the Athenians in so as they had the danger on all hands being within the circle pend vp and without it already vanquished And they had been the most distressed part of all the Army had not their horsemen come in to helpe them Withall it fell out that Agis when he perceiued the left Wing of his owne Army to labour namely that which was opposed to the Mantineans and to those thousand Argiues commanded the whole Army to goe and relieue the part ouercome By which meanes the Athenians and such of the Argiues as together with them were ouerlaid whilst the Army passed by and declined them saued themselues at leasure And the Mantineans with their Confederates and those chosen Argiues had no more mind now of pressing vpon their enemies but seeing their side was ouercome and the Lacedaemonians approaching them presently turned their backs Of the Mantineans the greatest part
Confederate Citie bee at contention with another it shall haue recourse to that City which they both shall thinke most indifferent but the particular men of any one City shall be iudged according to the Law of the same Thus was the Peace and League concluded and whatsoeuer one had taken from other in the Warre or whatsoeuer one had against another otherwise was all acquitted Now when they were together settling their businesse they ordered that the Argiues should neither admit Herald or Ambassage from the Athenians till they were gone out of Peloponnesus and had quit the Fortification nor should make Peace or Warre with any without consent of the rest And amongst other things which they did in this heat they sent Ambassadors from both their Cities to the Townes lying vpon Thrace and vnto Perdiccas whom they also perswaded to sweare himselfe of the same League Yet he reuolted not from the Athenians presently but intended it because he saw the Argiues had done so and was himselfe also anciently descended out of Argos They likewise renewed their old oath with the Chalcideans and tooke another besides it The Argiues sent Ambassadors also to Athens requiring them to abandon the Fortification they had made against Epidaurus And the Athenians considering that the Souldiers they had in it were but few in respect of the many other that were with them in the same sent Demosthenes thither to fetch them away He when he was come and had exhibited for a pretence a certaine exercise of naked men without the Fort when the rest of the Garrison were gone forth to see it made fast the Gates and afterwards hauing renewed the League with the Epidaurians the Athenians by themselues put the Fort into their hands After the reuolt of the Argiues from the League the Mantineans also though they withstood it at first yet being too weake without the Argiues made their Peace with the Lacedaemonians and laid downe their command ouer the other Cities And the Lacedaemonians and Argiues with a thousand men of either City hauing ioyned their Armes the Lacedaemonians first with their single power reduced the gouernment of Sicyon to a smaller number and then they both together dissolued the Democracy at Argos And the Oligarchy was established conformable to the State of Lacedaemon These things passed in the end of Winter and neere the Spring And so ended the foureteenth yeere of this Warre The next Summer the Dictidians seated in Mount Athos reuolted from the Athenians to the Chalcideans And the Lacedaemonians ordered the State of Achaia after their owne forme which before was otherwise But the Argiues after they had by little and little assembled themselues and recouered heart taking their time when the Lacedaemonians were celebrating their exercises of the naked youth assaulted the Few and in a battell fought within the City the Commons had the victory some they slew other they draue into exile The Lacedaemonians though those of their faction in Argos sent for them went not a long time after yet at last they adiourned the exercises and came forth with intention to giue them aid but hearing by the way at Tegea that the Few were ouercome they could not be entreated by such as had escaped thence to goe on but returning went on with the celebration of their exercises But afterwards when there came Ambassadors vnto them both from the Argiues in the City from them that were driuen out there being present also their Confederates and much alledged on either side they concluded at last that those in the City had done the wrong and decreed to goe against Argos with their Army but many delayes passed and much time was spent betweene In the meane time the common people of Argos fearing the Lacedaemonians regaining the League with Athens as conceiuing the same would turne to their very great aduantage raise long walls from their City downe to the Sea-shore to the end that if they were shut vp by Land they might yet with the helpe of the Athenians bring things necessary into the City by Sea And with this their building some other Cities of Peloponnesus were also acquainted And the Argiues vniuersally themselues and wiues and seruants wrought at the wal and had workemen and hewers of stone from Athens So this Summer ended The next Winter the Lacedaemonians vnderstanding that they were fortifying came to Argos with their Army they and their Confederates all but the Corinthians some practice they had beside within the City it selfe of Argos The Army was commanded by Agis the sonne of Archidamus King of the Lacedaemonians But those things which were practizing in Argos and supposed to haue beene already mature did not then succeed Neuerthelesse they tooke the walles that were then in building and razed them to the ground and then after they had taken Hysiae a towne in the Argiue Territory and slaine all the freemen in it they went home and were dissolued euery one to his owne City After this the Argiues went with an Army into Phliasia which when they had wasted they went backe They did it because the men of Phlius had receiued their Outlawes for there the greatest part of them dwelt The same Winter the Athenians shut vp Perdiccas in Macedonia from the vse of the Sea Obiecting that hee had sworne the League of the Argiues and Lacedaemonians and that when they had prepared an Army vnder the command of Nicias the sonne of Niceratus to goe against the Chalcideans vpon Thrace and against Amphipolis he had broken the League made betwixt them and him and by his departure was the principall cause of the dissolution of that Army and was therefore an enemy And so this Winter ended and the fifteenth yeere of this Warre The next Summer went Alcibiades to Argos with twenty Gallies and tooke thence the suspected Argiues and such as seemed to sauour of the Lacedaemonian faction to the number of 300 and put them into the neerest of the Ilands subiect to the Athenian State The Athenians made Warre also against the I le of Melos with 30 Gallies of their owne 6 of Chios and 2 of Lesbos Wherein were of their owne 1200 men of Armes 300 Archers and 20 Archers on horsebake and of their Confederates and Ilanders about 1500 men of Armes The Melians are a Colony of the Lacedaemonians and therefore refused to be subiect as the rest of the Ilands were vnto the Athenians but rested at the first newtrall and afterwards when the Athenians put them to it by wasting of their Land they entred into open Warre Now the Athenian Commanders Cleomenes the sonne of Lycomedes and Licias the sonne of Lisimachus being encamped vpon their Land with these forces before they would hurt the same sent Ambassadors to deale with them first by way of conference These Ambassadors the Melians refused to bring before the multitude but commanded them
rather more if they could be gotten and other prouision proportionable As for Archers both from hence and from Crete and Slingers and whatsoeuer else should seeme necessary they would prouide it themselues and take it with them When the Athenians had heard him they presently decreed that the Generals should haue absolute authority both touching the greatnesse of the preparation and the whole voyage to doe therein as should seeme best vnto them for the Common-wealth And after this they went in hand with the preparation accordingly and both sent vnto the Confederates and enrolled Souldiers at home The City had by this time recouered her selfe from the sicknesse and from their continuall Warres both in number of men fit for the Warres growne vp after the ceasing of the Plague and in store of money gathered together by meanes of the Peace whereby they made their prouisions with much ease And thus were they employed in preparation for the voyage In the meane time the Mercuries of Stone throughout the whole City of Athens now there were many of these of square-stone set vp by the Law of the place and many in the porches of priuate houses in the Temples had in one night most of them their faces pared and no man knew who had done it And yet great rewards out of the Treasury had been propounded to the discouerers and a Decree made that if any man knew of any other profanation he might boldly declare the same were he Citizen Stranger or Bondman And they tooke the fact exceedingly to heart as ominous to the expedition and done withall vpon conspiracy for alteration of the State and dissolution of the Democracie Hereupon certaine Strangers dwelling in the City and certaine Seruing-men reuealed something not about the Mercuries but of the paring of the Statues of some other of the Gods committed formerly through wantonnesse and too much Wine by yong men and withall how they had in priuate houses acted the Mysteries of their Religion in mockery amongst whom they also accused Alcibiades This they that most enuyed Alcibiades because he stood in their way that they could not constantly beare chiefe sway with the people making account to haue the Primacy if they could thrust him out tooke hold of and exceedingly aggrauated exclaiming that both the mockery of the Mysteries and the paring of the Mercuries tended to the deposing of the People and that nothing therein was done without him alleaging for argument his other excesse in the ordinary course of his life not conuenient in a popular estate He at that present made his Apologie and was there ready if he had done any such thing to answer it before he went the voyage for by this time all their preparation was in readinesse and to suffer Iustice if he were guilty and if absolued to resume his charge Protesting against all accusations to bee brought against him in his absence and pressing to be put to death then presently if he had offended and saying that it would not be discreetely done to send away a man accused of so great crimes with the charge of such an Armie before his tryall But his enemies fearing lest if he came then to his Tryall he should haue had the fauour of his Armie and lest the people which loued him because the Argiuâ—s and some of the Mantineans serued them in this Warre onely for his sake should haue beene mollified put the matter off and hastned his going out by setting on other Orators to aduise that for the present he should goe and that the setting forward of the Fleet should not bee retarded and that at his returne he should haue a day assigned him for his Tryall Their purpose being vpon further accusation which they might easily contriue in his absence to haue him sent for backe to make his answer And thus it was concluded that Alcibiades should goe After this the Summer being now halfe spent they put to Sea for Sicily The greatest part of the Confederates and the Ships that carried their Corne and all the lesser vessels and the rest of the prouision that went along they before appointed to meet vpon a day set at Corcyra thence all together to crosse ouer the Ionian Gulfe to the Promontory of Iapigia But the Athenians themselues and as many of their Confederates as were at Athens vpon the day appointed betimes in the morning came downe into Peiraeus and went aboard to take Sea With them came downe in a manner the whole multitude of the City aswell Inhabitants as strangers The Inhabitants to follow after such as belonged vnto them some their friends some their kinsmen and some their children filled both with hope and lamentations hope of conquering what they went for and lamentation as being in doubt whether euer they should see each other any more considering what a way they were to goe from their owne Territory And now when they were to leaue one another to danger they apprehended the greatnesse of the same more then they had done before when they decreed the Expedition Neuerthelesse their present strength by the abundance of euery thing before their eyes prepared for the Iourney gaue them heart againe in beholding it But the strangers other multitude came only to see the show as of a worthy and incredible Designe For this preparation being the first Grecian Power that euer went out of Greece from one onely Citie was the most sumptuous and the most glorious of all that euer had been set forth before it to that day Neuerthelesse for number of Gallies and men of Armes that which went out with Pericles to Epidaurus and that which Agnon carried with him to Potidaea was not inferiour to it For there went foure thousand men of Armes three hundred Horse and one hundred Gallies out of Athens it selfe and out of Lesbos and Chios fiftie Gallies besides many confederates that accompanied him in the voyage But they went not farre and were but meanely furnished Whereas this Fleet as being to stay long abroad was furnished for both kinds of seruice in which of them soeuer it should haue occasion to be employed both with shipping and Land-Souldiers For the shipping it was elaborate with a great deale of cost both of the Captaines of Gallies and of the Citie For the State allowed a Drachma a day to euery Mariner the empty Gallies which they sent forth being of nimble ones 60. and of such as carried their men of Armes 40. more And the Captaines of Gallies both put into them the most able seruants and besides the wages of the State vnto the vppermost banke of Oares called the Thranitae and to the seruants gaue somewhat of their owne and bestowed great cost otherwise euery one vpon his owne Gallie both in the Badges and other rigging each one striuing to the vtmost to haue his Gally both in some ornament and also in swiftnesse to exceed the rest And for the Land-forces they were
depart from the Army So hee and the rest accused with him in his owne Gallie in companie of the Salaminia left Sicily and set saile for Athens But being at Thuria they followed no further but left the Gally and were no more to be found fearing indeed to appeare to the accusation They of the Salaminia made search for Alcibiades and those that were with him for a while but not finding him followed on their course for Athens Alcibiades now an Out-law passed shortly after in a small Boat from Thuria into Peloponnesus and the Athenians proceeding to iudgement vpon his not appearing condemned both him and them to death After this the Athenian Generals that remained in Sicily hauing diuided the Armie into two and taken each his part by lot went with the whole towards Selinus and Egesta with intention both to see if the Egestaeans would pay them the money and withall to get knowledge of the designes of the Selinuntians and learne the state of their controuersie with the Egestaeans And sayling by the Coast of Sicily hauing it on their left hand on that side which lyeth to the Tyrrhene Gulfe they came to Himera the onely Grecian Citie in that part of Sicily which not receiuing them they went on and by the way tooke Hyccara a little Towne of the Sicanians Enemie to the Egestaeans and a Sea-Towne and hauing made the inhabitants Slaues deliuered the Towne to the Egestaeans whose Horse-forces were there with them Thence the Athenians wlth their Landmen returned through the Territory of the Siculi to Catana and the Gallies went about with the Captiues Nicias going with the Fleet presently from Hyccara to Egesta when hee had dispatched with them his other businesse and receiued thirty Talents of Money returned to the Armie The Captiues they ransomed of which they made 120. Talents more Then they sailed about to their Confederates of the Siculi appointing them to send their Forces and with the halfe of their owne they came before Hybla in the Territory of Gela an Enemy City but tooke it not and so ended this Summer The next Winter the Athenians fell presently to make preparation for their iourney against Syracuse And the Syracusians on the other side prepared to inuade the Athenians For seeing the Athenians had not presently vpon the first feare and expectation of their comming falne vpon them they got euery day more and more heart And because they went far from them into those other parts of Sicily and assaulting Hybla could not take it they contemned them more then euer and prayed their Commanders as is the manner of the multitude when they bee in courage seeing the Athenians came not vnto them to conduct them to Catana And the Syracusian Horsemen which were euer abroad for Scowts spurring vp to the Campe of the Athenians amongst other scornes asked them whether they came not rather to dwell in the Land of another then to restore the Leontines to their owne The Athenian Generals hauing obserued this and being desirous to draw forth the Syracusians whole power as farre as might bee from the Citie to bee able in the meane time without empeachment going thither in the night by Sea to seaze on some conuenient place to encampe in for they knew they should not bee able to doe it so well in the face of an Enemie prepared nor if they were knowne to march by Land for that the Syracusian Horsemen being many would greatly annoy the light-armed and other multitude they themselues hauing no Horsemen there whereas thus they might possesse themselues of a place where the Horse could not doe them any hurt at all to speake of now the Syracusian Outlawes that were with them had told them of a place neere the Temple Olympieum which also they seazed I say the Athenian Generals to bring this their purpose to effect contriued the matter thus They send a man of whose fidelity they were well assured and in the opinion of the Syracusian Commanders no lesse a friend of theirs This man was a Catanaean and said he came from Catana from such and such whose names they knew and knew to bee the remnant of their wel-willers in that City He told them that the Athenians lay euery night within the Towne and far from their Armes and that if with the whole power of their Citie at a day appointed betimes in a morning they would come to their Campe those friends of the Syracusians would shut the Athenians in and set fire on their Gallies by which meanes the Syracusians assaulting the Palizado might easily winne the Campe. And that the Catanaeans that were to helpe them herein were many and those he came from already prepared for it The Syracusian Commanders hauing beene also otherwise encouraged and hauing intended a preparation to goe against Catana though this Messenger had not come did so much the more vnaduisedly beleeue the man and straight wayes being agreed of the day on which they were to bee there sent him away These Commanders for by this time the Selenuntians and some other their Confederates were come in appointed the Syracusians vniuersally to set forwards by a day And when all their necessaries were in readinesse and the day at hand in which they were to be there they set forwards toward Catana and encamped the night following vpon the banckes of the Riuer Simethus in the Territory of the Leontines The Athenians vpon aduertisement that they were set forth rising with their whole Armie both themselues and such of the Siculi and others as went with them and going aboard their Gallies and Boates in the beginning of the night set sayle for Syracuse In the morning betimes the Athenians disbarked ouer against Olympieum to make their Campe. And the Syracusian Horsemen who were at Catana before the rest finding the Campe risen came backe to the Foot and told them Whereupon they went all together backe to the ayde of the Citie In the meane time the way the Syracusians had to goe being long the Athenians had pitched their Campe at leasure in a place of aduantage wherein it was in their owne power to beginne Battell when they list and where both in and before the Battell the Syracusian Horsemen could least annoy them For on one side there were Walles and Houses and Trees and a Lake that kept them off on the other side steepe Rockes and hauing felled Trees hard by and brought them to the Sea-side they made a Palizado both before their Gallies and toward Dascon And on that part that was most accessible to the Enemy they made a Fort with stone the best they could finde but vnwrought and with Wood and withall pulled downe the Bridge of the Riuer Anapus Whilest this was doing there came none to empeach them from the Citie The first that came against them were the Syracusian Horsemen and by and by after all the Foot together And though at first they came vp neere vnto
we haue already there being plenty of Timber in Italy with the which besieging Peloponnesus round and also taking the Cities thereof with our Land-forces vpon such occasions as should arise from the Land some by assault and some by siege wee hoped easily to haue debelled it and afterwards to haue gotten the dominion of all Greece As for Money and Corne to facilitate some points of this the places wee should haue conquered there besides what heere wee should haue found would sufficiently haue furnished vs. Thus from one that most exactly knoweth it you haue heard what is the Designe of the Fleete now gone and vvhich the Generals there as farre as they can vvill also put in execution Vnderstand next that vnlesse you ayde them they yonder cannot possibly hold out For the Sicilians though inexpert if many of them vnite may well subsist but that the Syracusians alone with their whole power already beaten and withall kept from the vse of the Sea should withstand the Forces of the Athenians already there is a thing impossible And if their Citie should be taken all Sicily is had and soone after Italy also and the danger from thence which I foretold you would not be long ere it fell vpon you Let no man therefore thinke that hee now consulteth of Sicily onely but also of Peloponnesus vnlesse this bee done with speed Let the Armie you send bee of such as being aboord may row and landing presently be armed And which I thinke more profitable then the Armie it selfe send a Spartan for Commander both to traine the Souldiers already there and to compell vnto it such as refuse For thus will your present friends bee the more encouraged and such as bee doubtfull come to you with the more assurance It were also good to make Warre more openly vpon them heere that the Syracusians seeing your care may the rather hold out and the Athenians bee lesse able to send supply to their Armie You ought likewise to fortifie Decelea in the Territory of Athens a thing which the Athenians themselues most feare and reckon for the onely euill they haue not yet tasted in this Warre And the way to hurt an Enemie most is to know certainely what he most feareth and to bring the same vpon him For in reason a man therefore feareth a thing most as hauing the precisest knowledge of what will most hurt him As for the commodities which your selues shall reape and depriue the Enemie of by so fortifying letting much passe I will summe you vp the principall Whatsoeuer the Territory is furnished withall will come most of it vnto you partly taken and partly of its owne accord The reuenue of the Siluer Mines in Laurium and whatsoeuer other profit they haue from their Land or from their Courts of Iustice will presently be lost And which is worst their Confederates will be remisse in bringing in their reuenue and will care little for the Athenians if they beleeue once that you follow the Warre to the vtmost That any of these things be put in act speedily and earnestly Men of Lacedaemon it resteth onely in your selues for I am confident and I thinke I erre not that all these things are possible to bee done Now I must craue this that I bee neither the worse esteemed for that hauing once beene thought a louer of my Countrey I goe now amongst the greatest Enemies of the same against it nor yet mistrusted as one that speaketh with the zeale of a Fugitiue For though I flye from the malice of them that draue mee out I shall not if you take my counsell fly your profit Nor are you enemies so much who haue hurt but your enemies as they are that haue made enemies of friends I loue not my Countrey as wronged by it but as hauing liued in safety in it Nor doe I thinke that I doe heerein goe against any Countrey of mine but that I farre rather seeke to recouer the Countrey I haue not And hee is truely a louer of his Countrey not that refuseth to inuade the Countrey hee hath wrongfully lost but that desires so much to bee in it as by any meanes hee can hee vvill attempt to recouer it I desire you therefore Lacedaemonians to make vse of my seruice in whatsoeuer danger or labour confidently seeing you know according to the common saying if I did hurt you much when I was your enemie I can helpe you much when I am your friend And so much the more in that I know the state of Athens and but coniectured at yours And considering you are now in deliberation vpon a matter of so extreme importance I pray you thinke not much to send an Armie both into Sicily and Attica as well to preserue the great matters that are there with the presence of a small part of your Force as also to pull downe the power of the Athenians both present and to come and afterwards to dwell in safety your selues and to haue the leading of all Greece not forced but voluntary and with their good affection Thus spake Alcibiades And the Lacedaemonians thuogh before this they had a purpose of their own accord to send an Army against Athens but had delayed and neglected it yet when these particulars were deliuered by him they were a great deale the more confirmed in the same conceiuing that what they had heard was from one that euidently knew it Insomuch as they had set their minds already vpon the fortifying at Decelea and vpon the sending of some succours into Sicily for the present And hauing assigned Gylippus the sonne of Cleandridas vnto the Syracusian Ambassadours for chiefe Commander they willed him to consider both with them and the Corinthians how best for their present meanes and with greatest speed some helpe might bee conueyed vnto them in Sicily He thereupon appointed the Corinthians to send him two Gallies presently to Asine and to furnish the rest they meant to send and to haue them ready to saile when occasion should serue This agreed vpon they departed from Lacedaemon In the meane time the Gallie arriued at Athens which the Generals sent home for money and Horsemen And the Athenians vpon hearing decreed to send both prouision and Horsemen to the Armie So the Winter ended and the seuenteenth yeere of this Warre written by Thucydides In the very beginning of the next Spring the Athenians in Sicily departed from Catana and sailed by the Coast to Megara of Sicily The inhabitants whereof in the time of the Tyrant Gelon the Syracusians as I mentioned before had driuen out and now possesse the Territory themselues Landing heere they wasted the Fields and hauing assaulted a certaine small Fortresse of the Syracusians not taking it they went presently backe part by Land and part by Sea vnto the Riuer Tereas And landing againe in the plaine Fields wasted the same and burnt vp their Corne and lighting on some Syracusians not many they slew some of them and
and chased them to the Euripus and to the Sea where the Gallies lay that brought them Some of them they killed of those most in their going aboord For swimme they could not and such as were in the small Boats when they saw how things went a-land had thrust off their Boats and lay without the Euripus In the rest of the retreat the Thracians behaued themselues not vnhandsomely against the Theban Horsemen by whom they were charged first but running out and againe rallying themselues in a circle according to the manner of their Countrey defended themselues well and lost but few men in that action But some also they lost in the City it selfe whilest they stayed behind for pillage But in the whole of 1300 there were slaine onely 250. Of the Thebans and others that came out to helpe the Citie there were slaine Horsemen and men of Armes one with another about 20 and amongst them Scirphondas of Thebes one of the Gouernours of Boeotia And of the Mycalessians there perished a part Thus went the matter at Mycalessus the losse which it receiued being for the quantity of rhe City no lesse to be lamented then any that happened in the whole Warre Demosthenes going from Corcyra after his fortifying in Laconia found a Ship lying in Phia of Elis and in her certaine men of Armes of Corinth ready to goe into Sicily The Ship he sunke but the men escaped and afterwards getting another Shippe went on in their voyage After this Demosthenes being about Zacynthus and Cephallenia tooke aboord their men of Armes and sent to Naupactus for the Messenians From thence he crossed ouer to the Continent of Acarnania to Alyzea and Anactorium which belonged to the Athenians Whilest he was in these parts he met with Eurymedon out of Sicily that had been sent in Winter vnto the Army with commodities who told him amongst other things how he had heard by the way after he was at Sea that the Syracusians had wonne Plemmyrium Conon also the Captaine of Naupactus came to them and related that the 25 Gallies of Corinth that lay before Naupactus would not giue ouer Warre and yet delayed to fight and therefore desired to haue some Gallies sent him as being vnable with his 18 to giue battell to 25 of the enemy Whereupon Demosthenes and Eurymedon sent 20 Gallies more to those at Naupactus the nimblest of the whole Fleet by Conon himselfe And went themselues about furnishing of what belonged to the Army Of whom Eurymedon went to Corcyra hauing appointed thē there to man 15 Gallies leuyed men of Armes for now giuing ouer his course to Athens he ioyned with Demosthenes as hauing been elected with him in the charge of Generall and Demosthenes tooke vp Slingers and Darters in the parts about Acarnania The Ambassadours of the Syracusians which after the taking of Plemmyrium had been sent vnto the Cities about hauing now obtained and leuyed an Army amongst them were conducting the same to Syracuse But Nicias vpon intelligence thereof sent vnto such Cities of the Siculi as had the passages and were their Confederates the Centoripines Halicycaeans and others not to suffer the enemy to goe by but to vnite themselues and stop them for that they would not so much as offer to passe any other way seeing the Agrigentines had already denyed them When the Sicilians were marching the Siculi as the Athenians had desired them put themselues in Ambush in three seuerall places and setting vpon them vnawares and on a sodaine slew about eight hundred of them and all the Ambassadours saue onely one a Corinthian which conducted the rest that escaped being about 1500 to Syracuse About the same time came vnto them also the ayde of the Camarinaeans 500 men of Armes 300 Darters and 300 Archers Also the Geloans sent them men for fiue Gallies besides 400 Darters and 200 Horsemen For now all Sicily except the Agrigentines who were Newtrall but all the rest who before stood looking on came in to the Syracusian side against the Athenians Neuerthelesse the Syracusians after this blow receiued amongst the Siculi held their hands and assaulted not the Athenians for a while Demosthenes and Eurymedon hauing their Army now ready crossed ouer from Corcyra and the Continent with the whole Army to the Promontory of Iäpygia From thence they went to the Chaerades Ilands of Iäpygia and here tooke in certaine Iäpygian Darters to the number of 250 of the Messapian Nation And hauing renewed a certaine ancient alliance with Artas who raigned there and granted them those Darters they went thence to Metapontium a City of Italy There by vertue of a League they got two Gallies and 200 Darters which taken aboord they kept along the Shoare till they came to the Territory of Thuria Here they found the aduers faction to the Athenians to haue been lately driuen out in a sedition And because they desired to muster their Army here that they might see if any were left behind and perswade the Thurians to ioyne with them freely in the War and as things stood to haue for friends and enemies the same that were so to the Athenians they staied about that in the Territory of the Thurians The Peloponnesians and the rest who were at the same time in the 25 Gallies that for safegard of the Ships lay opposite to the Gallies before Naupactus hauing prepared themselues for battell and with more Gallies so as they were little inferiour in number to those of the Athenians went to an Anchor vnder Erineus of Achaia in Rhypica The place where they rid was in forme like a halfe-Moone and their Land forces they had ready on either side to assist them both Corinthians and other their Confederates of those parts embattelled vpon the points of the Promontory and their Gallies made vp the space betweene vnder the command of Polyanthes a Corinthian Against these the Athenians came vp with 33 Gallies from Naupactus commanded by Diphilus The Corinthians at first lay still but afterwards when they saw their time and the Signall giuen they charged the Athenians and the fight began They held each other to it long The Athenians sunke three Gallies of the Corinthians And though none of their owne were sunke yet seauen were made vnseruiceable which hauing encountred the Corinthian Gallies a-head were torne on both sides between the beake and the oares by the beakes of the Corinthian Gallies made stronger for the same purpose After they had fought with equall fortune and so as both sides challenged the victory though yet the Athenians were masters of the wrecks as driuen by the wind into the maine and because the Corinthians came not out to renew the fight they at length parted There was no chasing of men that fled nor a prisoner taken on either side because the Peloponnesians and Corinthians fighting neere the Land easily escaped nor was there any Gally of the Athenians sunke But when the Athenians were
cry out on the contrary and say the Generals haue betrayed the State and come away for a bribe That hee would not therefore knowing the nature of the Athenians so well chuse to bee put to death vniustly and charged with a dishonourable crime by the Athenians rather then if he must needes doe one to suffer the same at the hand of the Enemy by his owne aduenture And yet he said the State of the Syracusians was still inferiour to their owne For paying much money to strangers and laying out much more on Forts without and about the Citie hauing also had a great Nauie a yeere already in pay they must needs want money at last and all these things faile them For they haue spent already two thousand Talents and are much in debt besides And whensoeuer they shall giue ouer this course and make pay no longer their strength is gone as being auxiliary and not constrained to follow the Warre as the Athenians are Therefore it was fit he said to stay close to the Citie and not to goe away as if they were too weake in money wherein they were much superiour Nicias when he spake this assured them of it as knowing the state of Syracuse precisely and their want of money and that there were some that desired to betray the Citie to the Athenians and sent him word not to goe Withall hee had now confidence in the Fleet which as being before ouercome he had not As for lying where they did Demosthenes would by no meanes heare of it But if the Armie might not be carried away without order from the Athenians but must needes stay in Sicily then he said they might goe to Thapsus or Catana from whence by their Land men they might inuade and turne much of the Countrey to them and wasting the Fields of the Enemies weaken the Syracusians and bee to fight with their Gallies in the maine Sea and not in a narrow which is the aduantage of the Enemy but in a wide place where the benefit of skill should bee theirs and and where they should not be forced in charging and retyring to come vp and fall off in narrow and circumscribed limits In summe he said he by no meanes liked to stay where they were but with all speed no longer delaying the matter to arise and be gone Eurymedon also gaue the like counsell Neuerthelesse vpon the contradiction of Nicias there grew a kind of sloth and procrastination in the businesse and a suspition withall that the asseueration of Nicias was grounded on somewhat that he knew aboue the rest and therevpon the Athenians deferred their going thence and stayed vpon the place In the meane time Gylippus and Sycanus returned vnto Syracuse Sicanus without his purpose at Agrigentū for whilest he was yet in Gela the sedition which had beene raised in the behalfe of the Syracusians was turned into friendship but Gylippus not without another great Army out of Sicily besides the men of Armes which hauing set-forth from Peloponnesus in Ships the Spring before were then lately arriued at Selinus from out of Africke For hauing beene driuen into Africke and the Cyreneans hauing giuen them two Gallies with Pilots in passing by the shore they ayded the Euesperitae besieged by the Africans and hauing ouercome the Africans they went on to Neapolis a Towne of traffique belonging to the Carthaginians where the passage into Sicily is shortest and but two dayes and a nights saile ouer And from thence they crossed the Sea to Selinus As soone as they were come the Syracusians againe presently prepared to set vpon the Athenians both by Sea and Land The Athenian Generals seeing them haue another Armie and their owne not bettering but growing euery day worse then other but especially as being pressed to it by the sicknesse of the Souldiers repented now that they remoued not before and Nicias being now no longer against it as he was but desirous onely that it might not be concluded openly gaue order vnto all as secretly as was possible to put forth of the Harbour and to be ready when the signe should be giuen But when they were about it and euery thing was ready the Moone hapned to bee eclipsed For it was full Moone And not onely the greatest part of the Athenians called vpon the Generals to stay but Nicias also for hee was addicted to superstition and obseruations of that kind somewhat too much said that it should come no more into debate whether they should goe or not till the three times nine dayes were past which the Southsayers appoint in that behalfe And the Athenians though vpon going stayed still for this reason The Syracusians also hauing intelligence of this were encouraged vnto the pressing of the Athenians much the more for that they confessed themselues already too weake for them both by Sea and Land for else they would neuer haue sought to haue runne away Besides they would not haue them sit downe in any other part of Sicily and become the harder to be warred on but had rather there-right and in a place most for their owne aduantage compell them to fight by Sea To which end they manned their Gallies and after they had rested as long as was sufficient when they saw their time the first day they assaulted the Athenians Campe and some small number of men of Armes and Horsemen of the Athenians sallyed out against them by certaine Gates and the Syracusians intercepting some of the men of Armes beat them backe into the Campe. But the entrance being strait there were 70 of the Horsemen lost and men of Armes some but not many The next day they came out with their Gallies 76 in number and the Athenians set forth against them with 86 and being come together they fought Eurymedon had charge of the Right Wing of the Athenians and desiring to encompasse the Gallies of the Enemies drew forth his owne Gallies in length more toward the shoare and was cut off by the Syracusians that had first ouercome the middle battell of the Athenians from the rest in the bottome and inmost part of the Hauen and both slaine himselfe and the Gallies that were with him lost And that done the rest of the Athenian Fleet was also chased and driuen ashore Gylippus when he saw the Nauy of the Enemie vanquished and carried past the Piles and their owne Harbour came with a part of his Armie to the peere to kill such as landed and to cause that the Syracusians might the easilier pull the Enemies Gallies from the shore whereof themselues were Masters But the Tuscans who kept guard in that part for the Athenians seeing them comming that way in disorder made head and charging these first forced them into the Marish called Lysimelia But when afterwards a greater number of the Syracusians and their Confederates came to helpe them then also the Athenians to helpe the Tuscans and for feare to lose their Gallies fought with them and hauing
the same time Lamentations Shouts That they won That they lost and whatsoeuer else a great Army in great danger is forced differently to vtter They also that were aboord suffered the same till at last the Syracusians and their Confederates after long resistance of the other side put them to flight manifestly pressing chased them with great clamor encouragement of their owne to the Shoare And the Sea-forces making to the Shore some one way and some another except only such as were lost by being far from it escaped into the Harbour And the Army that was vpon the Land no longer now of different passions with one and the same vehemence all with shrikes and sighes vnable to sustaine what befell ran part to saue the Gallies part to the defence of the Campe and the residue who were far the greatest number fell presently to consider euery one of the best way to saue himselfe And this was the time wherein of all other they stood in greatest feare and they suffered now the like to what they had made others to suffer before at Pylus For the Lacedaemonians then besides the losse of their Fleet lost the men which they had set ouer into the Iland and the Athenians now without some accident not to be expected were out of all hope to saue them selues by Land After this cruell battell and many Gallies and men on either side consumed the Syracusians and their Confederates hauing the victory tooke vp the wrecke and bodies of their dead and returning into the City erected a Trophy But the Athenians in respect of the greatnesse of their present losse neuer thought vpon asking leaue to take vp their dead or wreck but fell immediately to consultation how to bee gone the same night And Demosthenes comming vnto Nicias deliuered his opinion for going once againe aboard and forcing the passage if it were possible betimes the next morning saying that their Gallies which were yet remaining and seruiceable were more then those of the Enemy for the Athenians had yet left them about 60 and the Syracusians vnder 50. But when Nicias approued the aduice and would haue manned out the Gallies the Mariners refused to goe aboord as being not onely deiected with their defeat but also without opinion of euer hauing the vpper hand any more Whereupon they now resolued all to make their retreat by Land But Hermocrates of Syracuse suspecting their purpose and apprehending it as a matter dangerous that so great an Army going away by Land and sitting downe in some part or other of Sicily should there renue the War repayred vnto the Magistrates and admonished them that it was not fit through negligence to suffer the Enemy in the night time to goe their wayes alledging what he thought best to the purpose but that all the Syracusians and their Confederates should goe out and fortifie in their way and prepossesse all the narrow passages with a guard Now they were all of them of the same opinion no lesse then himselfe and thought it fit to be done but they conceaued withall that the Souldier now ioyfull and taking his ease after a sore battell being also holiday for it was their day of sacrifice to Hercules would not easily be brought to obey For through excesse of ioy for the victory they would most of them being holiday be drinking and looke for any thing rather then to be perswaded at this time to take Armes againe and goe out But seeing the Magistrates vpon this consideration thought it hard to be done Hermocrates not preuailing of his own head contriued this Fearing lest the Athenians should passe the worst of their way in the night and so at ease out-goe them as soone as it grew darke he sent certaine of his friends and with them certaine Horsemen to the Athenian Campe who approaching so neere as to be heard speake called to some of them to come forth as if they had beene friends of the Athenians for Nicias had some within that vsed to giue him intelligence and bade them to aduise Nicias not to dislodge that night for that the Syracusians had beset the waies but that the next day hauing had the leasure to furnish their Armie they might march away Vpon this aduertisement they abode that night supposing it had beene without fraud And afterwards because they went not presently they thought good to stay there that day also to the end that the Souldiers might packe vp their necessaries as commodiously as they could and be gone leauing all things else behind them saue what was necessary for their bodies But Gylippus and the Syracusians with their land-forces went out before them and not only stopped vp the waies in the Countrey about by which the Athenians were likely to passe and kept a guard at the foords of brookes and riuers but also stood embattelled to receiue and stop their Army in such places as they thought conuenient And with their Gallies they rowed to the Harbour of the Athenians and towed their Gallies away from the shore some few whereof they burnt as the Athenians themselues meant to haue done but the rest at their leasure as any of them chanced in any place to driue ashore they afterwards haled into the City After this when euery thing seemed vnto Nicias and Demosthenes sufficiently prepared they dislodged being now the third day from their fight by Sea It was a lamentable departure not onely for the particulars as that they marched away with the losse of their whole Fleet that in stead of their great hopes they had endangered both themselues and the State but also for the dolorous obiects which were presented both to the eye and minde of euery of them in particular in the leauing of their Campe. For their dead lying vnburyed when any one saw his friend on the ground it strooke him at once both with feare and griefe But the liuing that were sicke or wounded both grieued them more then the dead and were more miserable For with intreaties and lamentations they put them to a stand pleading to bee taken along by whomsoeuer they saw of their fellowes or familiars and hanging on the neckes of their Camerades and following as farre as they were able And when the strength of their bodies failed that they could goe no further with Ay-mees and imprecations were there left Insomuch as the whole Armie filled with teares and irresolute could hardly get away though the place were hostile and they had suffered already and feared to suffer in the future more then with teares could bee expressed but hung downe their heads and generally blamed themselues For they seemed nothing else but euen the people of some great City expugned by siege and making their escape For the whole number that marched were no lesse one with another then 40000. men Of which not onely the ordinary sort carried euery one what he thought he should haue occasion to vse but also the men of Armes
at this time of the yeere being now neere Autumne which further disheartened the Athenians who thought that also this did tend to their destruction Whilst they lay still Gylippus and the Syracusians sent part of their Army to raise a Wall at their backs in the way they had come but this the Athenians hindred by sending against them part of theirs After this the Athenians retiring with their whole Army into a more Champaigne ground lodged there that night and the next day went forward againe And the Syracusians with their Darts from euery part round about wounded many of them and when the Athenians charged they retired and when they retired the Syracusians charged and that especially vpon the hindmost that by putting to flight a few they might terrifie the whole Army And for a good while the Athenians in this manner withstood them and afterwards being gotten fiue or six Furlongs forward they rested in the Plaine and the Syracusians went from them to their owne Campe. This night it was concluded by Nicias and Demosthenes seeing the miserable estate of their Army and the want already of all necessaries and that many of their men in many assaults of the Enemy were wounded to lead away the Army as farre as they possible could not the way they purposed before but toward the Sea which was the contrary way to that which the Syracusians guarded Now this whole iourney of the Army lay not towards Catana but towards the other side of Sicily Camarina and Gela and the Cities as well Grecian as Barbarian that way When they had made many fires accordingly they marched in the night and as vsually it falleth out in all Armies and most of all in the greatest to be subiect to affright and terrour especially marching by night and in hostile ground and the enemy neere were in confusion The Army of Nicias leading the way kept together and got farre afore but that of Demosthenes which was the greater halfe was both seuered from the rest and marched more disorderly Neuerthelesse by the morning betimes they got to the Sea side and entring into the Helorine way they went on towards the Riuer Cacyparis to the end when they came thither to march vpwards along the Riuers side through the heart of the Countrey For they hoped that this way the Siculi to whom they had sent would meet them When they came to the Riuer here also they found a certaine guard of the Syracusians stopping their passage with a Wall and with Pyles When they had quickly forced this guard they passed the Riuer and againe marched on to another Riuer called Erineus for that was the way which the Guides directed them In the meane time the Syracusians and their Confederates as soone as day appeared and that they knew the Athenians were gone most of them accusing Gylippus as if he had let them go with his consent followed them with speed the same way which they easily vnderstood they were gone and about dinner time ouertooke them When they were come vp to those with Demosthenes who were the hindmost and had marched more slowly and disorderly then the other part had done as hauing been put into disorder in the night they fell vpon them and fought And the Syracusian Horsemen hemmed them in and forced them vp into a narrow compasse the more easily now because they were diuided from the rest Now the Army of Nicias was gone by this time 150 Furlongs further on For he led away the faster because he thought not that their safety consisted in staying and fighting voluntarily but rather in a speedy retreat and then onely fighting when they could not choose But Demosthenes was both in greater and in more continuall toyle in respect that he marched in the Reere and consequently was pressed by the Enemy And seeing the Syracusians pursuing him he went not on but put his men into order to fight till by his stay he was encompassed and reduced he and the Athenians with him into great disorder For being shut vp within a place enclosed round with a Wall and which on either side had a way open amongst abundance of Oliue trees they were charged from all sides at once with the Enemies shot For the Syracusians assaulted them in this kind and not in close battell vpon very good reason For to hazzard battell against men desperate was not so much for theirs as for the Athenians aduantage Besides after so manifest successes they spared themselues somewhat because they were loth to weare themselues out before the end of the businesse and thought by this kind of fight to subdue and take them aliue Whereupon after they had plyed the Athenians their Confederates all day long from euery side with shot and saw that with their wounds and other annoyance they were already tired Gylippus and the Syracusians and their Confederates first made Proclamation that if any of the Ilanders would come ouer to them they should be at liberty And the men of some few Cities went ouer And by and by after they made agreement with all the rest that were with Demosthenes That they should deliuer vp their Armes and none of them be put to death neither violently nor by bonds nor by want of the necessities of life And they all yeelded to the number of 6000 men and the siluer they had they laid it all downe casting it into the hollow of Targets and filled with the same foure Targets And these men they carried presently into the Citie Nicias and those that were with him attained the same day to the Riuer Erineus which passing he caused his Armie to sit downe vpon a certaine ground more eleuate then the rest where the Syracusians the next day ouertooke and told him That those with Demosthenes had yeelded themselues and willed him to do the like But he not beleeuing it tooke Truce for a Horseman to enquire the truth Vpon returne of the Horseman and word that they had yeelded he sent a Herald to Gylippus and the Syracusians saying That he was content to compound on the part of the Athenians to repay whatsoeuer money the Syracusians had laid out so that his Army might be suffered to depart And that till payment of the money were made he would deliuer them Hostages Athenians euery Hostage rated at a Talent But Gylippus and the Syracusians refusing the condition charged them and hauing hemmed them in plyed them with shot as they had done the other Army from euery side till euening This part of the Armie was also pinched with the want both of victuall and other necessaries Neuerthelesse obseruing the quiet of the night they were about to march But no sooner tooke they their Armes vp then the Syracusians perceiuing it gaue the Alarme Whereupon the Athenians finding themselues discouered sate downe againe all but 300 who breaking by force through the guards marched as farre as they could that night And Nicias when it was day led his
to Lacedaemon sent by Pharnabazus to procure a Fleet for the Hellespont that he also if he could might cause the Athenian Cities in his Prouince to reuolt for his Tributes sake and be the first to draw the Lacedaemonians into league with the King 〈◊〉 the same things that were desired before by Tissaphernes Now Pharnabazus and Tissaphernes treating apart there was great canuasing at Lacedaemon betweene the one side that perswaded to send to Ionia and Chius and the other that would haue the Armie and Fleet goe first into the Hellespont But the Lacedaemonians indeed approued best by much of the businesse of the Chians and of Tiâ—saphernes For with these cooperated Alcibiades hereditary Guest and friend of Endius the Ephore of that yeere in the highest degree insomuch as in respect of that guesthood Alcibiades his family receiued a Laconique name For Endius was called Endius Alcibiadis Neuerthelesse the Lacedaemonians sent first one Phrynis a man of those parts to Chius to see if the Gallies they had were so many as they reported and whether the Citie were otherwise so sufficient as it was said to be And when the messenger brought backe word that all that had beene said was true they receiued both the Chians acd the Erythraeans presently into their League and decreed to send them forty Gallies there being at Chius from such places as the Chians named no lesse then 60 already And of these at first they were about to send out tenne with Melancridas for Admirall but afterwards vpon occasion of an Earthquake for Melancridas they sent Chalcideus and in stead of tenne Gallies they went about the making ready of fiue onely in Laconia So the Winter ended and nineteenth yeere of this Warre written by Thucydides In the beginning of the next Summer because the Chians pressed to haue the Gallies sent away and feared lest the Athenians should get notice what they were doing for all their Ambassadours went out by stealth the Lacedaemonians send away to Corinth three Spartans to will them with all speed to transport their Gallies ouer the Isthmus to the other Sea towards Athens and to goe all to Chiâ—s aswell those which Agis had made ready to goe to Lesbos as the rest The number of the Gallies of the League which were then there being forty wanting one But Calligetus and Timagoras who came from Pharnabazus would haue no part in this Fleet that went for Chius nor would deliuer the Money twenty fiue Talents which they had brought with them to pay for their setting forth but made account to goe out with another Fleet afterwards by themselues When Agis saw that the Lacedaemonians meant to send first to Chius he resolued not of any other course himselfe but the Confederates assembling at Corinth went to councell vpon the matter and concluded thus That they should goe first to Chius vnder the command of Chalcideus who was making ready the fiue Gallies in Laconia And then to Lesbos vnder the charge of Alcamenes intended also to be sent thither by Agis and lastly into Hellespont in which voyage they ordained that Clearchus the sonne of Rhamphias should haue the Command and concluded to carry ouer the Isthmus first the one halfe of their Gallies and that those should presently put to Sea that the Athenians might haue their mindes more vpon those then on the other halfe to bee transported afterwards For they determined to passe that Sea openly contemning the weaknesse of the Athenians in respect they had not any Nauy of importance yet appearing As they resolued so presently they carried ouer one and twenty Gallies But when the rest vrged to put to Sea the Corinthians were vnwilling to goe along before they should haue ended the celebration of the Isthmian Holidayes then come Heerevpon Agis was content that they for their parts should obserue the Isthmian Truce and he therefore to take the Fleet vpon himselfe as his owne But the Corinthians not agreeing to that and the time passing away the Athenians got intelligence the easilier of the practice of the Chians and sent thither Aristocrates one of their Generals to accuse them of it The Chians denying the matter hee commanded them for their better credit to send along with him some Gallies for their ayde due by the League and they sent seuen The cause why they sent these Gallies was the Many not acquainted with the practice and the Few and conscious not willing to vndergoe the enmity of the multitude without hauing strength first and their not expecting any longer the comming of the Lacedaemonians because they had so long delayed them In the meane time the Istmian Games were celebrating and the Athenians for they had word sent them of it came and saw and the businesse of the Chians grew more apparent After they went thence they tooke order presently that the Fleet might not passe from Cenchreae vndiscouered And after the Holidayes were ouer the Corinthians put to Sea for Chius vnder the conduct of Alcamenes And the Athenians at first with equall number came vp to them and endeuoured to draw them out into the maine Sea But seeing the Peloponnesians followed not farre but turned another way the Athenians went also from them For the seuen Gallies of Cbius which were part of this number they durst not trust But afterwards hauing manned thirty seuen others they gaue chase to the Enemy by the shore and draue them into Piraeus in the Territorie of Corinth this Piraeus is a desart Hauen and the vtmost vpon the Confines of Epidauria One Gallie that was farre from Land the Peloponnesians lost the rest they brought together into the Hauen But the Athenians charging them by Sea with their Gallies and withall setting their men aland mightily troubled and disordered them brake their Gallies vpon the shore and slew Alcamenes their Commander And some they lost of their owne The fight being ended they assigned a sufficient number of Gallies to lye opposite to those of the Enemy and the rest to lye vnder a little Iland not farre off in which also they encamped and sent to Athens for supply For the Peloponnesians had with them for ayde of their Gallies the Corinthians the next day and not long after diuers others of the Inhabitants thereabouts But when they considered that the guarding of them in a desart place would be painefull they knew not what course to take and once they thought to haue set the Gallies on fire but it was concluded afterwards to draw them to the Land and guard them with their Land-men till some good occasion should bee offered for their escape And Agis also when he heard the newes sent vnto them Thermon a Spartan The Lacedaemonians hauing beene aduertised of the departure of these Gallies from the Isthmus for the Ephores had commanded Alcamenes when he put to Sea to send him word by a Horseman were minded presently to haue sent away the fiue Gallies also that
refuge and moderator of the others insolence This he said hee was certaine that the Cities thought in that they had learned the same by the actions themselues And that therefore what was yet propounded by Alcibiades he by no meanes approued But those of the Conspiracy there assembled not onely approued the present proposition but also made preparation to send Pisander and others Ambassadours to Athens to negotiate concerning the reduction of Alcibiades the dissolution of the Democracie and the procuring vnto the Athenians the friendship of Tissaphernes Now Phrynichus knowing that an ouerture was to bee made at Athens for the restoring of Alcibiades and that the Athenians would embrace it and fearing lest being recalled he should doe him a mischiefe in regard hee had spoken against it as one that would haue hindred the same betooke himselfe to this course He sends secret Letters to Astyochus the Lacedaemonian Generall who was yet about Miletus and aduertised him that Alcibiades vndid their affaires and was procuring the friendship of Tissaphernes for the Athenians writing in plaine termes the whole businesse and desiring to bee excused if hee rendred euill to his enemy with some disaduantage to his Countrey Astyochus had before this laid by the purpose of reuenge against Alcibiades especially when he was not in his owne hands And going to him to Magnesia and to Tissaphernes related vnto them what aduertisement he had receiued from Samos and made himselfe the appeacher For he adhered as was said to Tissaphernes for his priuate lucre both in this and in diuers other matters which was also the cause that concerning the pay when the abatement was made hee was not so stout in opposing it as hee ought to haue beene Hereupon Alcibiades sendeth Letters presently to those that were in office at Samos accusing Phrynichus of what hee had done and requiring to haue him put to death Phrynichus perplexed with this discouery brought into danger indeed sends againe to Astyochus blaming what was past as not well concealed and promised now to be ready to deliuer vnto him the whole Armie at Samos to be destroyed writing from point to point Samos being vnwalled in what manner he would doe it and saying that since his life was brought in danger they could not blame him though he did this or any other thing rather then be destroyed by his most deadly enemies This also Astyochus reuealed vnto Alcibiades But Phrynichus hauing had notice betimes how he abused him and that Letters of this from Alcibiades were in a manner come he anticipates the newes himselfe and tels the Armie That whereas Samos was vnwalled and the Gallies rid not all within the Enemy meant to come and assault the Harbour That hee had sure intelligence hereof and that they ought therefore with all speed to raise a Wall about the Citie and to put Garrisons into other places thereabouts Now Phrynichus was Generall himselfe and it was in his owne power to see it done They then fell to walling wherby Samos which they meant to haue done howsoeuer was so much the sooner walled in Not long after came Letters from Alcibiades that the Army was betrayed by Phrynichus and that the Enemy purposed to inuade the Harbour where they lay But now they thought not Alcibiades worthy to be beleeued but rather that hauing foreseene the designe of the enemy he went about out of malice to fasten it vpon Phrynichus as conscious of it likewise So that he did him no hurt by telling it but bare witnesse rather of that which Phrynichus had told them of before After this Alcibiades endeuoured to encline and perswade Tissaphernes to the friendship of the Athenians for though Tissaphernes feared the Peloponnesians because their Fleete was greater then that of the Athenians yet if hee had beene able he had a good will to haue beene perswaded by him especially in his anger against the Peloponnesians after the dissension at Cnidus about the League made by Theramenes for they were already falne out the Peloponnesians being about this time in Rhodes wherein that which had beene before spoken by Alcibiades how that the comming of the Lacedaemonians was to restore all the Cities to their liberty was now verifyed by Lichas in that he said it was an Article not to be suffered that the King should hold those Cities which he and his Ancestors then or before had holden Alcibiades therefore as one that laboured for no trifle with all his might applyed himselfe to Tissaphernes The Athenian Ambassadours sent from Samos with Pisander being arriued at Athens were making their propositions to the People And related vnto them summarily the points of their businesse and principally this That if they would call home Alcibiades and not suffer the Gouernment to remaine in the hands of the People in such manner as it did they might haue the King for their Confederate and get the victory of the Peloponnesians Now when many opposed that point touching the Democracie and the enemies of Alcibiades clamoured withall that it would bee a horrible thing hee should return by forcing the Gouernmēt when the Eumolpidae and Ceryces bare witnesse against him concerning the Mysteries for which he fled and prohibited his returne vnder their curse Pisander at this great opposition and querimony stood out and going amongst them tooke out one by one those that were against it and asked them Whether now that the Peloponnesians had as many Gallies at Sea to oppose them as they themselues had and Confederate Cities more then they and were furnished with money by the King and Tissaphernes the Athenians being without they had any other hope to saue their State but by perswading the King to come about to their side And they that were asked hauing nothing to answer then in plaine termes hee said vnto them This you cannot now obtaine except wee administer the State with more moderation and bring the power into the hands of a Few that the King may rely vpon vs. And wee deliberate at this time not so much about the forme as about the preseruation of the State for if you mislike the forme you may change it againe hereafter And let vs recall Alcibiades who is the onely man that can bring this to passe The People hearing of the Oligarchy tooke it very haynously at first But when Pisander had proued euidently that there was no other way of safety in the end partly for feare and partly because they hoped againe to change the Gouernment they yeelded thereunto So they ordered that Pisander and tenne others should goe and treate both with Tissaphernes and with Alcibiades as to them should seeme best Withall vpon the accusation of Pisander against Phrynichus they discharged both Phrynichus and Scironidas his fellow-Commissioner of their Command and made Diomedon and Leon Generals of the Fleet in their places Now the cause why Pisander accused Phrynichus and said he had betrayed Iäsus
enquirie made after the deed doers nor Iustice prosecuted against any that was suspected But the People were so quiet and so afraid that euery man thought it gaine to escape violence though he said neuer a word Their hearts failed them because they thought the Conspirators more then indeed they were and to learne their number in respect of the greatnesse of the Citie and for that they knew not one another they were vnable For the same cause also was it impossible for any man that was angry at it to bemone himselfe whereby to be reuenged on them that conspired For he must haue told his mind either to one he knew not or to one he knew trusted not For the Populars approached each other euery one with iealousie as if they thought him of the plot For indeed there were such amongst them as no man would haue thought would euer haue turned to the Oligarchy and those were they that caused in the Many that diffidence and by strengthning the iealousie of the populars one against another conferred most to the security of the Few During this opportunity Pisander and they that were with him comming in fell in hand presently with the remainder of the businesse And first they assembled the People and deliuered their opinion for tenne men to bee chosen with power absolute to make a draught of Lawes and hauing drawne them to deliuer their opinion at a day appointed before the People touching the best forme of gouernment for the Citie Afterwards when that day came they summoned the Assembly to Colonus which is a place consecrated to Neptune without the City about two Furlongs off And they that were appointed to write the Lawes presented this and onely this That it should be lawfull for any Athenian to deliuer whatsoeuer opinion hee pleased imposing of great punishments vpon whosoeuer should eyther accuse any that so spake of violating the Lawes or otherwise do him hurt Now here indeed it was in plaine termes propounded That not any Magistracy of the forme before vsed might any longer be in force nor any Fee belong vnto it but that fiue Prytanes might be elected and these fiue choose a hundred and euery one of this hundred take vnto him three others And these 400 entring into the Councell-house might haue absolute authority to gouerne the State as they thought best and to summon the 5000 as oft as to them should seeme good He that deliuered this opinion was Pisander who was also otherwise openly the forwardest to put downe the Democracie But he that contriued the whole businesse how to bring it to this passe and had long thought vpon it was Antiphon a man for vertue not inferiour to any Athenian of his time and the ablest of any man both to deuise well and also to expresse well what he had deuised And though he came not into the assemblies of the People nor willingly to any other debatings because the Multitude had him in iealousie for the opinion they had of the power of his eloquence yet when any man that had occasion of suite eyther in the Courts of Iustice or in the Assembly of the People came to him for his counsell this one man was able to help him most The same man when afterwards the gouernment of the Foure hundred went downe and was vexed of the People was heard pleade for himselfe when his life was in question for that businesse the best of any man to this day Phrynichus also shewed himselfe an earnest man for the Oligarchy and that more eminently then any other because he feared Alcibiades and knew him to be acquainted with all his practices at Samos with Astyochus and thought in all probability that he would neuer returne to liue vnder the gouernment of the Few And this man in any matter of weight appeared the most sufficient to bee relyed on Also Theramenes the sonne of Agnon an able man both for elocution and vnderstanding was another of the Principall of those that ouerthrew the Democracie So that it it is no maruell if the businesse tooke effect being by many and wise men conducted though it were a hard one For it went sore with the Athenian People almost a hundred yeeres after the expulsion of the Tyrants to be now depriued of their liberty hauing not onely not beene subiect to any but also for the halfe of this time beene enured to dominion ouer others When the Assembly after it had passed these things no man contradicting was dissolued then afterwards they brought the Foure hundred into the Councell-house in this manner The Athenians were euermore partly on the Walles and partly at their Armes in the Campe in regard of the Enemie that lay at Decelea Therefore on the day appointed they suffered such as knew not their intent to goe forth as they were wont But to such as were of the Conspiracy they quietly gaue order not to goe to the Campe it selfe but to lagge behind at a certaine distance and if any man should oppose what was in doing to take Armes and keepe them backe They to whom this charge was giuen were the Andrians Tenians three hundred Carystians and such of the Colonie of Aegina which the Athenians had sent thither to inhabite as came on purpose to this action with their owne Armes These things thus ordered the Foure hundred with euery man a secret Dagger accompanyed with one hundred and twenty yong men of Greece whom they vsed for occasions of shedding bloud came in vpon the Counsellors of the Beane as they sate in the Counsell-house and commanded them to take their Salary and be gone which also they brought ready with them for the whole time they were behind and payed it to them as they went out And the rest of the Citizens mutined not but rested quiet The 400 being now entred into the Counsell-house created Prytanes amongst themselues by lot and made their prayers and sacrifices to the Gods all that were before vsuall at the entrance vpon the Gouernment And afterwards receding farre from that course which in the administration of the State was vsed by the People sauing that for Alcibiades his sake they recalled not the Outlawes in other things they gouerned the Common-wealth imperiously And not onely slew some though not many such as they thought fit to be made away and imprisoned some and confined others to places abroad but also sent Heralds to Agis King of the Lacedaemonians who was then at Decelea signifying that they would come to composition with him and that now he might better treat with them then he might before with the vnconstant People But he not imagining that the Citie was yet in quiet nor willing so soone to deliuer vp their ancient liberty but rather that if they saw him approach with great forces they would be in tumult not yet beleeuing fully but that some stirre or other would arise amongst them gaue no answer at all to
those that came from the Fourehundred touching the composition but hauing sent for new and great forces out of Peloponnesus came downe himselfe not long after both with the Army at Decelea and those new commers to the Athenian Walles Hoping that they would fall into his hands according to his desire at least the more easily for their confusion or perhaps at the very first shout of their voyces in respect of the tumult that in all likelihood was to happen both within and without the Citie For as for the Long-walles in regard of the few Defendants likely to be found vpon them he thought he could not faile to take them But when he came neere and the Athenians were without any the least alteration within and had with their Horsemen which they sent out and a part of their men of Armes and of their Light-armed and of their Archers ouerthrowne some of his men that approached too neere and gotten some armes and bodies of the slaine rectified thus he with drew his Armie againe and himselfe and such as were with him before stayed in their place at Decelea but as for those that came last after they had stayed a while in the Countrey he sent them home againe After this the 400 notwithstanding their former repulse sent Ambassadors vnto Agis anew and he now receiuing them better by his aduice they sent Ambassadours also to Lacedaemon about an agreement being desirous of Peace They likewise sent 10 men to Samos to satisfie the Army and to tell them That the Oligarchy was not set vp to any preiudice of the Citie or Citizens but for the safety of the whole State And that they which had their hands in it were 5000 and not 400 onely Notwithstanding that the Athenians by reason of warfare and imployment abroad neuer assembled of how great consequence soeuer was the maâ—ter to be handled so frequent as to be 5000 there at once And hauing in other things instructed them how to make the best of the matter they sent them away immediately after the gouernment was changed fearing as also it fell out lest the Sea-faring multitude would not onely not continue in this Oligarchicall forme themselues but the mischiefe beginning there would depose them also For in Samos there was a commotion about the Oligarchy already And this that followeth happened about the same time that the 400 were set vp in Athens Those Samians that had risen against the Nobility and were of the Peoples side turning when Pisander came thither at the perswasion of him and of those Athenians in Samos that were his Complices conspired together to the number of 300 and were to haue assaulted the rest as Populars and one Hyperbolus a lewd fellow who not for any feare of his power or for any dignity but for wickednesse of life and dishonour he did the Citie had beene banished by Ostracisme they slew abetted therein both by Charminus one of the Commanders and by other Athenians that were amongst them who had giuen them their faith and together with these they committed other facts of the same kind and were fully bent to haue assaulted the Popular side but they hauing gotten notice thereof made knowne the designe both to the Generals Leon and Diomedon foâ— these being honoured by the People endured the Oligarchy vnwillingly and also to Thrasibulus and Thrasiâ—â—us whereof one was Captaine of a Gally and the other Captaine of a Band of a men of Armes and to such others continually as they thought stood in greatest opposition to the Conspirators and required of them that they would not see them destroyed and Samos alienated from the Athenians by the only means of which their Dominion had till this time kept it selfe in the state it is in They hearing it went to the Souldiers and exhorted them one by one not to suffer it especially to the Paralians who were all Athenians and Freemen come thither in the Gally called Paralus and had alwayes before been enemies to the Oligarchy And Leon and Diomedon whensoeuer they went forth any whither left them certaine Gallies for their guard So that when the 300 assaulted them the Commons of the Samians with the helpe of all these and especially of the Paralians had the vpper hand and of the 300 slew 30. Three of the chiefe authors they banished and burying in obliuion the fault of the rest gouerned the State from that time forward as a Democratie The Paralus and it Chaereas the sonne of Archestratus a man of Athens one that had been forward in the making of this change the Samians and the Souldiers dispatched presently away to Athens to aduertise them of what was done for they knew not yet that the gouernment was in the hands of the 400. When they arriued the 400 cast some two or three of these of the Paralus into prison the rest after they had taken the Gally from them and put them aboord another Military Gally they commanded to keepe guard about Euboea But Chaereas by some meanes or other getting presently away seeing how things went came backe to Samos and related to the Army all that the Athenians had done aggrauating it to the vtmost As that they punished euery man with stripes to the end that none should contradict the doings of those that bore rule and that their wiues and children at home were abused and that they had an intention further to take and imprison all that were of kinne to any of the Army which was not of their faction to the intent to kill them if they of Samos would not submit to their authority And many other things he told them adding lyes of his owne When they heard this they were ready at first to haue fallen vpon the chiefe authors of the Oligarchy and vpon such of the rest as were partakers of it Yet afterwards being hindred by such as came betweene and aduised them not to ouerthrow the State the enemy lying so nere with their Gallies to assault them they gaue it ouer After this Thrasybulus the sonne of Lycas and Thrasyllus for these were the principall authors of the change determining now openly to reduce the State at Samos to a Democracy tooke oathes of all the Souldiers especially of the Oligarchicals the greatest they could deuise both that they should be subiect to the Democracy and agree together and also that they should zealously prosecute the Warre against the Peloponnesians and withall be enemies to the 400 and not haue to doe with them by Ambassadours The same oath was taken by all the Samians that were of age and the Athenian Souldiers communicated with them their whole affaires together with whatsoeuer should succeed of their dangers For whom and for themselues they made account there was no refuge of safety but that if either the 400 or the enemy at Miletus ouercame them they must needs perish So there was a contention at this time one side compelling the Citie to a Democracy
angry in good earnest Neuerthelesse the Souldiers went on with their busines and repented not a iot of what they had done Then they asked Theramenes if hee thought this Fortification were made to any good end and whether it were not better to haue it demolished And he answered that if they thought good to demolish it he also thought the same At which word they presently got vp both the Souldiers and also many others of Piraeus and fell a digging downe of the Wall Now the prouocation that they vsed to the Multitude was in these words That whosoeuer desired that the Soueraignety should be in the 5000 in stead of the 400 ought also to set himselfe to the worke in hand For notwithstanding all this they thought fit as yet to vayle the Democracie with the name of the Fiue-thousand and not to say plainely Whosoeuer will haue the Soueraignety in the People lest the 5000. should haue bin extant indeed and so a man by speaking to some or other of them might doe hurt to the businesse through ignorance And for this cause it was that the Foure-hundred would neither let the Fiue-thousand bee extant nor yet let it bee knowne that they were not For to make so many participant of the affaires of State they thought was a direct Democracie but to haue it doubtfull would make them afraid of one another The next day the Foure-hundred though out of order yet met together in the Councell-house and the Souldiers in Piraeus hauing enlarged Alexicles whom they had before imprisoned and quite razed the Fortification came into the Theater of Bacchus neere to Munychia and there sate downe with their Armes and presently according as they had resolued in an Assembly then holden marched into the City and there sate downe againe in the Temple of Castor and Pollux To this place came vnto them certaine men elected by the Foure-hundred and man to man reasoned and perswaded with such as they saw to be of the mildest temper both to be quiet themselues to restraine the rest saying that not onely the Fiue-thousand should be made knowne who they were but that out of these such should be chosen in turnes to be of the Foure-hundred as the Fiue-thousand should thinke good and entreating them by all meanes that they would not in the meane time ouerthrow the City and force it into the hand of the Enemy Hereupon the whole number of the men of Armes after many reasons alledged to many men grew calmer and feared most the losse of the whole City And it was agreed betwixt them that an Assembly should be held for making of accord in the Temple of Bacchus at a day assigned When they came to the Temple of Bacchus and wanted but a little of a full Assembly came newes that Hegesandridas with his 42 Gallies came from Megara along the Coast towards Salamis And now there was not a Souldier but thought it the very same thing that Theramenes and his party had before told them That those Gallies were to come to the Fortification and that it was now demolished to good purpose But Hegesandridas perhaps vpon appointment houered vpon the Coast of Epidaurus and thereabouts but it is likely that in respect of the sedition of the Athenians he staid in those parts with hope to take hold of some good aduantage Howsoeuer it was the Athenians as soone as it was told them ran presently with all the power of the City downe to Piraeus lesse esteeming their domestique Warre then that of the Common Enemy which was not now farre off but euen in the Hauen And some went aboord the Gallies that were then ready some lanched the rest and others ranne to defend the Walles and mouth of the Hauen But the Peloponnesian Gallies being now gone by and gotten about the Promontory of Sunium cast Anchor betweene Thoricus and Prasiae and put in afterwards at Oropus The Athenians with all speede constrained to make vse of tumultuary Forces such as a Citie in time sedition might afford and desirous with all haste to make good their greatest stake for Euboea since they were shut out of Attica was all they had sent a Fleet vnder the command of Timocharis to Eretria Which arriuing with those Gallies that were in Euboea before made vp the number of sixe and thirty Sayle and they were presently constrained to hazard Battell For Hegesandridas brought out his Gallies from Oropus when hee had first there dined Now Oropus is from Eretria about threescore Furlongs of Sea Whereupon the Athenians also as the Enemy came towards them beganne to embarke supposing that their Souldiers had beene some where neere vnto the Gallies but it fell out that they were gone abroad to get their dinner not in the Market for by set purpose of the Eretrians to the end that the Enemy might fall vpon the Athenians that embarked slowly before they were ready and force them to come out and fight nothing was there to bee sold but in the vtmost Houses of the Citie There was besides a signe set vp at Eretria to giue them notice at Oropus at what time to set forward The Athenians drawne out by this deuice and fighting before the Hauen of Eretria made resistance neuerthelesse for a while but afterwards they turned their backes and were chased ashore Such as fled to the City of the Eretrians taking it for their friend were handled most cruelly and slaughtered by them of the Towne but such as got to the Fort in Eretria holden by the Athenians saued themselues And so did so many of their Gallies as got to Chalcis The Peloponnesians after they had taken twelue Athenian Gallies with the men whereof some they slew and some they tooke prisoners erected a Trophie and not long after hauing caused all Euboea to reuolt saue onely Oreus which the Athenians held with their owne forces they settled the rest of their businesse there When the newes of that which had hapned in Euboea was brought to Athens it put the Athenians into the greatest astonishment that euer they had beene in before For neither did their losse in Sicily though then thought great nor any other at any time so much affright them as this For now when the Army at Samos was in rebellion when they had no more Gallies nor men to put aboord when they were in Sedition amonst themselues and in continuall expectation of falling together by the eares then in the necke of all arriued this great Calamity wherein they not onely lost their Gallies but also which was worst of all Euboea by which they had receiued more Commodity then by Attica How then could they choose but be deiected But most of all they were troubled and that for the neerenesse with a feare least vpon this victory the enemy should take courage and come immediately into Piraeus now empty of Shipping of which they thought nothing wanting but that they were not there already And had they
beene any thing aduenturous they might easily haue done it and then had they stayed there and besieged them they had not onely encreased the Sedition but also compelled the Fleet to come away from Ionia to the ayde of their kinred and of the whole City though Enemies to the Oligarchy and in the meane time gotten the Hellespont Ionia the Ilands and all places euen to Euboea and as one may say the whole Athenian Empire into their power But the Lacedaemonians not onely in this but in many other things were most commodious enemies to the Athenians to Warre withall For being of most different humours the one swift the other slow the one aduenturous the other timerous the Lacedaemonians gaue them great aduantage especially when their greatnesse was by Sea This was euident in the Syracusians who being in condition like vnto them warred best against them The Athenians vpon this newes made ready notwithstanding twenty Gallies and called an Assembly one then presently in the place called Pnyx where they were wont to assemble at other times in which hauing deposed the Foure-hundred they decreed the Soueraignety to the Fiue-thousand of which number were all such to bee as were charged with Armes and from that time forward to Salariate no man for Magistracy with a penalty on the Magistrate receiuing the Salary to be held for an execrable person There were also diuers other Assemblies held afterwards wherein they elected Law-makers and enacted other things concerning the Gouernment And now first at least in my time the Athenians seeme to haue ordered their State aright which consisted now of a moderate temper both of the Few and of the Many And this was the first thing that after so many misfortunes past made the City againe to raise her head They decreed also the recalling of Alcibiades and those that were in exile with him and sending to him and to the Army at Samos willed them to fall in hand with their businesse In this change Pisander and Alexicles and such as were with them and they that had beene principall in the Oligarchy immediately withdrew themselues to Decelea Onely Aristarchus for it chanced that hee had charge of the Souldiers tooke with him certaine Archers of the most Barbarous and went with all speede to Oenoe This was a Fort of the Athenians in the Confines of Boeotia and for the losse that the Corinthians had receiued by the Garrison of Oenoe was by voluntary Corinthians and by some Boeotians by them called in to ayde them now besieged Aristarchus therefore hauing treated with these deceiued those in Oenoe and told them that the City of Athens had compounded with the Lacaedaemonians and that they were to render vp the place to the Boeotians for that it was so conditioned in the Agreement Whereupon beleeuing him as one that had authority ouer the Souldiery and knowing nothing because besieged vpon security for their passe they gaue vp the Fort. So the Boeotians receiue Oenoe and the Oligarchy and Sedition at Athens cease About the same time of this Summer when none of those whom Tissaphernes at his going to Aspendus had substituted to pay the Peloponnesian Nauie at Miletus did it and seeing neither the Phoenician Fleet nor Tissaphernes came to them and seeing Philip that was sent along with him and also another one Hippocrates a Spartan that was lying in Phaselis had written to Mindarus the Generall That the Fleete was not to come at all and in euery thing Tissaphernes abused them seeing also that Pharnabazus had sent for them and was willing vpon the comming to him of their Fleete for his owne part also as well as Tissaphernes to cause the rest of the Cities within his owne Prouince to reuolt from the Athenians Then at length Mindarus hoping for benefit by him with good order and sudden warning that the Athenians at Samos might not bee aware of their setting foorth went into the Hellespont with seauenty three Gallies besides sixteene which the same Summer were gone into the Hellespont before and had ouer-runne part of Chersonnesus But tossed with the Winds hee was forced to put in at Icarus and after hee had staid there through ill weather some fiue or sixe dayes he arriued at Chios Thrasyllus hauing beene aduertised of his departure from Miletus hee also puts to Sea from Samos with fiue and fifty Sayle hasting to bee in the Hellespont before him But hearing that hee was in Chios and conceiuing that hee would stay there hee appointed Spyes to lye in Lesbos and in the Continent ouer against it that the Fleet of the Enemy might not remoue without his knowledge and hee himselfe going to Methymna commanded prouision to bee made of Meale and other necessaries intending if they stayed there long to goe from Lesbos and inuade them in Chios Withall because Eressus was reuolted from Lesbos he purposed to goe thither with his Fleet if hee could to take it in For the most potent of the Methymnaean Exiles had gotten into their society about fifty men of Armes out of Cyme and hired others out of the Continent and with their whole number in all three hundred hauing for their Leader Anaxarchus a Theban chosen in respect of their descent from the Thebans first assaulted Methymna but beaten in the attempt by the Athenian Garrison that came against them from Mitylene and againe in a Skirmish without the Citie driuen quite away they passed by the way of the Mountaine to Eressus and caused it to reuolt Thrasyllus therefore intended to goe thither with his Gallies and to assault it At his comming hee found Thrasybulus there also before him with fiue Gallies from Samos For hee had beene aduertised of the Out-lawes comming ouer but beeing too late to preuent them hee went to Eressus and lay before it at Anchor Hither also came two Gallies of Methymna that were going home from the Hellespont so that they were in all threescore and seuen Sayle out of which they made an Armie intending with Engines or any other way they could to take Eressus by assault In the meane time Mindarus and the Peloponnesian Fleet that was at Chios when they had spent two dayes in victualling their Gallies and had receiued of the Chians three Chian Tessaracostes a man on the third day put speedily off from Chius and kept farre from the shore that they might not fall amongst the Gallies at Eressus And leauing Lesbos on the left hand went to the Continent side and putting in at a Hauen in Craterei belonging to the Territory of Phocaea and there dining passed along the Territory of Cyme and came to Arginusae in the Continent ouer against Mitylene where they supped From thence they put forth late in the night and came to Harmatus a place in the Continent ouer against Methymna and after dinner going a great pace by Lectus Larissa Hamaxitus and other the Townes in those parts came before midnight to
from Caunus and Phaselis reporting that he had diuerted the Phoenician Fleete from comming to the Peloponnesians and that hee had inclined Tissaphernes to the friendship of the Athenians more then hee was before Thence manning out nine Gallies more hee exacted a great summe of money of the Halicarnasseans and fortified Cos. Being now almost Autumne hee returned to Samos The Peloponnesians being now in Hellespont the Antandrians who are Aeolians receiued into the City men of Armes from Abydus by Land through Mount Ida vpon iniury that had beene done them by Arsaces a Deputy Lieutenant of Tissaphernes This Arsaces hauing fained a certaine Warre not declared against whom had formerly called out the chiefest of the Delians the which in hallowing of Delos by the Athenians were turned out and had planted themselues in Adramyttium to goe with him to this War And when vnder colour of amity and confederacy hee had drawne them out he obserued a time when they were at dinner and hauing hemmed them in with his owne Souldiers murdered them with darts And therefore for this acts sake fearing lest hee might doe some vnlawfull pranke against them also and for that hee had otherwise done them iniury they cast his Garrison out of their Cittadell Tissaphernes hearing of this being the act of the Peloponnesians as well as that at Miletus or that at Cnidus for in those Cities his Garrisons had also beene cast out in the same manner and conceiuing that hee was deepely charged to them and fearing lest they should doe him some other hurt and withall not enduring that Pharnabazus should receiue them and with lesse time and cost speed better against the Athenians then hee had done resolued to make a iourney to them in the Hellespont both to complaine of what was done at Antandrus and to cleere himselfe of his accusations the best he could as well concerning the Phoenician Fleet as other matters And first he put in at Ephesus and offered Sacrifice to Diana When the Winter following this Summer shall bee ended the one and twentieth yeere of this Warre shall bee compleat FINIS THE TABLE A ABdera 138. B. Abydus reuolteth from the Athenians 504. B. Acanthus reuolteth from the Athenians 260. C. Acarnamans why so called 143. A. Theeues 4. C. their League with Athens 119. B. good slingers 127. D. Acesiâ—e a Riuer of Sicily 225. D. Achaia Oligarchized 339. A. Acharnae a great part of the Athenian Citie 94. A.B. Acheâ—â—us 14â— B. Acheron 26. B. Acherusia ibid. Acrae when and by whom built 352. D. Aeragante when and by whom built 352. A. Act 272. D. Actium 18. A. Aegâ—netae They incense the Lacedaemonians against the Athenians 35. C. Aegina yeelded to the Athenians 57. A. They are receiued by the Lacedaemonians into Thyrea 97. B. and taken by the Athenians are put to death 243. C. Aegitium 197. E. 198. A. Aegypt The Athenians in Aegypt defeated 57. D. Aemus 137 D. Aenus 228. D. Aeolian Ilands 192. B. Aetna burneth 209. B. Aetolia 196. B. Agamemnon his power 6. A. Agis withdraweth his Army from Argos and why 327. B. he leuieth money in Thessaly 471. B. his power when he was at Decelea 472. B. Agraei 142. B. Agraeis 203. B. Agrianes 138. A. Alcamenes slaine 475. C. Alcibiades how he crosseth Nicias and deceiuing the Lacedaemoan Ambassadors procureth a League betweene the Athenians and Argiues 316. C. sequ he goeth with charge into Peloponnesus 323. B. presseth the Sicilian expedition and why 358. B. is accused for the defacing of the Mercuries 365. D. his opinion touching the mannaging of the Sicilian Warre 377. A. is called home to his tryall 379. B. he vnbetrayeth Messana 392. A. his aduice to the Lacedaemonians to fortifie Decelea 402. C. He flyeth to Tissaphernes 493. E he counselleth Tissaphernes against the Lacedaemonians 494. D. seeketh to returne to Athens 495. D. he deludeth the Athenians in demaund of intollerable conditions and why 501. B. his returne propounded at Athens 499. C. he is made Generall of the Athenian Army at Samos 516. A. his returne decreed at Athens 528. B. he hindereth the Army of the Athenians from inuading the Citie of Athens 518. C. he goeth after Tissaphernes to Aspendus why 520. C. Alcidas sent to relieue Mitylene 158. B. his behauiour in that voyage 160. C. his returne with his Fleet into Peloponnesus 182. B. his charge against Corcyra at Sybota 185. B. Alâ—maeon 143. A. Almopia 140. B. Alope 97. B. Alyzea 431. A. Ambrabian Gulfe 18. A. 118. D. Ambraciotes Warre against the Acarnanians 125. D. are defeated at Idomenae 206. D. Amorges a Rebell against the King of Persia. 485. B. Amphipolis called the Ninewayes 53. A. taken by Brasidas 271. A. refuseth to be rendred to the Athenians 302. B. Anactorium 18. A. 3. B. C. 208. C. 239. E. 431. A. Anaea A City ouer against Samoâ— 253. C. the Anaeans were Samians 160. C. Anapus a Riuer in Acarnania 128. A. a Riuer neere Syracuse 387. D. 405. B. Androsthenes Victor in the Olympique Games 321. B. Antandrus taken by the Outlawes of Mitylene 240. E. Anthemus 140. B. Anthesterion 91. D. Antiphon 497 D. 498. A. Antitanes 126. C. Aphrodisia 242. D. Aphytis 34. C. Apidanus 255. E. Apodoti 196. C. Apollo Maloeis 146. E. Arcadians borrowed Ships for the Troian Warre 6. D. Archedice daughter of Hippias her Epitaph 383. A. Archidamus King of Lacedaemon Generall of the Peloponnesians 87. C. blamed for his delay at Oenöe 93. A. his purpose in staying at Acharnâ— 94. A. his protestation against Plataea 122. B. Archon the nine Archontes 66. A. Arcturus 124. C. An Argilian betrayeth Pausaniaâ— 70. C. Argenum 487. E. Argiues They refuse to renue the Truce with Sparta and why 298. B. they treat of League against the Lacedaemonians with the rest of the Grecians 306. B. they seeke Peace with Sparta 314. C. they make League with Athens 319. A. their Army intercepted betweene the Armies of their enemies 326. C. they renounce their League with the 〈◊〉 337. B. 〈◊〉 6. C. Argos Amphilochicum 11â— D. inuaded by the Ambraciotes 2â—â— C. Argos Oligarchized againe â—â—lapseth into a Democracy 239 A. 〈◊〉 17. D. 32. C. 33. E. 34 D. 〈◊〉 12. D his fact against the Tyrants 379 D. sequenâ—â—◠〈◊〉 his Stratagem 4â—6 A. 〈◊〉 A property of all Armies 〈◊〉 what it is 33â— A. greatnesse of the Athenian Army set forth for Sicily 374. D. 〈◊〉 ordinarily worne 4. C. 〈◊〉 by first by the Athenians 9. C. 〈◊〉 Ambassadour from the King of Persia to Sparta taken by the Athenians and his Letters read 240. A. 〈◊〉 73. B. his death 240 B. 〈◊〉 a Magistracy in Argos 220. B. 〈◊〉 242. A. 〈◊〉 the sonne of Phormio â—38 D 〈◊〉 49. C 98. D. 142. A. 〈◊〉 Generall of the 〈◊〉 480. A. his danger 487. C. he discloseth the Treason of 〈◊〉 to Alcibiades 49â— A. in danger to be slaine by mutiny 517. A. discharged of his command 517 C. 〈◊〉 99.
D. Hermione 111. C. Hermocrates banished 517. D. Hestiaeans put out of Euboea by the Athenians 59. C. Hirea Vulcans shop 192. B. Himera when and by whom built 352 C. inuaded by the Athenians 208. C. it aydeth Gylippus 414. B. Hipparchus brother to Hippias the Tyrant of Athens slaine by Harmodius and Aristogiton 12 D. solliciteth Harmodius for loue and is denyed 380 A. disgraceth Harmodius 381. C. how slaine 38â— B. why thought afterwards to haue beene the Tyrant 381. C. Hippias Tyrant of Athens 12. C. 380. E. eldest sonne of Pisistratus ibid. driuen out of Athens by the Lacedaemonians returneth with the Persians to Marathon 383. B. Hippias an Arcadian slaine by Paches contrary to faith 161. E. Hippocrates taketh Delium 261. B. Holy Warre 58. D. some Holiday or other at Athens continually 102. B. Homer 3. B. Hope 343. C. D. Horsemen 400. HorsemeÌ„ ordained by the Lacedaemonians 242. B. Horsemen a degree in estate at Athens 153. A. Hyccara 385. C. Hyperbolus 510. D. Hysiae of Attica 157. D. Hysiae of Argia taken by the Lacedaemonians 340. A. Hyperbolus 510. D. I IAssus taken by the Peloponnesians 489. B. Iâ—thys Promontory 96. E. Ida 241. A. Idomenae 206. B. Iëgas 414 E. Jllyrians betray Perdiccas 281. C. Jmages of Mercury at Athens defaced 365 B. Imbrians 148. A. Jmbros 128 D. Inarus a Rebell crucified 57. D. Inessa 200. C. Inessaeans 404. Inscription on the Tripode by Pausanias 69. E. by the Lacedaemonians 70. A. Jnvndation at Orobiae 192. D. at Atalanta 192 E. Iönia planted with Athenians 3. A. 8. E. Jsthmi taken by the building of Cities 5. B. Jsthmus of Pallene 30. D. Istone 191. B. Italy whence so named 350. D. Jthome 53. B. yeelded vp 54. A. Itonians 292. B. Iunoes Temple at Argos burnt 287. A. K KIng of Lacedaemon had but one Vote in Councell 12. D. Kingdomes with honours limited 11. D. L LAcedaemonians Lacedaemonian Noblemen plaine in their garments 4. A Lacedaemonians pulled downe the Tyrants of Greece 11. B. how they gouerned their Confederates 12. A. their disposition 37. D. slow to Warre without necessity 61. C. Pretend the liberty of Greece 86. C. they would haue no walled Cities without Peloponnesus and why 47. C. they are hindred from the inuasion of Atcica by an Earthquake 192. D. their gouernment alwayes seuere not alwayes iust 195. D. 400 Lacedaemonians put into the I le Sphacteria 215. D. they desire to treat for their men at Pylus with a priuate Committee 223 C. their men taken in Sphacteria put in bonds 235. B. they seeke Peace secretly 235 D their policy in destroying their Heâ—otes 256. D. they seeke Peace and why 298 A. their men taken in Pylus deliuered 304. C. they seeke League with the Argiues and why 312 A. their Ambassadors roughly vsed at Athens 316 B. they make League priuately with the Boeotian 314. B. they warre on Argos 325. C. their Army at Leuâ—tra 323. D. they are excluded from the Olymâ—ian Games 322. A. and fined in a Summe of money 321. C. their Discipline in charging the enemy 332. D. they fight long for a victory but follow the enemy not farre 334. D they make ready 100 Gallies for the Jonian warre 471. C. commodious enemies for the Athenians 527. D. Labdalum 406. A. Lada 478. D. Laestrigones 350. A. Lamachus his opinion touching the Conduction of the Sicilian Warre 377. C. slaine 408. D. Lampsacus 74. C. reuolteth from the Athenians 504 recouered againe ibid. Laotheca 287. B. Larissa 255. B. Latiâ—os the land 161. B. Lâ—aeâ—â—s 138 A. 〈◊〉 Two great Leagues in Greece 11. D. League defensiue betweene the Athenians and Corcyâ—â—â—â—ns 25. B. League betweene the Ambraciotes and Acarnanians 208. B. betweene the Athenians and Lacedaemonians 303. C. betweene the Argiues and Eleans c. 308. A. betweene the Aâ—giâ—es and Lacedaemonians 337. B. betweene the Lacedaemonians and Tissaphernes 479. A. againe 489. A. againe 502. B. 〈◊〉 reuolteth from the Athenians 479. D. Lecythuâ— 274. B 275. D. Lâ—mnâ—s 60. B. 148. A. 228. D. Leocorium 12. D. 〈◊〉 neere Syracuse 405. C Leortines ayded by the Athenians 191. D. Leontine Commons driuen out by the Few 291. B. the Leoâ—tine Nobility go to dwell at Syracusâ— 291. C. they seaze on certaine places of their owne Territory ibid. Leontium 351. C Leotychides Generall at Mycale 47. A. Lepreaâ—es quarrell with the Eleansâ—08 â—08 B. Lesbâ—s 148. A. receiued into the League of the Peloponnesians 152. C. reuolteth from the Athenians 472. A. Letter Letter of Nicias to the Athenian People 419. A. of Xexes to Pausanias 68 B. Leucas â—8 D. 26. B. 149. A. 196. A Leucâ—mna 18. D. 26. C. Leuconium 482. B. Leuctra of Arcadia 323. D. Lichas a Lacedaemonian whipped 322. A. sent with authority into Ionia 490. B. C. hated by the Milesians 517. C. Limnaea 126. D. Lipara 192. B. Lochagi 331. B. Locri Ozolae Theeues 4. C. Locris in Italy Confederate with Syracuse 191 C Locrians make Peace with the Athenians 292. B. Lycaeum 299. C. 323. D. Lynchestians 139. D 256 B. 257. D. M MAcedonia The beginning of the Raigne of the Temenidae 139· D. the discription of that Kingdome 140. B. Maedi 139. B. Maenalia 329. C. Magistracy A new Magistracy erected at Athens 470. C. Epidemiurgi Magistrates at Potidaea 31. A. Cytherodices a Magistracy 241. B. Magnesia of Asia 74 B. Magnetians 141. B. Maleu 147. E 148. D. Malocis Apollo 146. E. 147. B. Mantineans and Tegeates fight 287. B. their League with the Argiues 306. D. their League with the Lacedaemonians 338. D. Marathusa 486 D. Mecyberne taken from the Athenians 313 D Medeon 203. B. Megareans forbidden commerce in Attica 35 D. they reuolt from the Corinthians 54. B. they reuolt from the Athenians 59. B. they expect the euent of battell betweene Brasidas and the Athenians 251. A. Megarean Outlawes recalled 252. E. set vp the Oligarchy 253. B. they refuse to be comprehended in the Peace betweene the Athenians and Lacedaemonians 300. A. Megaris inuaded by the Athenians 98. E. Megara attempted by the Athenians 248. A. Treason in Megara discouered 250. B. Megara Hyblaea 404. B. when and by whom built 351. D. Melicis 194. C. Melij 292. B. their Dialogue with the Athenians 341. A. Meliteia 255. B. Melos 87. B. 193. E. besieged by the Athenians 346. B. taken and sacked 347. B. Menda reuolteth from the Athenians 280. B. Messana 193. C. reuolteth from the Athenians 211. D. Messanians inuade Naxus 225. C. Messana why called Zancle 352. C Messapians 199. C. Methone 96. C. 237. D. 354. C. Methymne 148. A. reuolteth from the rest of Lesbos 146. A. Methymnaeans Warre on Antissa 154. A. Methydrium 325. D. Miletus reuolteth from the Athenians 478 D. Mindarus General of the Peloponnesians 517. C. goeth into Hellespont 529. A. Minoa 248. B. taken by Nicias 172. A. Minos first that had a great Nauy 5 D 3. D. freed the Sea of Pirates 5. D. Master of the Sea 3. D. Mitylenians 147. B. why not
depriued of liberty 150. D. Mitylenian Commons yeeld the City to the Athenians 158. D. sentence at Athens against Mitylene 162. C. 1000 Mitylenians put to death 171. C. Mitylenian Outlawes lose Antandrus 253. B. Molossians 126. C. Molychrium 129 D. 199. E. Moneth Elaphebolium 278. A. 302. A. Gerastion 278 B. Artemisium 302. A. Carneius 323. E Mount raised against Plataea 122 C. Mycale 47. A. Mycalessus 429. E. Mycenae 3. C. Mygdonia 32. A. 140 A. Mylae 193. C. Myonnesus 160. C. Myrcinus 271. C. Myronides 55. C. Myus 74. C. 154. C. N NAuie first built by Minos 3. D The Nauies of old time in Greece 10. B. the Nauy of the Athenians at the greatest when 153. C. Naupactus 54. B. 119. C. defended by Demosthenes 200. A. Naxus the Iland first of the Athenian Confederates that was brought in to seruitude 52. A. Naxus of Sicily 225. C. when and by whom built 351. B. Neapolis of Africke 443. C. Nemea the Forrest 326. B. Neritum 149. A. Nicias goeth with an Army to Melos 193. D. giueth his power to leuy Souldiers to Cleon 228. C. winneth Cythera 241. D. goeth Ambassadour to Lacedaemon 318. B. chosen Generall for the Sicilian voyage 354. D. his opinion touching the mannaging of that Warre 376. D. his Stratagem to get landing at Syracuse 386. B. is assaulted in his Campe 409. A. why vnwilling to rise from before Syracuse 442. A. he yeeldeth himself to Gylippus 466. A. his death 467. A. Nicias of Crete 130 B. Nisaea besieged by the Athenians 249. D. rendred 250. B. Notium 161. B. 162. A. the Number of the Lacedaemonian Army against the Argiues how computed 332. A. Nymphodorus of Abdera 97. D. O OAre One man to one Oare in a Trireme 136. A. Oath Forme of the Oath at the making of the Peace betweene the Lacedaemonians and the Athenians 301. D. Odomantians 141. C. 292. C. Odrysae 98. A. B. 137. D. Oeantheans 199. C. Oeneon 199. D. Oenias 58. B. 128. A. compelled by the Acarnanians into the Athenian League 254. D. Oenöe 92. D. betrayed to the Boeotians 528. C. Oenophyta 56 E. Oenussae 482. A. Oezyme 271. C. Oligarchy of the 400 at Athens 507. C. sequ they enter the Senate house 508. C. they begin to decline 520. D. are assaulted by the Populars 523. C. Olophyxus 273. A. Olpae 203. A. taken by the Ambraciotes 202. C. Olympia 149. B. Olympian Games 5. A. 321. B. Olympiade eighty eighth 149. C. Olympiaeum 386. C. 387. C. 392. C. Olympus 256 A. Olynthus 32. A. 34. A. 280. D. Oneius 237 B. Ophionians 196. C. 197. C. Opus 57. A. Oracle The Corcyraeans referre their cause to the Oracle at Delphi 17. B. Oracle at Delphi consulted by the Epidamnians 15. C. Oracle at Delphi encourageth the Lacedaemonians 61. D. 110 D. Oraedus King of the Parauaeans 126. C. Oration of the Corinthians at Athens 22. B. at Sparta 62. A. of the Corcyraeans at Athens 19 C. of the Athenians at Lacedaemon 34 C. of Archidamus 43. A. of Sthenclaidas 45. D. of Pericles at Athens 75. C. of Archidamus to his Army 87. D. of Pericles at the Funerall 100. D. of Pericles to the incensed People 112. D. of Phormio to his Souldiers 132. C. of Cnemus to his Souldiers 131. B. of the Mitylenians at Olympia 149 B. of Cleon against the Mitylenians 163 of Diodotus for them 167. of the Plataeans 173. of the Thebans 177. of Demosthenes to his Souldiers 216. C. of the Lacedaemonians at Athens 221. A. of Hermocrates to the Sicilians at Gela 244. of Pagondas to his Souldiers 262. of Hippocrates to his Souldiers 264. of Brasidas to the Acanthians 258. D. to the Scionaeans 278. to the Toronaeans 274. to his Souldiers in Lyncus 282. B. to his Souldiers in Amphâ—polis 294. A. Of Nicias against the Sicilian voyage 355. againe 362. to his Souldiers 388. to his Souldiers about to fight in the great Hauen 450. B. to his Souldiers when hee rose from before Syracuse 460. B. Of Alcibiades for the Sicilian Voyage 359. against the Athenians at Lacedaemon 400. D. of Hermocrates in Syracuse 369. A at Camarina 393. A of Athenagoras 371. D. of a Syracusian Generall 374 A. of Euphemus at Camarina 396. A. Orchomenus seased by the Boeotian Outlawes 58. E. Orchomenus of Arcadia besieged by the Argiues and taken 328. B.C. Orestes King of Thessaly 58. A. Orestis of Epâ—â—us 287. B. Orestium 329. C. Orneae pulled downe 354. B. Orobiae 192. D. Oropus 96. A. taken from the Athenians by treason 503. B. P PAches killeth Hippias Captaine of the Arcadians in Notium by fraud 162. A. Paedaritus slaine 501. A. Paeonia 140. A. Paeonians 139. B. Pallas Chalciâ—cà 67. A. 71. B. Pallene 30. D. 34. C. Panactum taken by the Boeotians 291. A pulled downe and why 315. D. Panathenaea 1â— D. 320. C. Pancratium 32â— C. Palenses 98. D. Palirenses 98. D. Pangaeum 140. A. Panormus of Achaia 130. C. of Milesia 481. D. Paralia 111. A.C. Paralians 194 C. Paralus the name of a Gally 160. E. Patrae 128 C. 129. C. 323. B. Pausanias hated by the Confederates 51. B. winneth most of Cypruâ— 50. C. his insolent behauiour ibid. sent for home 50. D. his pride 68. C. driuen out of Byzantium he goeth to Colonae 69. B. his Inscription on the Tripode 69. D. his Medizing 67. C. his letter to Xerxes 67. D he conspireth with the Helotes 70. B is betrayed by an Argilian 70. C. taketh Sanctuary 71. A. his death 71. B. Peace betweene the Lacedaemonians and Athenians for 30 yeres 59. D. Peace in Sicily made by Hermocrates 247. A. Peace betweene the Lacedaemonians and Athenians for 50 yeeres 300. B not liked by the Confederates 302. D why desired by the Lacedaemonians 297. D. 298. D. crossed by the Ephores 311. D. the Peace made after the first ten yeeres Warre no Peace 305. B. broken in the Mâ—ntinean and Epidaurus Warre ibid. Pâ—gâ— 56. B. Peâ—â—â—ce 96. A. Pelasgium 92. B. Pelia 140. A. Pâ—lopiâ—es 6. C. Peloponnesus whence so called 6. B inhabited by the Doreans 8. D. Peloponnesian Warre after the Persian 50 yeeres 61. B. Peloponnesus inuaded by the Athenians 9â— B. 111. B. Peâ—â—ris 225. B. Pelâ—ps â— B. Penâ—acosâ—omedimni 153. A. Pepâ—rethus 193. A. Perdiccas King of Macedony solliciteth the Lacedaemonians to the Warre 12. B. reuolteth from the Athenians 33. B. procureth an Army out of Peloponnesus 256. B. declared by the Athenians for their enemy 257. C. betrayed by the Illyrians 281. D. flyeth out of Lyncus and deserteth Prasidaâ— 281. E. maketh Peace with the Athenians 286. B. stoppeth the passage of the Lacedaemonians through Thessaâ—â— 286. C. is barred the vse of the Sea by the Athenians and why â—40 B. Perâ—â—lis warreth on Samos 60. B. besiegeth Oeneus 58 B. descended of a Stocke that was vnder the curse for violation of Sanctuary 66. â— enemy to the Lacedaemonians 66. E. blamed by the Athenians as author of the Warre 95. A. giues his Land to the State in
a Lacedaemonian whipped vpon the Olymâ—â—an Race The twelfth Summer THE THIRTEENTH YEERE Warre betweene the Epidaurians and Argiues * Their holy moneth in which they kept a Feast to Apollo * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Iuly Ambassadors meet about Peace but cannot agree The end of the thirteenth Summer * The Argiues acknowledge the Sea on their owne coast 〈◊〉 be of the Dominion of Athens * Which was erected for the Articles of the Peace to bee written in * Jn Cephalonia where they had before placed them THE FOVRETEENTH YEERE Preparation of the Lacedaemonians against Argos * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * The Lacedaemonians Tegeates and some Arcadians not the whole League which was not yet vnited The Lacedaemonians and their Confederates meet at Phlius The Argiues go to meet them at the Forrest of Nemea The Lacedaemonians come into the Plaines before Argos The Argiues enclosed betweene the Lacedaemonians and the Boeotians And the Lacedaemonians enclosed betweene the army of the Argiues and their Citie * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that lodged the Lacedaemonians when any of them came to Argos Propositions of Peace made by two priuate men of Argos And accepted by Agis without the knowledge of the rest of the Commanders Agis withdraweth his Army and is censured for it by the Confederates * That is going home for till then they were neuer altogether in Nemaea Thrasyllus punished for propounding the Peace The Athenians instigate the Argiues to breake the Truce The Argiues breake the Truce and besiege Orchomenus * 〈…〉 Orchomenus 〈…〉 Orchomenus yeelded * As being in particular 〈◊〉 with it The Argiues goe next against Tegea which displeaseth the Eleans and they 〈◊〉 home The Lacedaemonians question their King for suffering the Argiues to goe off vnsoughten * 312 pound 10 shillings sterling The Lacedaemonians put their Army into the field to rescue Tegea The Lacedaemonians waste the Territory of Mantinea The Argiues come downe from their aduantage to seeke the enemy The Lacedaemonians put themselues in order hastily * Polemarchi Martials of the field The Commanders of Regiments Colonels Pentecontateres Captaines of Companies Enomatarchi Captaines of the fourth part of Company An Enomatia was in this Army thirty two Souldiers * A Band of the Lacedaemonians so called perhaps from Scirus a Towne in Laconia * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The order of the battell of the Argiues * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lesse then ordinary Regimets with vs more then ordinary Companies * Companies of 50 but more or lesse in them as occasion serued * Enomatia the fourth part of a Pentecostye By this account euery Enomatia had 32. euery Pentecostye 128. euery Band or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 512. the whole Army besides the Sciritae 3584 and with the Sciritae which are 600.4184 which number riseth also thus 448 in ranke 8 in File make 3584 and then the 600 Sciritae as before make 4184. light-armed Souldiers which vsually farre exceeded the number of men of Armes are not reckoned The hortatiue to the Argiues and their Confederates The Lacedaemonians encourage one another * They vsed before battell to sing Songs containing encouragement to dye for their Countrey The fight The Lacedaemonians haue the disaduantage for order but aduantage of valour The Lacedaemonians haue the victory The Lacedaemonians 〈…〉 the enemy farre Number of the 〈◊〉 The Lacedaemonians recouer their reputation The Epidaurians enter the territory of Argos The Athenians build a Fort before Epidaurus The end of the twelfth Summer Peace concluded betweene the Argiues and Lacedaemonians THE ARTICLES * Hostages which they tooke of the Orchomenians * Hostages of the Maenalians * Hostages of the Arcadians giuen to the Lacedaemonians and by them kept in Orchomenus and at the taking of Orchomenus by the Argiue League carried away to Mantinea * Apollo to whom the Epidaurians should haue sent a beast for sacrifice in name of their pastures but not doing it the Argiues went about to force theÌ„ to it * An Oath to send the beast for sacrifice hereafter * The Lacedaemonian faction The League betweene the Argiues and Lacedaemonians * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Argiues and Lacedaemonians make an order that the Athenians shall quit the Fort. They sollicite the townes vpon Thrace to reuolt from the Athenians Demosthenes being sent to fetch their Souldiers from the Fort deliuereth the same by a wile to the Epidaurians The Mantineans forsake the League of Athens * Which they had the leading of in Arcadia Siâ—yon and Argos reduced to Oligarchies THE FIFTEENTH YEERE The Dictidians reuolt from Athens Achaia Oligarchized Argos relapseth into a Democracy The Argiues come againe to the League of Athens and with long walls take in a way from their City to the Sea The end of the fifteenth Summer The Lacedaemonians Army comes to Argos and razeth the wals which they were building They take Hysiâ— a Towne in Argia The Argiues spoyle the Territory of Phliasia The Athenians quarrell Perdiccas and barre him the vse of the Sea THE SIXETEENTH YEERE Alcibiades fetcheth away 300 Citizens of Argos for Lacedaemonisme The Athenians warre against the Iland of Melos The Athenians and Melians agree not The City of Melos besieged The Argiues loose 80 men by an Ambushment of the Phliasians The Athenians in Pylus infest Laconia The Corinthians Warre on the Athenians The Meliansâ—â—leeue â—â—leeue their â—owne The end of the fifteenth Summer The Athenians resolue to inuade Sicily The greatnesse of Sicily and the inhabitants * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyclopes and Laestrigones Sicanians * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sicania Trinacria Troians Siculi Phoenicians Chalcideans * Id est 〈◊〉 guide * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corinthians * Nasus Ortygia an Jland part of the Citie of Syracuse Megareans Rhodians and Cretans Messana first built by Pirats of Cumae Euboeans Samians and other Ionians Rhegium Acrae Chasmenae Camarina The cause and pretence of the Athenians to inuade it The Lacedaemonians waste part of Argolica and put the Outlawes of Argos into Ornea The Athenians warre vpon Macedonia THE SEVENTEENTH YEERE The Athenian 〈◊〉 the Voyage of 〈◊〉 and Alcibiaâ—es Nâ—â—ias and Lamachus for Generals * The Corinthians * The Boeotians * Heglanceth at Alcibiades The motiues of Alcibiades to further his voyage * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the exhibition of 〈…〉 or other festiualâ—spectacles * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ships of the round building going onely with sayles without oares after the fashion of our ships In distinction from Gallies The Athenians vpon this speech made to desire them from the enterprize are the more encouraged to it The faces of all the Images of Mercury throughout Athens pared plaine Alcibiades accused for hauing in mockery acted the celebration of the Mysteries of their Religion He desires to come to his Tryall before his going forth but is not suffered The Athenian Fleet putteth to Sea The description of the setting forth of the Fleet. * empty in respect