Action with their Forces ioyned And to that Expedition they came together by the meanes of Navigation which the most part of Greece had now receiued For Minos was the most ancient of all that by report we know to haue built a Nauy and he made himselfe Master of the now Grecian Sea and both commanded the Iles called Cyclades and also was the first that sent Colonies into most of the same expelling thence the Carians and constituting his owne Sonnes there for Gouernours and also freed the Seas of Pirates as much as hee could for the better comming in as is likely of his owne Reuenue For the Grecians in old time and such Barbarians as in the Continent liued neere vnto the Sea or else inhabited the Ilands after once they beganne to crosse ouer one to another in Ships became Theeues and went abroad vnder the conduct of their most puissant men both to enrich themselues and to fetch in maintenance for the weake and falling vpon Towns vnfortified and scatteringly inhabited rifled them and made this the best meanes of their liuing Being a matter at that time no where in disgrace but rather carrying with it something of glory This is manifest by some that dwell on the Continent amongst whom so it be performed Nobly it is still esteemed as an Ornament The same also is prooued by some of the ancient Poets who introduce men questioning of such as saile by on all Coasts alike whether they bee Theeues or not as a thing neyther scorned by such as were asked nor vpbraided by those that were desirous to know They also robbed one another within the maine Land And much of Greece vseth that old custome as the Locrians called Ozolae the Acarnanians and those of the Continent in that quarter vnto this day Moreouer the fashion of wearing Iron remaineth yet with the people of that Continent from their old Trade of Theeuing For once they were wont throughout all Greece to goe armed because their Houses were vnfenced and travailing was vnsafe and accustomed themselues like the Barbarians to the ordinary wearing of their Armour And the Nations of Greece that liue so yet doe testifie that the same manner of life was anciently vniversall to all the rest Amongst whom the Athenians were the first that laid by their Armour and growing ciuill passed into a more tender kinde of life And such of the Rich as were any thing stepped into yeeres layd away vpon the same delicacie not long after the fashion of wearing linnen Coates and golden Grashoppers which they were wont to binde vp in the lockes of their haire from whence also the same Fashion by reason of their affinity remained a long time in vse amongst the ancient Ionians But the moderate kind of Garment and conformable to the wearing of these times was first taken vp by the Lacedaemonians amongst whom also both in other things and especially in the culture of their bodies the Nobility obserued the most equality with the Commons The same were also the first that when they were to contend in the Olympicke Games stript themselues naked and anoynted their bodies with oyntment whereas in ancient times the Champions did also in the Olympicke Games vse Breeches nor is it many yeeres since this custome ceased Also there are to this day amongst the Barbarians especially those of Asia Prizes propounded of fighting with Fists and of Wrestling and the Combattants about their priuie parts weare Breeches in the Exercise It may likewise by many other things bee demonstrated that the old Greekes vsed the same forme of life that is now in force amongst the Barbarians of the present Age. As for Cities such as are of late Foundation and since the increase of Navigation in as much as they haue had since more plenty of riches haue beene walled about and built vpon the Shore and haue taken vp Isthmi that is to say neckes of Land between Sea and Sea both for Merchandise and for the better strength against Confiners But the old Cities men hauing beene in those times for the most part infested by Theeues are built farther vp as well in the Ilands as in the Continent For others also that dwelt on the Sea side though not Sea-men yet they molested one another with Robberies and euen to these times those people are planted vp high in the Countrey But these Robberies were the exercise especially of the Ilanders namely the Carians and the Phoenicians for by them were the greatest part of the Ilands inhabited A testimony whereof is this The Athenians when in this present Warre they hallowed the I le of Delos and had digged vp the Sepulchers of the Dead found that more then halfe of them were Carians knowne so to bee both by the armour buried with them and also by their manner of buriall at this day And when Minos his Nauy was once afloat Nauigators had the Sea more free For hee expelled the Malefactors out of the Ilands and in the most of them planted Colonies of his owne By which means they who inhabited the Sea-coasts becomming more addicted to Riches grew more constant to their dwellings of whom some growne now rich compassed their Townes about with Walls For out of desire of gaine the meaner sort vnderwent servitude with the mighty and the mighty with their wealth brought the lesser Cities into subiection And so it came to passe that rising to power they proceeded afterward to the Warre against Troy And to mee it seemeth that Agamemnon got together that Fleet not so much for that hee had with him the Suters of Helena bound thereto by oath to Tyndareus as for this that hee exceeded the rest in power For they that by tradition of their Ancestours know the most certainety of the Acts of the Peloponnesians say That first Pelops by the abundance of wealth which he brought with him out of Asia to men in want obtained such power amongst them as though hee were a Stranger yet the Countrey was called after his name And that this power was also increased by his Posterity For Euristheus being slaine in Attica by the Heracleides Atreus that was his Vncle by the Mother and was then abiding with him as an exiled person for feare of his Father for the death of Chrysippus and to whom Euristheus when he vndertooke the Expedition had committed Mycenae and the gouernment thereof for that he was his Kinsman when as Euristheus came not backe the Mycenians being willing to it for feare of the Heracleides and because he was an able man and made much of the Common people obtained the Kingdome of Mycenae and of whatsoeuer else was vnder Euristheus for himselfe And the power of the Pelopeides became greater then that of the Perseides To which greatnesse Agamemnon succeeding and also farre excelling the rest in Shipping tooke that Warre in hand as
by Harmodius and Aristogeiton and know not that Hippias had the gouernment as being the eldest sonne of Pisistratus and that Hipparchus and Thessalus were his brethren and that Harmodius and Aristogeiton suspecting that some of their Complices had that day and at that instant discouered vnto Hippias somewhat of their treason did forbeare Hippias as a man forewarned and desirous to effect somewhat though with danger before they should be apprehended lighting on Hipparchus slew him neere the Temple called Leocorium whilest he was setting forth the Panathenaicall Show And likewise divers other things now extant and which Time hath not yet involued in oblivion haue beene conceiued amisse by other Grecians as that the Kings of Lacedaemon in giving their suffrages had not single but double Votes And that Pitanate was a band of Souldiers so called there whereas there was neuer any such So impatient of labour are the most men in the search of truth and embrace soonest the things that are next to hand Now he that by the Arguments heere adduced shall frame a Iudgement of the things past and not beleeue rather that they were such as the Poets haue sung or Prose-writers haue composed more delightfully to the eare then conformably to the truth as being things not to bee disprooued and by length of time turned for the most part into the nature of Fables without credit but shall thinke them heere searched out by the most euident signes that can be and sufficiently too considering their antiquity hee I say shall not erre And though men alwaies iudge the present Warre wherein they liue to be greatest and when it is past admire more those that were before it yet if they consider of this Warre by the Acts done in the same it will manifest it selfe to bee greater then any of those before mentioned What particular persons haue spoken when they were about to enter into the Warre or when they were in it were hard for mee to remember exactly whether they were speeches which I haue heard my selfe or haue receiued at the second hand But as any man seemed to mee that knew what was neerest to the summe of the truth of all that hath beene vttered to speake most agreeably to the matter still in hand so haue I made it spoken heere But of the Acts themselues done in the Warre I thought not fit to write all that I heard from all Authors nor such as I my selfe did but thinke to bee true but onely those whereat I was my selfe present and those of which with all diligence I had made particular enquirie And yet euen of those things it was hard to know the certainty because such as were present at every Action spake not all after the same manner but as they were affected to the Parts or as they could remember To heare this History rehearsed for that there bee inserted in it no Fables shall bee perhaps not delightfull But hee that desires to looke into the truth of things done and which according to the condition of humanity may bee done againe or at least their like hee shall finde enough heerein to make him thinke it profitable And it is compiled rather for an EVERLASTING POSSESSION then to be rehearsed for a Prize The greatest Action before this was that against the Medes and yet that by two Battels by Sea and as many by Land was soone decided But as for this Warre it both lasted long and the harme it did to Greece was such as the like in the like space had never beene seene before For neither had there euer bin so many Cities expugned and made desolate what by the Barbarians and what by the Greekes warring on one another and some Cities there were that when they were taken changed their inhabitants nor so much banishing and slaughter some by the Warre some by sedition as was in this And those things which concerning former time there went a fame of but in fact rarely confirmed were now made credible As Earthquakes generall to the greatest part of the World and most violent withall Eclipses of the Sunne oftner then is reported of any former time Great droughts in some places and thereby Famine and that which did none of the least hurt but destroyed also its part the Plague All these Euils entred together with this Warre which began from the time that the Athenians and Peloponnesians brake the League which immediately after the Conquest of Euboea had beene concluded betweene them for thirty yeeres The Causes why they brake the same and their Quarrels I haue therefore set downe first because no man should bee to seeke from what ground so great a Warre amongst the Grecians could arise And the truest Quarrell though least in speech I conceiue to bee the growth of the Athenian power which putting the Lacedaemonians into feare necessitated the Warre But the Causes of the breach of the League publikely voyced were these EPIDAMNVS is a Citie scituate on the right hand to such as enter into the Iönian Gulfe bordering vpon it are the Taulantij Barbarians a people of Illyris This was planted by the Corcyraeans but Captaine of the Colony was one Phalius the sonne of Heratoclidas a Corinthian of the linage of Hercules and according to an ancient Custome called to this charge out of the Metropolitan Citie besides that the Colony it selfe consisted in part of Corinthians and others of the Dorique Nation In processe of time the Citie of Epidamnus became great and populous and hauing for many yeeres together beene annoyed with sedition was by a Warre as is reported made vpon them by the confining Barbarians brought low and deprived of the greatest part of their power But that which was the last accident before this Warre was that the Nobility forced by the Commons to fly the Cittie went and ioyned with the Barbarians and both by Land and Sea robbed those that remained within The Epidamnians that were in the Towne oppressed in this manner sent their Ambassadours to Corcyra as being their Mother Cittie praying the Corcyraeans not to see them perish but to reconcile vnto them those whom they had driven forth and to put an end to the Barbarian Warre And this they intreated in the forme of Suppliants sitting downe in the Temple of Iuno But the Corcyraeans not admitting their â—upplication sent them away againe without effect The Epidamnians now despairing of reliefe from the Corcyraeans and at a stand how to proceed in their present affaires sending to Delphi enquired at the Oracle whether it were not best to deliuer vp their Citie into the hands of the Corinthians as of their Founders and make tryall what ayde they should obtaine from thence And when the Oracle had answered That they should deliuer it and take the Corinthians for their Leaders they went to Corinth and according to the advice of the Oracle gaue their Citie
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
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
withall the safer for this action after his defeate in Aetolia And the Athenians that were in the twenty Gallies returned to Naupactus The Acarnanians and Amphilochians when the Athenians and Demosthenes were gone granted Truce at the Citie of the Oeniades to those Ambraciotes and Peloponnesians that were fled to Salynthius the Agraeans to retyre the Oeniades being gone ouer to Salynthius and the Agraeans likewise And for the future the Acarnanians Amphilochians made a league with the Ambraciotes for an hundred yeeres vpon these conditions That neither the Ambraciotes with the Acarnanians should make Warre against the Peloponnesians nor the Acarnanians with the Ambraciotes against the Athenians That they should giue mutuall ayde to one anothers Countrey That the Ambraciotes should restore whatsoeuer Townes or bordering fields they held of the Amphilochians and that they should at no time ayde Anactorium which was in hostility with the Acarnanians And vpon this composition the Warre ended After this the Corinthians sent a Garrison of about 300 men of Armes of their owne Citie to Ambracia vnder the Conduct of Xenoclides the sonne of Euthycles who with much difficulty passing through Epiruâ— at length arriued Thus passed the businesse in Ambracia The same Winter the Athenians that were in Sicily inuaded Himeraea by Sea ayded by the Sicilians that inuaded the skirts of the same by Land They sayled also to the Ilands of Aeolus Returning afterwards to Rhegium they found there Pythodorus the sonne of Isolochus with certaine Gallies come to receiue charge of the Fleet commanded by Laches For the Sicilian Confederates had sent to Athens and perswaded the people to assist them with a greater Fleet. For though the Syracusians were masters by Land yet seeing they hindred them but with few Gallies from the liberty of the Sea they made preparation and were gathering together a Fleet with intention to resist them And the Athenians furnished out forty Gallies to send into Sicily conceiuing that the Warre there would the sooner be at an end and desiring withall to traine their men in nauall exercise Therefore Pythodorus one of the Commanders they sent presently away with a few of those Gallies and intended to send Sophocles the sonne of Sostratides and Eurymedon the sonne of Toucles with the greatest number afterwards But Pythodorus hauing now the Command of Laches his Fleet sayled in the end of Winter vnto a certaine Garrison of the Locrians which Laches had formerly taken and ouerthrowne in a Battell there by the Locrians retired The same Spring there issued a great streame of Fire out of the Mountaine Aetna as it had also done in former times and burned part of the Territory of the Cataneans that dwell at the Foot of Aetna which is the highest Mountaine of all Sicily From the last time that the fire brake out before to this time it is said to bee fifty yeeres And it hath now broken out thrice in all since Sicily was inhabited by the Grecians These were the things that came to passe this Winter And so ended the sixth yeere of this War written by THVCYDIDES THE FOVRTH BOOK OF THE HISTORY OF THVCYDIDES The principall Contents The Athenians take and fortifie Pylus in Laconia The Lacedaemonians to recouer it put ouer 400. of their best men into the Iland Sphacteria whom the Athenians hauing ouercome the Lacedaemonian Fleet doe there besiege The Athenians and Syracusians fight in the Streight of Messana Cleon engageth himselfe rashly to take or kill the Lacedaemonians in Sphacteria within 20. dayes and by good fortune performeth it The Sedition ceaseth in Corcyra Nicias invadeth Peloponnesus The Sicilians agreeing take from the Athenians their pretence of sayling vpon that Coast with their Fleet. The Athenians take Nisaea but faile of Megara The ouerthrow of the Athenians at Delium The Cities on the Confines of Thrace vpon the comming of Brasidas revolt to the Lacedaemonians Truce for a yeere And this in three yeeres more of the same Warre THE Spring following when Corne beganne to bee in the eare tenne Gallies of Syracusae and as many of Locris went to Messena in Sicily called in by the Citizens themselues and tooke it and Messaâ—a reuolted from the Athenians This was done by the practice chiefly of the Syracusians that saw the place to bee commodious for inuasion of Sicily and feared lest the Athenians some time or other hereafter making it the seate of their Warre might come with greater forces into Sicily and inuade them from thence but partly also of the Locrians as being in hostility with the Rhegians desirous to make Warre vpon them on both sides The Locrians had now also entred the Lands of the Rhegians with their whole power both because they would hinder them from assisting the Messenians and because they were sollicited therevnto by the banished men of Rhegium that were with them For they of Rhegium had beene long in Sedition and were vnable for the present to giue them Battell for which cause they the rather also now inuaded them And after they had wasted the Countrey the Locrians withdrew their Land-forces but their Gallies lay still at the guard of Messana and more were setting forth to lye in the same Harbour to make the Warre on that side About the same time of the Spring and before Corne was at full growth the Peloponnesians and their Confederates vnder the Conduct of Agis the sonne of Archidamus King of the Lacedaemonians inuaded Attica and there lay and wasted the Countrey about And the Athenians sent fortie Gallies into Sicily the same which they had prouided before for that purpose and with them the other two Generals Eurymedon Sophocles For Pythodorus who was the third in that Commission was arriued in Sicily before To these they gaue commandment also to take order as they went by for the state of those Corcyraeans that were in the Citie and were pillaged by the Outlawes in the Mountaine and threescore Gallies of the Peloponnesians were gone out to take part with those in the Mountaine who because there was a great Famine in the Citie thought they might easily be masters of that State To Demosthenes also who euer since his returne out of Acarnania had liued priuately they gaue authority at his owne request to make vse of the same Gallies if hee thought good so to doe about Peloponnesus As they sayled by the Coast of Laconia and had intelligence that the Peloponnesian Fleet was at Corcyra already Eurymedon and Sophocles hasted to Corcyra but Demosthenes willed them to put in first at Pylus and when they had done what was requisite there then to proceed in their Voyage But whilest they denyed to doe it the Fleet was driuen into Pylus by a Tempest that then arose by chance And presently Demosthenes required them to fortifie the place alledging that hee came with them for no other purpose and shewing how there was
greatest part therfore both of armed and vnarmed he placed on the parts of the Wall toward the Land which were of most strength and commanded them to make good the place against the Land-forces if they assaulted it and hee himselfe with 60. men of Armes chosen out of the whole number and a few Archers came forth of the Fort to the Sea-side in that part where he most expected their landing Which part was of troublesome accesse and stonie and lay to the wide Sea But because their Wall was there the weakest he thought they would be drawne to aduenture for that For neither did the Athenians thinke they should euer haue beene mastred with Gallies which caused them to make the place to the Sea-ward the lesse strong and if the Peloponnesians should by force come to land they made no other account but the place would bee lost Comming therefore in this part to the very brinke of the Sea hee put in order his men of Armes and encouraged them with words to this effect THE ORATION OF DEMOSTHENES to his Souldiers YOV that participate with mee in the present danger let not any of you in this extremity goe about to seeme wise and reckon euery perill that now besetteth vs but let him rather come vp to the Enemie with little circumspection and much hope and looke for his safety by that For things that are come once to a pinch as these are admit not debate but a speedy hazard And yet if wee stand it out and betray not our aduantages with feare of the number of the Enemie I see well enough that most things are with vs. For I make account the difficultie of their landing makes for vs which as long as wee abide our selues will helpe vs but if wee retire though the place be difficult yet when there is none to impeach them they will land well enough For whilest they are in their Gallies they are most easie to be fought withall and in their disbarking being but on equall termes their number is not greatly to bee feared for though they bee many yet they must fight but by few for want of roome to fight in And for an Armie to haue oddes by Land is another matter then when they are to fight from Gallies where they stand in need of so many accidents to fall out opportunely from the Sea So that I thinke their great difficulties doe but set them euen with our small number And for you that bee Athenians and by experience of disbarking against others know that if a man stand it out and doe not for feare of the sowsing of a Waue or the menacing approach of a Gallie giue backe of himselfe hee can neuer bee put backe by violence I expect that you should keepe your ground and by fighting it out vpon the very edge of the water preserue both your selues and the Fort. Vpon this exhortation of Demosthenes the Athenians tooke better heart and went downe and arranged themselues close by the Sea And the Lacedaemonians came and assaulted the Fort both with their Armie by Land and with their Fleet consisting of three and fortie Gallies in which was Admirall Thrasymelidas the sonne of Cratesicles a Spartan and he made his approach where Demosthenes had before expected him So the Athenians were assaulted on both sides both by Sea and by Land The Peloponnesians diuiding their Gallies into small numbers because they could not come neere with many at once and resting betweene assailed them by turnes vsing all possible valour and mutuall encouragement to put the Athenians backe and gaine the Fort. Most eminent of all the rest was Brasidas For hauing the Command of a Gallie and seeing other Captaines of Gallies and Steeresmen the place beeing hard of accesse when there appeared sometimes possibility of putting ashoare to bee affraid and tender of breaking their Gallies hee would cry out vnto them saying They did not well for sparing of Wood to let the Enemie fortifie in their Countrey And to the Lacedaemonians hee gaue aduice to force landing with the breaking of their Gallies and prayed the Confederates that in requitall of many benefits they would not sticke to bestow their Gallies at this time vpon the Lacedaemonians and running them ashoare to vse any meanes whatsoeuer to Land and to get into their hands both the Men in the I le and the Fort. Thus hee vrged others and hauing compelled the Steeresman of his owne Gallie to runne her ashore hee came to the Ladders but attempting to get downe was by the Athenians put backe and after he had receiued many wounds swouned and falling vpon the ledges of the Gallie his Buckler tumbled ouer into the Sea which brought to Land the Athenians tooke vp and vsed afterwards in the Trophie which they set vp for this assault Also the rest endeauoured with much courage to come a land but the place being ill to land in and the Athenians not boudging they could not doe it So that at this time Fortune came so much about that the Athenians fought from the Land Laconique Land against Lacedaemonians in Gallies and the Lacedaemonians from their Gallies fought against the Athenians to get landing in their owne now hostile Territory For at that time there was an opinion farre spred that these were rather Land-men and expert in a Battell of Foot and that in maritime and nauall actions the other excelled This day then and a part of the next they made sundry assaults and after that gaue ouer And the third day they sent out some Gallies to Asine for Timber wherewith to make Engines hoping with Engines to take that part of the Wall that looketh into the Hauen which though it were higher yet the landing to it was easier In the meane time arriue the fortie Athenian Gallies from Zacynthus for there were ioyned with them certaine Gallies of the Garrison of Naupactus and foure of Chios And when they saw both the Continent and the Iland full of men of Armes and that the Gallies that were in the Hauen would not come foorth not knowing where to cast Anchor they sayled for the present to the I le Prote being neere and desart and there lay for that night The next day after they had put themselues in order they put to Sea againe with purpose to offer them Battell if the other would come foorth into the wide Sea against them if not to enter the Hauen vpon them But the Peloponnesians neither came out against them nor had stopped vp the entries of the Hauen as they had before determined but lying still on the shoare manned out their Gallies and prepared to fight if any entred in the Hauen it selfe which was no small one The Athenians vnderstanding this came in violently vpon them at both the mouths of the Hauen and most of the Lacedaemonian Gallies which were already set out and opposed them they charged and put to flight And in following the chase
requiring for the same onely those their men that are in the Iland though also we thinke it better for both sides not to try the chance of Warre Whether it fall out that by some occasion of safety offered they escape by force or being expugned by siege should be more in your power then they be For wee are of this mind that great hatred is most safely canceld not when one that hauing beaten his enemy and gotten much the better in the Warre brings him through necessity to take an oath and to make peace on vnequall termes but when hauing it in his power lawfully so to doe if he please he ouercome him likewise in goodnesse and contrary to what he expects be reconciled to him on moderate conditions For in this case his enemy being obliged not to seeke reuenge as one that had beene forced but to requite his goodnesse will for shame be the more enclined to the conditions agreed on And naturally to those that relent of their owne accord men giue way reciprocally with content but against the arrogant they will hazard all euen when in their owne iudgements they be too weake But for vs both if euer it were good to agree it is surely so at this present and before any irreparable accident be interposed Whereby wee should be compelled besides the common to beare you a particular eternall hatred and you be depriued of the commodities we now offer you Let vs be reconciled while matters stand vndecided and whilst you haue gained reputation and our friendship and we not suffered dishonour and but indifferent losse And we shall not onely our selues preferre Peace before Warre but also giue a cessation of their miseries to all the rest of the Grecians who will acknowledge it rather from you then vs. For they make Warre not knowing whether side begun but if an end be made which is now for the most part in your owne hands the thankes will bee yours And by decreeing the Peace you may make the Lacedaemonians your sure friends in as much as they call you to it and are therein not forced but gratified Wherein consider how many commodities are like to ensue for if we and you goe one way you know the rest of Greece being inferior to vs will honour vs in the highest degree Thus spake the Lacedaemonians thinking that in times past the Athenians had coueted Peace and been hindered of it by them and that being now offered they would gladly accept of it But they hauing these men intercepted in the Iland thought they might compound at pleasure and aspired to greater matters To this they were set on for the most part by Cleon the sonne of Cleaenetus a popular man at that time and of greatest sway with the multitude He perswaded them to giue this answer That they in the Iland ought first to deliuer vp their Armes and come themselues to Athens and when they should be there if the Lacedaemonians would make restitution of Nisaea and Pegae and Traezen and Achaia the which they had not won in Warre but had receiued by former Treaty when the Athenian being in distresse and at that time in more need of Peace then now yeelded them vp into their hands then they should haue their men againe and peace should be made for as long as they both should thinke good To this answer they replyed nothing but desired that Commissioners might be chosen to treat with them who by alternate speaking and hearing might quietly make such an agreement as they could perswade each other vnto But then Cleon came mightily vpon them saying he knew before that they had no honest purpose and that the same was now manifest in that they refused to speake before the people but sought to sit in consultation onely with a few And willed them if they had ought to say that was reall to speake it before them all But the Lacedaemonians finding that although they had a mind to make Peace with them vpon this occasion of aduersity yet it would not be fit to speake in it before the multitude lest speaking and not obtaining they should incurre calumny with their Confederates and seeing withall that the Athenians would not grant what they sued for vpon reasonable conditions they went backe againe without effect Vpon their returne presently the Truce at Pylus was at an end and the Lacedaemonians according to agreement demanded restitution of their Gallies But the Athenians laying to their charge an assault made vpon the Fort contrary to the Articles and other matters of no great importance refused to render them standing vpon this that it was said that the accord should be voyd vpon whatsoeuer the lest transgression of the same But the Lacedaemonians denying it and protesting this detention of their Gallies for an iniury went their wayes and betooke themselues to the Warre So the Warre at Pylus was on both sides renued with all their power The Athenians went euery day about the Iland with two Gallies one going one way another another way and lay at Anchor about it euery night with their whole Fleet except on that part which lyeth to the open Sea and that onely when it was windy From Athens also there came a supply of thirty Gallies more to guard the Iland so that they were in the whole threescore and ten And the Lacedaemonians made assaults vpon the Fort and watched euery opportunity that should present it selfe to saue their men in the Iland Whilest these things passed the Syracusians and their Confederates in Sicily adding to those Gallies that lay in Garrison at Messana the rest of the Fleet which they had prepared made Warre out of Messana instigated thereto chiefly by the Locrians as enemies to the Rhegians whose Territory they had also inuaded with their whole forces by Land and seeing the Athenians had but a few Gallies present and hearing that the greater number which were to come to them were employed in the siege of the Iland desired to try with them a Battell by Sea for if they could get the better with their Nauie they hoped lying before Rhegium both with their Land-forces on the Field side and with their Fleet by Sea easily to take it into their hands and thereby strengthen their affaires For Rhegium a Promontorie of Italy and Messana in Sicily lying neere together they might both hinder the Athenians from lying at Anchor there against them and make themselues Masters of the Streight This Streight is the Sea betweene Rhegium and Messana where Sicily is neerest to the Continent and is that which is called Charybdis where Vlysses is said to haue passed through which for that it is very narrow and because the Sea falleth in there from two great maines the Tyrrhene and Sicilian and is rough hath therefore not without good cause beene esteemed In this Straight then the Syracusians and their Confederates with somewhat more then 30. Gallies were
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
Bottiaeans driuen out of Bottiaea by the Macedonians Herod lib. 8. The Bottiaeans driuen out of Bottiaea seated themselues on the borders of the Chalcideans towards Thrace Thucyd. lib. 2. Olynthus standeth somewhat remote from the Sea and about threescore furlongs from Potidaea Id. lib. 2. Mecyberna which standeth on the Bay of Torone serued them for the place of their shipping Strab. Epit. lib. 7 Onugnathos a Promontory of Laconia betweene which and Malea is the city and Bay of Boca Paus. in Laconicis Ophionei a people of Aetolia toward the Melian Gulfe Thucyd. lib. 3. Opus the chiefe city of the Locri Opuntij distant from the Sea fifteene furlongs opposite to Aedepsa in Euboea Strab. lib. 9. Orchomenus a city of Boeotia confining on Phocis through the Territory whereof the Riuer Cephissus passeth from Chaeronea into the Lake Copais Strab. lib. 9. Paus. in Boeoticis Also a city of Arcadia confining on Mantinea and Pheneum Pausanias in Arcadicis Orestis a Region of Macedonia confion Epirus Thucyd. lib. 2. not farre from Elymaea Liu. lib. 31. Orestium or Orestasium A city of Arcadia in the way betweene Sparta and the Jsthmus Herodot lib. 9. and betweene Megalopolis and Tegea Paus. in Arcadibis Oreus a citie of the Hestiaeans in Euboea Thucydid lib. 1. Strab. lib. 9. not farre from the Promontory of Ceneum Id. lib. 9. the first City of Euboea on the left hand to them that come from the Bay of 〈◊〉 or Pegasaean Bay toward Chalcis 〈◊〉 lib. 9. Oâ—neae a City of Argia on the borders of the Phliasian and Sicyonian Territories Paus in Corinthiacis Orebiae a City of Euboea not farre from Aegae Strab. lib 9. Oâ—opas a maritime towne in Attica towards Euboea and opposite to Eretâ—ia Strab. lib. 9. It is distant from Eretria 60 furlongs Thucyd. lâ—b 8. Ossa a Mountaine of Thessaly Betweene Ossa and 〈◊〉 in a narrow valley runneth the Riuer Peneus Herod lib. 7. Othrys a Mountaine bounding Thessaly on the South Herod lib. 7. It hath on the North â—ide the Phâ—hiotae but reacheth also to the Dolopians Strab. lib. 9. P PActolus a Riuer of Asia the lesse rising in the Mountaine Tinolus and falling into the Riuer Hermus Strab. lib. 13. It runneth through the Market-place of Sarâ—â—s Herod lib. 5. 〈◊〉 a City standing in the Isthmus of the â—hracian Chersonnesus toward Propontis Herod lib. 6. 〈◊〉 a Region of Macedonia reaching on one side to the Riuer Strymon Herodot lib. 5. on the other side to the Riuer Axius Paus. Eliacorum primo in the beginning Pale a City of Cephallenia in the narrow part therof neere to the Bay Strab. lib. 10. Paâ—yre a maritime City of Acarnania betweene Leucas and Alyzea Strab. lib. 10. Parâ—â—sus a Riuer of Messenia rising betweene Tharium and Arcadia and falling into the Sea in the middest of the Messenian Bay Strab. lib. 8. Panaâ—â—um a Towne in Attica on the confines of Boeoâ—ia Thucyd. lib. 5. 〈◊〉 a People of Thrace * Thucyd. lib. 2. Pangaeum a Mountaine in Thrace aboue the Region called the Pierian Bay Thucyd. lib. 2. Vide Pierian Bay Panopeus the same with Phanotis Vide Phanotis Panormus a Hauen of Achaia neere to Rhium Thucyd. lib. 2. opposite to Naupactus Polyb. lib. 4. Distant from Rhium within the Câ—issaean Bay 15 furlongs Strab. lib. 9. Also a Towne in the Territory of Miletus Thucyd. lib. 8. Parasia a City of Thessaly Thuâ— l. 1. Where abouts in Thessaly I find not Parauaei a Nation of Epirus neere to the Molossians Thucyd. lib. 2. Plutarch in quaest Graecis quaest 13 26. Parium a maritime City of Hellespont between Lampsacus Priapus Strab. lib. 13. Parnassus a Mountaine on whose West part are the Locri Ozolae East part the Pheceans and Doreans and which extendeth to the Mountaines that runne along from Thermopylae to the Ambracian Bay and meeteth with them at a right angle Strab. lib. 9 Parnethus a Hill in Peloponnesus wherein are the bounds of Argia Tegeae and Laconia Paus. in Corinthiacis Also a Hill in Attica Thucyd. lib. 2. Paros an Iland one of the Cyclades Vide Cyclades Parrhasia a City and Territory of Arcadia bordering vpon Laconia Thuc. lib. 5. Patmus an Iland one of the Sporades on the West of Icarus Strab. lib. 10. Patrae a maritime City of Achaia distant from Rhium fifty furlongs from Olenus 80 furlongs Paus. in Achaicis Strab. lib. 8. Pegae a City in the Mountainous part of Megaris Paus. in Achaicis Pegae and Nisaea comprehend the Corinthian Isthmus Stra. lib. 8. Pegasaea a City of Thessaly in the Pegasaean Bay Herod lib. 7. Peâ—raice a small Territory on the confines of Attica and Boeotia neere to Oropus Thucyd. lib. 2. Pelasgiotis a Region of Thessaly between Estiotis and the Territory of Magnesia Stra. lib 9. Pele an Iland lying before Clazomenae Thucyd. lib. 8 vide Clazomenae Pelâ—on a Mountaine in the Territory of Magnesia in Thessaly ioyned to the Mountaine Ossa Herod lib. 7. Pella a City of Macedonie wherein Alexander the Great was borne It standeth in a Lake betweene the Riuers Axius and Lydius Strab. Epit. lib. 7. Pellene a City of Achaia confining on Sicyonia and Pheneum distant from the Sea threescore furlongs and from Aegirae 120 furlongs Paus. in Achaicis Also a Peninsula of Macedonie betweene the Bay of Torone and the Bay of Therme Herod libro 7. Thucyd lib. 4. Pelagonia a Region of Macedonia toward Illyris Liuy lib. 45. Peloponnesus that part of Greece within the Isthmus of Corinth now called Morea Peneus a Riuer of Thessaly rising in the Mountain Pindus neere to Macedonie Stra. l. 7. running by Lariffa and thence through Tempe into the Sea Idem lib. 9. It diuideth Ossa from Olympus with a narrow valey and receiueth into it the Riuers Apidanus Enipeus and others Herod lib. 7. Also a Riuer of Peloponnesus betweene the Promontory Chelonata and the Towne Cyllene Strab. lib. 8. Peparethus an Iland that lyeth before Magnesia Strab. lib. 9. Pergamus a City of the Pierians of Thrace vnder the Mountaine Pangaeum Herod lib. 7. Also an Aeolique City 120 furlongs from the Sea by the side of the Riuer Caicus Strab. lib. 13. Perinthus a maritime City of Thrace on the side of Propontis Perrhaebi a People of Thessaly that inhabite the Mountainous Countrey about Olympus from the City Atrax as farre as to Tempe and the City Gyrton Strab. lib. 9. Out of Macedonie into Thessaly there lyeth a way through the Perrhaebi by the City Gonnus Herod lib. 7. Petalia a Promontory of Euboea against which lye the Ilands called also Petaliae opposite to the Promontory Suniâ—m in Attica Strab. lib. 10. Placium a City of Thessaly betweene Pharsalus and Dion Thucyd. lib. 4. Phagres Phagres in Thucydides Niphagres in Herodotus a City of the Pierians betweene Pangaeum and the Sea Thucyd. lib. 2. Herod lib. 7. Phaleron a maritime Towne of Attica betweene Piraeus and Halimus Strab. lib. 8. It was heeretofore the Hauen of Athens Paus. in Atticis distant from Athens 20
I conceiue it and assembled the said Forces not so much vpon fauour as by feare For it is cleere that he himselfe both conferred most Ships to that Action and that some also hee lent to the Arcadians And this is likewise declared by Homer if any thinke his testimony sufficient who at the deliuery of the Scepter vnto him calleth him Of many Iles and of all Argos King Now he could not liuing in the Continent haue beene Lord of the Ilands other then such as were adjacent which cannot bee many vnlesse hee had also had a Nauy And by this Expedition we are to estimate what were those of the Ages before it Now seeing Mycenae was but a small Citie or if any other of that Age seeme but of light regard let not any man for that cause on so weake an Argument thinke that Fleet to haue beene lesse then the Poets haue said and Fame reported it to bee For if the City of Lacedaemon were now desolate and nothing of it left but the Temples and floores of the buildings I thinke it would breed much vnbeliefe in posterity long hence of their power in comparison of the Fame For although of fiue parts of Peloponnesus it possesse two and hath the leading of the rest and also of many Confederates without yet the Citie being not close built and the Temples and other Edifices not costly and because it is but scatteringly inhabited after the ancient manner of Greece their power would seeme inferiour to the report Againe the same things happening to Athens one would coniecture by the sight of their Citie that their power were double to what it is Wee ought not therefore to bee incredulous concerning the Forces that went to Troy nor haue in regard so much the externall shew of a Citie as the power but we are to thinke that that Expedition was indeed greater then those that went before it but yet inferiour to those of the present Age if in this also we may credit the Poetry of Homer who being a Poet was like to set it foorth to the vtmost And yet euen thus it commeth short For hee maketh it to consist of 1200. Vessels those that were of Boeotians carrying 120. men apiece and those which came with Philoctetes 50. Setting forth as I suppose both the greatest sort and the least and therefore of the bignesse of any of the rest hee maketh in his Catalogue no mention at all but declareth that they who were in the Vessels of Philoctetes serued both as Mariners and Souldiers for he writes that they who were at the Oare were all of them Archers And for such as wrought not it is not likely that many went along except Kings and such as were in chiefe authority especially being to passe the Sea with Munition of Warre and in Bottomes without Deckes built after the old and Peiraticall fashion So then if by the greatest and least one estimate the meane of their Shipping it will appeare that the whole number of men considered as sent ioyntly from all Greece were not very many And the cause heereof was not so much want of men as of wealth For for want of victuall they carryed the lesser Army and no greater then they hoped might both follow the Warre and also maintaine it selfe When vpon their arriuall they had gotten the vpper hand in fight which is manifest for else they could not haue fortified their Campe it appeares that from that time forward they employed not there their whole power but that for want of victuall they betooke themselues part of them to the tillage of Chersonesus and part to fetch in Booties whereby diuided the Trojans the more easily made that tenne yeeres resistance as being euer a Match for so many as remained at the Siege Whereas if they had gone furnished with store of prouision and with all their Forces eased of Boothaling and Tillage since they were Masters of the Field they had also easily taken the Citie But they stroue not with their whole power but onely with such a portion of their Army as at the seuerall occasions chanced to bee present when as if they had pressed the Siege they had wonne the place both in lesse time and with lesse labour But through want of money not onely they were weake matters all that preceded this Enterprize but also this which is of greater name then any before it appeareth to bee in fact beneath the Fame and report which by meanes of the Poets now goeth of it For also after the Trojan Warre the Grecians continued still their shiftings and transplantations insomuch as neuer resting they improued not their power For the late returne of the Greekes from Ilium caused not a little innouation and in most of the Cities there arose seditions and those which were driven out built Cities for themselues in other places For those that are now called Boeotians in the sixtieth yeere after the taking of Troy expelled Arne by the Thessalians seated themselues in that Country which now Boeotia was then called Cadmeis But there was in the same a certaine portion of that Nation before of whom also were they that went to the Warfare of Troy And in the eightieth yeere the Doreans together with the Heracleides seazed on Peloponnesus And with much adoe after long time Greece had constant rest and shifting their seates no longer at length sent Colonies abroad And the Athenians planted Ionia and most of the Ilands and the Peloponnesians most of Italy and Sicily and also certaine parts of the rest of Greece But these Colonies were all planted after the Trojan Warre But when the power of Greece was now improoued and the desire of money withall their reuenues being enlarged in most of the Cities there were erected Tyrannies for before that time Kingdomes with honours limited were hereditary And the Grecians built Nauies and became more seriously addicted to the affaires of the Sea The Corinthians are said to haue been the first that changed the forme of shipping into the neerest to that which is now in vse and at Corinth are reported to haue beene made the first Gallies of all Greece Now it is well knowne that Aminocles the Ship-wright of Corinth built 4. Ships at Samos And from the time that Aminocles went to Samos vntill the end of this present Warre are at the most but 300. yeeres And the most ancient nauall Battaile that we know of was fought betweene the Corinthians and the Corcyraeans and from that Battaile to the same time are but 260. yeeres For Corinth seated on an Isthmus had beene alwaies a place of Traffique because the Grecians of old from within and without Peloponnesus trading by Land more then by Sea had no other intercourse one to another but thorow the Corinthians Territory And was also wealthy in money as appeares by the Poets who haue surnamed this Towne the Rich. And after the Grecians
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
these are now they invade chiefly vpon confidence of their strength But they that are much the fewer must haue some great and sure designe when they dare fight vnconstrained Wherewith these men now amazed feare vs more for our vnlikely preparation then they would if it were more proportionable Besides many great Armies haue beene ouercome by the lesser through vnskilfulnesse and some also by timorousnesse both which we our selues are free from As for the battaile I will not willingly fight it in the Gulfe nor goe in thither seeing that to a few Gallies with nimblenesse and art against many without art streightnesse of roome is disaduantage For neither can one charge with the beake of the Gallie as is fit vnlesse hee haue sight of the enemy a farre off or if he be himselfe ouer-pressed againe get cleere Nor is there any getting through them or turning to and fro at ones pleasure which are all the workes of such Gallies as haue their aduantage in agility but the Sea-fight would of necessitie be the same with a battaile by Land wherein the greater number must haue the better But of this I shall my selfe take the best care I am able In the meane time keepe you your order well in the Gallies and euery man receiue his charge readily and the rather because the enemy is at Anchor so neere vs. In the fight haue in great estimation order and silence as things of great force in most Military actions especially in a fight by Sea and charge these your enemies according to the worth of your former Acts. You are to fight for a great wager either to destroy the hope of the Peloponnesian Nauies or to bring the feare of the Sea neerer home to the Athenians Againe let mee tell you you haue beaten them once already and men once ouercome will not come againe to the danger so well resolued as before Thus did Phormio also encourage his Souldiers The Peloponnesians when they saw the Athenians would not enter the Gulfe and Streight desiring to draw them in against their willes weighed Anchor and betime in the morning hauing arranged their Gallies by foure and foure in a ranke sayled along their owne Coast within the Gulfe leading the way in the same order as they had lien at Anchor with their right wing In this wing they had placed 20 of their swiftest Gallies to the end that if Phormio thinking them going to Naupactus should for safegard of the Towne sayle along his owne Coast likewise within the Straight the Athenians might not be able to get beyond that wing of theirs and auoyd the impression but be enclosed by their Gallies on both sides Phormio fearing as they expected what might become of the Towne now without guard as soone as he saw them from Anchor against his will and in extreme haste went aboord and sayled along the Shoare with the Land forces of the Messenians marching by to ayde him The Peloponnesians when they saw them sayle in one long File Gally after Gally and that they were now in the Gulfe and by the Shoare which they most desired vpon one signe giuen turned suddenly euery one as fast as he could vpon the Athenians hoping to haue intercepted them euery Gallie But of those the eleuen formost auoyding that wing and the turne made by the Peloponnesians got out into the open Sea The rest they intercepted and driuing them to the Shoare sunke them The men as many as swamme not out they slew and the Gallies some they tyed to their owne and towed them away empty and one with the men and all in her they had already taken But the Messenian succours on Land entring the Sea with their Armes got aboord of some of them and fighting from the Deckes recouered them againe after they were already towing away And in this part the Peloponnesians had the victory and ouercame the Gallies of the Athenians Now the 20 Gallies that were their right wing gaue chase to those eleuen Athenian Gallies which had auoyded them when they turned and were gotten into the open Sea These flying toward Naupactus arriued there before the enemies all saue one and when they came vnder the Temple of Apollo turned their beake heads and put themselues in readinesse for defence in câ—se the enemy should follow them to the Land But the Peloponnesians as they came after were Paeanizing as if they had already had the victory and one Gallie which was of Leucas being farre before the rest gaue chase to one Athenian Gallie that was behind the rest of the Athenians Now it chanced that there lay out into the Sea a certaine Ship at Anchor to which the Athenian Gally first comming fetcht a compasse about her and came backe full butt against the Leucadian Gallie that gaue her chase and sunke her Vpon this vnexpected and vnlikely accident they began to feare and hauing also followed the chase as being victors disorderly some of them let downe their Oares into the water and hindred the way of their Gallies a matter of very ill consequence seeing the enemy was so neere and staid for more company And some of them through ignorance of the Coast ranne vpon the Shelues The Athenians seeing this tooke heart againe and together with one clamour set vpon them who resisted not long because of their present errours committed and their disarray but turned and fled to Panormus from whence at first they set forth The Athenians followed and tooke from them sixe Gallies that were hindmost and recouered their own which the Peloponnesians had sunke by the Shoare and tyed a sterne of theirs Of the men some they slew and some also they tooke aliue In the Leucadian Gally that was sunke neere the ship was Timocrates a Lacedaemonian who when the Gally was lost runne himselfe thorow with his sword and his body draue into the Hauen of Naupactus The Athenians falling off erected a Trophy in the place from whence they set forth to this victory took vp their dead and the wracke as much as was on their own shore and gaue truce to the enemy to doe the like The Peloponnesians also set vp a Trophy as if they also had had the victory in respect of the flight of those Gallies which they sunke by the Shoare and the Gally which they had taken they consecrated to Neptune in Rhium of Achaia hard by their Trophy After this fearing the supply which was expected from Athens they sayled by night into the Crissaean Gulfe and to Corinth all but the Leucadians And those Athenians with twenty Gallies out of Crete that should haue beene with Phormio before the battaile not long after the going away of the Gallies of Peloponnesus arriued at Naupactus And the Summer ended But before the Fleet gone into the Crissaean Gulfe and to Corinth was dispersed Cnemus and Brasidas and the rest of the Commanders of the Peloponnesians in the beginning of Winter instructed
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
but also againe to make an inuasion into Attica And to that purpose the Lacedaemonians appointed their Confederates there present to make as much speed as they could with two parts of their forces into the Isthmus And they themselues being first there prepared Engines in the Isthmus for the drawing vp of Gallies with intention to carry the Nauy from Corinth to the other Sea that lyeth towards Athens and to set vpon them both by Sea and Land And these things diligently did they But the rest of the Confederates assembled but slowly being busied in the gathering in of their fruits and weary of Warfare The Athenians perceiuing all this preparation to bee made vpon an opinion of their weaknesse and desirous to let them see they were deceiued as being able without stirring the Fleet at Lesbos easily to master one Fleet that should come against them out of Peloponnesus manned out 100 Gallies and imbarked therein generally both Citizens except those of the degree of Pentacosiomedimni and Horsemen and also strangers that dwelt amongst them And sayling to the Isthmus made a shew of their strength and landed their Souldiers in such parts of Peloponnesus as they thought fit When the Lacedaemonians saw things so contrary to their expectation they thought it false which was spoken by the Lesbian Ambassadors and esteeming the action difficult seeing their Confederates were not arriued and that newes was brought of the wasting of the Territory neere their City by the 30 Gallies formerly sent about Peloponnesus by the Athenians went home againe and afterwards prepared to send a Fleet to Lesbos and intimated to the Cities rateably to furnish 40 Gallies and appointed Alcidas who was to goe thither with them for Admirall And the Athenians when they saw the Peloponnesians gone went likewise home with their hundred Gallies About the time that this Fleet was out they had surely the most Gallies besides the beauty of them together in action in these employments yet in the beginning of the War they had both as good and more in number For 100 attended the guard of Attica Euboea and Salamis and another 100 were about Peloponnesus besides those that were at Potidaea and in other places So that in one Summer they had in all 250 Sayle And this together with Potidaea was it that most exhausted their treasure For the men of Armes that besieged the Citie had each of them two drachmaes a day one for himselfe and another for his man were 3000 in number that were sent thither at first and remained to the end of the Siege besides 1600 more that went with Phormio and came away before the Town was won And the Gallies had all the same pay In this maner was their money consumed and so many Gallies employed the most indeed that euer they had manned at once About the same time that the Lacedaemonians were in the Isthmus the Mitylenians marched by Land both they and their auxiliaries against Methymne in hope to haue had it betrayed vnto them and hauing assaulted the Citie when it succeeded not the way they looked for they went thence to Antissa Pyrrha and Eressus and after they had settled the affaires of those places and made strong their wals returned speedily home When these were gone the Methymneans likewise made War vpon Antissa but beaten by the Antissians and some auxiliaries that were with them they made haste againe to Methymne with the losse of many of their Souldiers But the Athenians being aduertized hereof and vnderstanding that the Mitylenians were masters of the Land and that their own Soldiers there were not enough to keep them in sent thither about the beginning of Autumne Paches the sonne of Epicurus with 1000 men of Armes of their owne Citie who supplying the place of Rowers themselues arriued at Mitylene and ingirt it with a single wall Saue that in some places stronger by Nature then the rest they onely built Turrets and placed guards in them So that the Citie was euery way strongly besieged both by Sea and Land And the Winter began The Athenians standing in need of mony for the Siege both contributed themselues and sent thither 200 Talents of this their first contribution also dispatched Lysicles and 4 others with 42 Gallies to leuie money amongst the Confederates But Lysicles after he had beene to and fro and gathered money in diuers places as he was going vp from Myus thorow the Plaines of Maeander in Caria as farre as to the hill Sandius was set vpon there by the Carians and Anaetians and himselfe with a great part of his Souldiers slaine Plataea A. the mount of earth Cast up by the Peloponnesians B. The wall built inwards by the Plataeans to frustrate the effect of the mount C. The worke of the Peloponnesians D. The place wher the Plataean go ouer E. The ditch w th out full of water As for the Wall of the Peloponnesians it was thus built It consisted of a double Circle one towards Plataea and another outward in case of an assault from Athens These two Walles were distant one from the other about sixteene foot and that sixteene foot of space which was betwixt them was disposed and built into Cabines for the Watchmen which were so ioyned and continued one to another that the whole appeared to be one thicke Wall with Battlements on either side At euery tenne Battlements stood a great Tower of a iust breadth to comprehend both Walles and reach from the outmost to the inmost front of the whole so that there was no passage by the side of a Towre but through the middest of it And such nights as there happened any storme of Raine they vsed to quit the Battlements of the Wall and to watch vnder the Towres as being not farre asunder and couered beside ouer head Such was the forme of the Wall wherein the Peloponnesians kept their Watch. The Plataeans after they were ready and had attended a tempestuous night and withall Moonelesse went out of the Citie and were conducted by the same men that were the Authors of the Attempt And first they passed the Ditch that was about the Towne and then came vp close to the Wall of the Enemy who because it was darke could not see them comming and the noyse they made as they went could not be heard for the blustering of the wind And they came on besides at a good distance one from the other that they might not bee betrayed by the clashing of their Armes and were but lightly armed and not shod but on the left foot for the more steddinesse in the wet They came thus to the Battlements in one of the spaces betweene Towre and Towre knowing that there was now no Watch kept there And first came they that carried the Ladders and placed them to the Wall then 12. lightly armed onely with a Dagger and a Brestplate went vp led by Ammeas the sonne of
are inhabited by the Lipareans who are a Colonie of the Cnidians and dwell in one of the same Ilands no great one called Lipara and thence they goe forth and husband the rest which are Dydime Strongyle and Hiera The Inhabitants of those places haue an opinion that in Hiera Vulcan exerciseth the craft of a Smith For it is seene to send forth abundance of fire in the day time and of Smoake in the night These Ilands are adiacent to the Territorie of the Siculi and Messanians but were Confederates of the Syracusians When the Athenians had wasted their Fields and saw they would not come in they put off againe and went to Rhegium And so ended this Winter and the fifth yeere of this Warre written by Thucydides The next Summer the Peloponnesians and their Confederates came as farre as the Isthmus vnder the conduct of Agis the Sonne of Archidamus intending to haue inuaded Attica but by reason of the many Earthquakes that then happened they turned backe and the inuasion proceeded not About the same time Euboea being then troubled with Earthquakes the Sea came in at Orobiae on the part which then was Land and being impetuous withall ouerflowed most part of the Citie whereof part it couered and part it washed downe and made lower in the returne so that it is now Sea which before was Land And the People as many as could not preuent it by running vp into the higher ground perished Another inundation like vnto this hapned in the I le of Atalanta on the Coast of Locris of the Opuntians and carried away part of the Athenians Fort there and of two Gallies that lay on dry Land it brake one in pieces Also there happened at Peparethus a certaine rising of the water but it brake not in And a part of the Wall the Towne-house and some few houses besides were ouerthrowne by the Earthquakes The cause of such inundation for my part I take to be this that the Earthquake where it was very great did there send off the Sea and the Sea returning on a sudden caused the Water to come on with greater violence And it seemeth vnto me that without an Earthquake such an accident could neuer happen The same Summer diuers others as they had seuerall occasions made Warre in Sicily So also did the Sicilians amongst themselues and the Athenians with their Confederates But I will make mention onely of such most memorable things as were done either by the Confederates there with the Athenians or against the Athenians by the Enemie Charaeades the Athenian Generall being slaine by the Syracusians Laches who was now sole Commander of the Fleet together with the Confederates made Warre on Mylae a Towne belonging to Messana There were in Mylae two companies of Messanians in Garrison the which also laid a certaine Ambush for those that came vp from the Fleet. But the Athenians and their Confederates both put to flight those that were in ambush with the slaughter of the most of them and also assaulting their Fortification forced them on composition both to render the Citadell and to goe along with them against Messana After this vpon the approach of the Athenians and their Confederates the Messanians compounded likewise and gaue them Hostages and such other security as was requisite The same Summer the Athenians sent thirtie Gallies about Peloponnesus vnder the command of Demosthenes the sonne of Antisthenes and Proclus the sonne of Theodorus and 60. Gallies more with 2000. men of Armes commanded by Nicias the sonne of Niceratus into Melos For the Athenians in respect that the Melians were Ilanders and yet would neither bee their Subiects nor of their League intending to subdue them But when vpon the wasting of their Fields they still stood out they departed from Melos and sayled to Oropus in the opposite Continent Beeing there arriued within night the men of Armes left the Gallies and marched presently by Land to Tanagra in Boeotia To which place vpon a signe giuen the Athenians that were in the Citie of Athens came also forth with their whole Forces led by Hipponnicus the sonne of Callias and Eurymedon the sonne of Thucles and ioyned with them and pitching their Campe spent the day in wasting the Territory of Tanagra and lay there the night following The next day they defeated in Battell such of the Tanagrians as came out against them and also certaine succours sent them from Thebes and when they had taken vp the Armes of those that were slaine and erected a Trophie they returned backe the one part to Athens the other to their Fleet. And Nicias with his 60. Gallies hauing first sailed along the Coast of Locris and wasted it came home likewise About the same time the Peloponnesians erected the Colonie of Heraclea in Trachinia with this intention The Melians in the whole containe these three parts Paralians Hiâ—rans and Trachinians Of these the Trachinians being afflicted with Warre from the Oeteans their borderers thought at first to haue ioyned themselues to the Athenians but fearing that they would not bee faithfull vnto them they sent to Lacedaemon choosing for their Ambassadour Tisamenus And the Dorians who are the Mother Nation to the Lacedaemonians sent their Ambassadours likewise with him with the same requests For they also were infested with Warre from the same Oeteans Vpon audience of these Ambassadours the Lacedaemonians concluded to send out a Colonie both intending the reparation of the iniuries done to the Trachinians and to the Doreans and conceiuing withall that the Towne would stand very commodiously for their Warre with the Athenians inasmuch as they might thereby haue a Nauie ready where the passage was but short against Euboea and it would much further their conuoyance of Souldiers into Thrace And they had their minde wholly bent to the building of the place First therefore they asked counsell of the Oracle in Delphi and the Oracle hauing bidden them doe it they sent Inhabitants thither both of their owne people and of the neighbours about them and gaue leaue also to any that would to goe thither out of the rest of Greece saue onely to the Ionians Achaians and some few other Nations The Conductors of the Colonie were three Lacedaemonians Leon Alcidas and Damagon who taking in it hand built the Citie which is now called Heraclâ—a from the very Foundation being distant from Thermopylae fortie Furlongs and from the Sea twenty Also they made houses for Gallies to lye vnder beginning close to Thermopylae against the very streight to the end to haue them the more defensible The Athenians when this Citie was peopled were at first afraid and thought it to bee set vp especially against Euboea because from thence to Ceneum a Promontory of Euboea the passage is but short But it fell out afterwards otherwise then they imagined for they had no great harme by it The reason whereof was this That
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
worth the relation And the Athenians being arriued in Sicily whither they were at first bound prosecuted the Warre there together with the rest of their Confederates of those parts In the end of this Summer the Athenians that lay at Naupactus went forth with an Armie and tooke the City of Anactorium belonging to the Corinthians and lying at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulfe by Treason And when they had put forth the Corinthians the Acarnanians held it with a Colonie sent thither from all parts of their owne Nation And so this Summer ended The next Winter Aristides the sonne of Archippus one of the Commanders of a Fleet which the Athenians had sent out to gather Tribute from their Confederates apprehended 〈…〉 in the Towne of Eion vpon the Riuer 〈◊〉 going from the King to Lacedaemon When he was brought to Athens the Athenians translated his Letters out of the Assyrian Language into Greeke and read them wherein amongst many other things that were written to the Lacedaemonians the principall was this That hee knew not what they meant for many Ambassadours came but they spake not the same things If therefore they had any thing to say certaine they should send somebody to him with this Persian But Artaphernes they send afterwards away in a Gallie with Ambassadours of their owne to Ephesus And there encountering the newes that King Artaxerxes the the sonne of Xerxes was lately dead for about that time he dyed they returned home The same Winter also the Chians demolished their new Wall by command of the Athenians vpon suspition that they intended some innouation notwithstanding they had giuen the Athenians their faith and the best security they could to the intent they should let them bee as they were Thus ended this Winter and the seuenth yeere of this Warre written by Thucydides The next Summer in the very beginning at a change of the Moone the Sunne was eclipsed in part and in the beginning of the same Moneth happened an Earthquake At this time the Mitylenian and other Lesbian Outlawes most of them residing in the Continent with mercenary Forces out of Peloponnesus and some which they leauied where they were seaze on Rhoetium and for two thousand Phocean Staters render it againe without doing them other harme After this they came with their Forces to Antander and tooke that Citie also by Treason They had likewise a Designe to set free the rest of the Cities called Actaeae which were in the occupation formerly of the Mitylenians but subiect to the Athenians but aboue all the rest Antander which when they had once gotten for there they might easily build Gallies because there was store of Timber and mount Ida was aboue their heads they might issue from thence with other their preparation and infest Lesbos which was neere and bring into their power the Aeolique Townes in the Continent And this were those men preparing The Athenians the same Summer with sixty Gallies 2000 men of Armes and a few horsemen taking with them also the Milesians and some other of their Confederates made Warre vpon Cythera vnder the Conduct of Nicias the sonne of Niceratus Nicostratus the sonne of Diotrephes and Autocles the sonne of Tolmaeus This Cythera is an Iland vpon the Coast of Laconia ouer against Malea The Inhabitants be Lacedaemonians of the same that dwell about them And euery yeere there goeth ouer vnto them from Sparta a Magistrate called Cytherodices They likewise sent ouer men of Armes from time to time to lie in Garrison there and tooke much care of the place For it was the place where their ships vsed to put in from Aegypt and Libâ—â— and by which Laconia was the lesse infested by theeues from the Sea being that way onely subiect to that mischiefe For the Iland lyeth wholly out into the Sicilian and Creticke Seas The Athenians arriuing with their Army with ten of their Gallies and 2000 men of Armes of the Milesians tooke a towne lying to the Sea called Scandea and with the rest of their forces hauing landed in the parts of the Iland towards Malea marched into the Citie it selfe of the Cythereans lying likewise to the Sea The Cythereans they found standing all in Armes prepared for them and after the battell began the Cythereans for a little while made resistance but soone after turned their backs and fled into the higher part of the Citie and afterwards compounded with Nicias and his fellow-Commanders That the Athenians should determine of them whatsoeuer they thought good but death Nicias had had some conference with certaine of the Cythereans before which was also a cause that those things which concerned the accord both now and afterwards were both the sooner and with the more fauour dispatched For the Athenians did but remoue the Cythereans and that also because they were Lacedaemonians and because the Iland lay in that maner vpon the coast of Laconia After this composition hauing as they went by receiued Scandea a Towne lying vpon the Hauen and put a guard vpon the Cythereans they sayled to Asine most of the Townes vpon the Sea-side And going sometimes a-land and staying where they saw cause wasted the Countrey for about seuen dayes together The Lacedaemonians though they saw the Athenians had Cythera and expected withall that they would come to Land in the same manner in their owne Territory yet came not foorth with their vnited forces to resist them but distributed a number of men of Armes into sundry parts of their Territory to guard it wheresoeuer there was need and were otherwise also exceeding watchfull fearing lest some innouation should happen in the State as hauing receiued a very great and vnexpected losse in the Iland and the Athenians hauing gotten Pylus and Cythera and as being on all sides encompassed with a busie and vnauoydable Warre In so much that contrary to their custome they ordayned 400 Horsemen and some Archers And if euer they were fearefull in matter of Warre they were so now because it was contrary to their owne way to contend in a Nauall Warre and against Athenians who thought they lost whatsoeuer they not attempted Withall their so many mis-fortunes in so short a time falling out so contrary to their owne expectation exceedingly affrighted them And fearing lest some such calamity should againe happen as they had receiued in the Iland they durst the lesse to hazzard battell and thought that whatsoeuer they should goe about would miscarry because their mindes not vsed formerly to losses could now warrant them nothing As the Athenians therefore wasted the Maritime parts of the Country and disbarked neere any Garrison those of the Garrison for the most part stirred not both as knowing themselues singly to be too small a number and as being in that maner deiected Yet one Garrison fought about Cortyta and Aphrodisia and frighted in the straggling rabble
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
friends Enemies to neither side and you to depart out of our Land after agreement such as we shall both thinke fit Thus the Melians answered to which the Athenians the conference being already broken off replyed thus Ath. You are the onely men as it seemeth to vs by this consultation that thinke future things more certaine then things seene and behold things doubtfull through desire to haue them true as if they were already come to passe As you attribute and trust the most vnto the Lacedaemonians and to Fortune and Hopes So will you be the most deceiued This said the Athenian Ambassadors departed to their Campe and the Commanders seeing that the Melians stood out fell presently to the War and diuiding the worke among the seuerall Cities encompassed the City of the Melians with a wall The Athenians afterwards left some forces of their owne and of their Confederates for a guard both by Sea and Land and with the greatest part of their Army went home The rest that were left besieged the place About the same time the Argiues making a Road into Phliasia lost about 80 of their men by ambush laid for them by the men of Phlius and the outlawes of their owne City And the Athenians that lay in Pylus fetched in thither a great booty from the Lacedaemonians notwithstanding which the Lacedaemonians did not warre vpon them as renouncing the Peace but gaue leaue by Edict onely to any of their people that would to take booties reciprocally in the Territory of the Athenians The Corinthians also made Warre vpon the Athenians but it was for certaine controuersies of their owne and the rest of Peloponnesus stirred not The Melians also tooke that part of the wall of the Athenians by an assault in the night which looked towards the Market place and hauing slaine the men that guarded it brought into the Towne both Corne and other prouision whatsoeuer they could buy for money and so returned and lay still And the Athenians from thenceforth kept a better watch And so this Summer ended The Winter following the Lacedaemonians being about to enter with their Army into the Territory of the Argiues when they perceiued that the sacrifices which they made on the border for their passage were not acceptable returned And the Argiues hauing some of their owne Citie in suspition in regard of this designe of the Lacedaemonians apprehended some of them and some escaped About the same time the Melians tooke another part of the wall of the Athenians they that kept the siege being then not many But this done there came afterwards fresh forces from Athens vnder the Conduct of Philocrates the sonne of Demeas And the Towne being now strongly besieged there being also within some that practised to haue it giuen vp they yeelded themselues to the discretion of the Athenians who slew all the men of Military age made slaues of the women and children and inhabited the place with a Colony sent thither afterwards of fiue hundred men of their owne ANTIENT SICELE ACCORDING TO THE Description of Philip Châ—erius THE SIXTH BOOKE OF THE HISTORY OF THVCYDIDES The principall Contents Sicily described The causes and pretences of the Sicilian Warre with the consultation and preparation for the same Alcibiades one of the Generals of the Army accused of defacing the Images of Mercury is suffered for that present to depart with the Armie The Athenian Army commeth to Rhegium thence to Catana From thence Alcibiades is sent for home to make answer to his accusations and by the way escaping goeth to Lacedaemon Nicias encampeth neere Syracuse and hauing ouercome the Armie of the Syracusians in Battell returneth to Catana The Syracusians procure aydes amongst the rest of the Sicilians Alcibiades instigateth and instructeth the Lacedaemonians against his Countrey Nicias returneth from Catana to Syracuse and encamping in Epipolae besiegeth the Citie and beginneth to encloze them with a double Wall which was almost brought to perfection in the beginning of the eighteenth yeere of this Warre THe same Winter the Athenians with greater Forces then they had before sent out with Laches and Eurymedon resolued to goe againe into Sicily and if they could wholly to subdue it Beeing for the most part ignorant both of the greatnesse of the Iland and of the multitude of people as well Greekes as Barbarians that inhabited the same and that they vndertooke a Warre not much lesse then the Warre against the Peloponnesians For the compasse of Sicily is little lesse then eight dayes sayle for a Ship and though so great is yet diuided with no more then twenty Furlongs Sea measure from the Continent It was inhabited in Old time thus and these were the Nations that held it The most ancient Inhabitants in a part thereof are said to haue been the Cyclopes and Laestrigones of whose Stocke and whence they came or to what place they remoued I haue nothing to say Let that suffice which the Poets haue spoken and which euery particular man hath learned of them After them the first that appeare to haue dwelt therein are the Sicanians as they say themselues nay before the other as being the naturall breed of the Iland But the truth is they were Iberians and driuen away by the Ligyans from the bankes of Sicanus a Riuer on which they were seated in Iberia And the Iland from them came to be called Sicania which was before Trinacria And these two inhabit yet in the Westerne parts of Sicily After the taking of Ilium certaine Troians escaping the hands of the Grecians landed with small Boats in Sicily and hauing planted themselues on the borders of the Sicanians both the Nations in one were called Elymi and their Cities were Eryx and Egesta Hard by these came and dwelled also certaine Phoceans who comming from Troy were by tempest carried first into Africke and thence into Sicily But the Siculi passed out of Italy for there they inhabited flying from the Opici hauing as is most likely and as it is reported obserued the Straight and with a fore-wind gotten ouer in Boats which they made suddenly on the occasion or perhaps by some other meanes There is at this day a people in Italy called Siculi And Italy it selfe got that name after the same manner from a King of Arcadia called Italus Of these a great Army crossing ouer into Sicily ouerthrew the Sicanians in battell and draue them into the South and West parts of the same and in stead of Sicania caused the Iland to be called Sicilia and held and inhabited the best of the Land for neere 300 yeeres after their going ouer and before any of the Grecians came thither And till now they possesse the midland and North parts of the Iland Also the Phoenicians inhabited the Coast of Sicily on all sides hauing taken possession of certaine Promontories and little Ilands adiacent for Trades sake with the Sicilians
leauied with exceeding great choice and euery man endeuoured to excell his fellow in the brauery of his Armes and vtenciles that belonged to his person Insomuch as amongst themselues it begate quarrell about precedencie but amongst other Grecians a conceit that it was an ostentation rather of their power and riches then a preparation against an Enemie For if a man enter into account of the expence as well of the publike as of priuate men that went the voyage namely of the publike what was spent already in the businesse and what was to be giuen to the Commanders to carry with them and of priuate men what euery one had bestowed vpon his person and euery Captaine on his Gallie besides what euery one was likely ouer and aboue his allowance from the State to bestow on prouision for so long a Warfare and what the Merchant carried with him for Traffique he will finde the whole summe carrried out of the Citie to amount to a great many Talents And the Fleet was no lesse noysed amongst those against whom it was to goe for the strange boldnesse of the attempt and gloriousnesse of the show then it was for the excessiue report of their number for the length of the voyage and for that it was vndertaken with so vast future hopes in respect of their present power After they were all aboard and all things laid in that they meant to carry with them silence was commanded by the Trumpet and after the Wine had beene carried about to the whole Army and All aswell the Generals as the Souldiers had drunke a health to the Voyage they made their prayers such as by the Law were appointed for before their taking Sea not in euery Galley apart but all together the Herald pronouncing them And the company from the shoare both of the Citie and whosoeuer else wished them well prayed with them And when they had sung the Paean and ended the Health they put forth to Sea And hauing at first gone out in a long File Gally after Gally they after went a vie by Aegina Thus hasted these to be at Corcyra to which place also the other Armie of the Confederates were assembling At Syracuse they had aduertisement of the Voyage from diuers places neuerthelesse it was long ere any thing would be beleeued Nay an Assembly beeing there called Orations were made such as follow on both parts aswell by them that beleeued the report touching the Athenian Armie to be true as by others that affirmed the contrary And Hermocrates the sonne of Hermon as one that thought hee knew the certainety stood forth and spake to this effect THE ORATION OF HERMOCRATES COncerning the truth of this Inuasion though perhaps I shall bee thought as well as other men to deliuer a thing incredible and though I know that such as bee either the Authors or relaters of matter incredible shall not onely not perswade but bee also accounted fooles neuerthelesse I will not for feare thereof hold my tongue as long as the Common wealth is in danger being confident that I know the truth heereof somewhat more certainely then others doe The Athenians are bent to come euen against vs which you verily wonder at and that vvith great Forces both for the Sea and Land vvith pretence indeed to ayde their Confederates the Egestaeans and to replant the Leontines but in truth they aspire to the dominion of all Sicily and especially of this Citie of ours vvhich obtained they make account to get the rest vvith ease Seeing then they will presently bee vpon vs aduise vvith your present means how you may vvith most honour make head against them that you may not bee taken vnprouided through contempt nor be carelesse through incredulity and that such as beleeue it may not be dismayed with their audaciousnes and power For they are not more able to doe hurt vnto vs then we be vnto them neither indeed is the greatnes of their Fleet without some aduantage vnto vs. Nay it will be much the better for vs in respect of the rest of the Sicilians for being terrified by them they will the rather league with vs. And if we either vanquish or repulse them without obtaining what they come for for I feare not at all the effecting of their purpose verily it will bee a great honour to vs and in my opinion not vnlikely to come to passe For in truth there haue beene few great Fleets whether of Grecians or Barbarians sent far from home that haue not prospered ill Neither are these that come against vs more in number then our selues and the neighbouring Cities for surely we shall all hold together vpon feare And if for want of necessaries in a strange Territorie they chance to miscarry the honour of it will be left to vs against whom they bend their councels though the greatest cause of their ouerthrow should consist in their owne errours Which was also the case of these very Athenians who raised themselues by the misfortune of the Medes though it happened for the most part contrary to reason because in name they went only against the Athenians And that the same shall now happen vnto vs is not without probability Let vs therefore with courage put in readinesse our owne fortes let vs send to the Siculi to confirme those we haue and to make peace and league with others and let vs send Ambassadors to the rest of Sicily to shew them that it is a common danger and into Italy to get them into our League or at least that they receiue not the Athenians And in my iudgement it were our best course to send also to Carthage for euen they are not without expectation of the same danger Nay they are in a continuall feare that the Athenians will bring the Warre vpon them also euen to their Citie So that vpon apprehension that if they neglect vs the trouble will come home to their owne doore they will perhaps either secretly or openly or some way assist vs. And of all that now are they are the best able to doe it if they please For they haue the most gold and siluer by which both the Wars and all things else are the best expedited Let vs also send to Lacedaemon and to Corinth praying them not onely to send their succours hither with speed but also to set on foot the Warre there But that which I thinke the best course of all though through an habit of sitting still you will hardly be brought to it I will neuerthelesse now tell you what it is If the Sicilians all together or if not all yet if wee and most of the rest would draw together our whole Nauie and with 2. moneths prouision goe and meet the Athenians at Tarentum and the Promontory of Iapygia and let them see that they must fight for their passage ouer the Ionian Gulfe before they fight for Sicily it would both terrifie them the most and also put them into a consideration That
and there to sell it that the Mariners disbarking might presently dine by the Gallies sides and quickly againe vnlooked-for assault the Athenians afresh the same day This aduice being liked they sent a Messenger and the Market was furnished And the Syracusians suddenly rowed a-sterne towards the Citie and disbarking dined there-right on the shore The Athenians supposing they had retired towards the Citie as vanquished landed at leasure and amongst other businesse went about the dressing of their dinner as not expecting to haue fought againe the same day But the Syracusians suddenly going aboord came towards them againe And the Athenians in great tumult and for the most part vndined imbarking disorderly at length with much adoe went out to meete them For a while they held their hands on both sides and but obserued each other But anon after the Athenians thought not fit by longer dallying to ouercome themselues with their owne labour but rather to fight as soone as they could and thereupon at once with a ioynt shout charged the Enemie and the fight began The Syracusians receiued and resisted their charge and fighting as they had before determined with their Gallies head to head with those of the Athenians and prouided with beakes for the purpose brake the Gallies of the Athenians very much between the heads of the Gallies and the oares The Athenians were also annoyed much by the Darters from the Deckes but much more by those Syracusians who going about in small Boats passed vnder the rowes of the Oares of the Enemies Gallies and comming close to their sides threw their Darts at the Mariners from thence The Syracusians hauing fought in this manner with the vtmost of their strength in the end gat the victory and the Athenians betweene the two Ships escaped into their harbour The Syracusian Gallies chased them as farre as to those Ships but the Dolphins hanging from the Masts ouer the entrance of the harbour forbad them to follow any further Yet there were two Gallies which vpon a iollity after victory approached them but were both lost of which one with her men and all was taken The Syracusians after they had sunke seuen Gallies of the Athenians and torne many more and of the men had taken some aliue and killed others retired and for both the battel 's erected Trophies and had already an assured hope of being farre superiour by Sea and also made account to subdue the Army by Land And they prepared to assault them againe in both kindes In the meane time Demosthenes and Eurymedon arriued with the Athenian supply being about 73 Gallies and men of Armes of their owne and of their Confederates about 5000. Besides Darters as well Barbarians as Greekes not a few and Slingers and Archers and all other prouision sufficient For the present it not a little daunted the Syracusians and their Confederates to see no end of their danger and that notwithstanding the fortifying in Decelea another Army should come now equall and like vnto their former and that their power should be so great in euery kind And on the other side it was a kind of strengthening after weakenesse to the Athenian Army that was there before Demosthenes when hee saw how things stood and thinking it vnfit to loyter and fall into Nicias his case For Nicias who was formidable at his first comming when he set not presently vpon Syracuse but Wintred at Catana both grew into contempt and was preuented also by the comming of Gylippus thither with an Army out of Peloponnesus The which if Nicias had gone against Syracuse at first had neuer been so much as sent for For supposing themselues to haue been strong enough alone they had at once both found themselues too weake and the City been enclosed with a Wall whereby though they had sent for it it could not haue helped them as it did Demosthenes I say considering this and that he also euen at the present and the same day was most terrible to the enemy intended with all speed to make vse of this present terriblenesse of the Army And hauing obserued that the Crosse-wall of the Syracusians wherewith they hindred the Athenians from enclosing the Citie was but single and that if they could be Masters of the ascent to Epipolae and againe of the Campe there the same might easily be taken for none would haue stood against them hasted to put it to triall and thought it his shortest way to the dispatching of the Warre For either he should haue successe he thought and so winne Syracuse or he would lead away the Army and no longer without purpose consume both the Athenians there with him and the whole State The Athenians therefore went out and first wasted the Territory of the Syracusians about the Riuer Anapus and were the stronger as at first both by Sea and Land For the Syracusians durst neither way goe out against them but onely with their Horsemen and Darters from Olympieum After this Demosthenes thought good to try the Wall which the Athenians had built to enclose the City withall with Engines but seeing the Engines were burnt by the Defendants fighting from the Wall and that hauing assaulted it in diuers parts with the rest of his army he was notwithstanding put backe he resolued to spend the time no longer but hauing gotten the consent of Nicias and the rest in Commission thereunto to put in execution his designe for Epipolae as was before intended By day it was thought impossible not to be discouered either in their approach or in their ascent Hauing therefore first commanded to take fiue dayes prouision of Victuall and all the Masons and Workmen as also store of Casting Weapons and whatsoeuer they might need if they ouercame for Fortification He and Eurymedon and Menander with the whole Army marched about midnight to Epipolae leauing Nicias in the Campe. Being come to Epipolae at Euryalus where also the Army went vp before they were not onely not discouered by the Syracusians that kept the Watch but ascending tooke a certaine Fortification of the Syracusians there and killed part of them that kept it But the greatest number escaping ranne presently to the Campes of which there were in Epipolae three walled about without the City one of Syracusians one of other Sicilians and one of Confederates and carried the newes of their comming in and told it to those 600 Syracusians that kept this part of Epipolae at the first who presently went forth to meet them But Demosthenes and the Athenians lighting on them though they fought valiantly put them to flight and presently marched on making vse of the present heat of the Army to finish what he came for before it were too late And others going on in their first course tooke the Crosse-wall of the Syracusians they flying that kept it and were throwing downe the Battlements thereof The Syracusians and their Confederates and Gylippus and those with him came out to meet them from
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
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
all Sicily their liberty which they enioyed before but now is more assured Honourable is that Combate and rare are those hazards wherein the failing bringeth little losse and the successe a great deale of Profit When Gylippus and the Commanders of the Syracusians had in this manner encouraged their Souldiers they presently put their men aboord perceiuing the Athenians to doe the same Nicias perplexed with this present estate and seeing how great and how neere the danger was being now on the point to put forth from the Harbour and doubting as in great battels it falleth out that somewhat in euery kind was still wanting and that he had not yet sufficiently spoken his mind called vnto him againe all the Captaines of Gallies and spake vnto them euery one by their fathers their tribes and their proper names and entreated euery one of them that had reputation in any kind not to betray the same and those whose Ancestors were eminent not to deface their hereditary vertues remembring them of their Countries liberty and the vncontrolled power of all men to liue as they pleased and saying whatsoeuer else in such a pinch men are accustomed not out of their store to vtter things stale and in all occasions the same touching their Wiues Children and patriall Gods but such things as being thought by them auaileable in the present discouragement they vse to cry into their eares And when he thought he had admonished them not enough but as much as the time would permit he went his way and drew out those forces that were to serue on Land to the Sea side and embattelled them so as they might take vp the greatest length of ground they were able thereby so much the more to confirme the courage of them that were aboord And Demosthenes Menander and Eudemus for those of the Athenian Commanders went aboord putting forth of the Harbour went immediately to the Locke of the Hauen and to the passage that was left open with intention to force their way out But the Syracusians and their Confederates being out already with the same number of Gallies they had before disposed part of them to the guard of the open passage and the rest in circle about the Hauen to the end they might fall vpon the Athenians from all parts at once and that their Land-forces might withall be neere to aide them wheresoeuer the Gallies touched In the Syracusian Nauy commanded Sicanus and Agatharchus each of them ouer a Wing and Pythen with the Corinthians had the middle Battell After the Athenians were come to the Locke of the Hauen at the first charge they ouercame the Gallies placed there to guard it and endeauoured to breake open the barres thereof But when afterwards the Syracusians and Confederates came vpon them from euery side they fought not at the Locke only but also in the Hauen it selfe And the battell was sharpe and such as there had neuer before been the like For the courage wherewith the Mariners on both sides brought vp their Gallies to any part they were bidden was very great and great was the plotting and counterplotting and contention one against another of the Masters Also the Souldiers when the Gallies boorded each other did their vtmost to excell each other in all points of skill that could be vsed from the Decks and euery man in the place assigned him put himselfe forth to appeare the formost But many Gallies falling close together in a narrow compasse for they were the most Gallies that in any battell they had vsed and fought in the least roome being little fewer on the one side and the other then 200. they ranne against each other but seldome because there was no meanes of retiring nor of passing by but made assaults vpon each other oftner as Gally with Gally either flying or pursuing chanced to fall foule And as long as a Gally was making vp they that stood on the Decks vsed their Darts and Arrowes and Stones in abundance but being once come close the Souldiers at hand-stroakes attempted to boord each other And in many places it so fell out through want of roome that they which ran vpon a Gally on one side were runne vpon themselues on the other and that two Gallies or sometimes more were forced to lye aboord of one and that the Masters were at once to haue a care not in one place onely but in many together how to defend on the one side and how to offend on the other And the great noise of many Gallies fallen foule of one another both amazed them and tooke away their hearing of what their Directors directed for they directed thicke and loud on both sides not onely as Art required but out of their present eagernesse the Athenians crying out to theirs to force the passage and now if euer valiantly to lay hold vpon their safe returne to their Country and the Syracusians and their Confederates to theirs how honourable a thing to euery one of them it would be to hinder their escape and by this Victory to improue euery man the honour of his owne Countrey Moreouer the Commanders of either side where they saw any man without necessity to row a Sterne would call vnto the Captain of the Gally by his name aske him The Athenians whether he retired because he thought the most hostile Land to be more their friend then the Sea which they had so long beene masters of The Syracusians theirs whether when they knew that the Athenians desired earnestly by any meanes to flie they would neuerthelesse flie from the Flyers Whilest the Conflict was vpon the Water the Land-men had a Conflict and sided with them in their affections They of the place contending for increase of the honours they had already gotten and the Inuaders fearing a worse estate theÌ„ they were already in For the Athenians who had their whole fortune at stake in their Gallies were in such a feare of the euent as they had neuer been in the like and were thereby of necessity to behold the fight vpon the Water with very different passions For the sight being neere and not looking all of them vpon one and the same part he that saw their owne side preuaile tooke heart and fell to calling vpon the Gods that they would not depriue them of their safety and they that saw them haue the worse not onely lamented but shriked out-right and had their minds more subdued by the sight of what was done then they that were present in the battell it selfe Others that looked on some part where the fight was equall because the contention continued so as they could make no iudgment on it with gesture of body on euery occasion agreeable to their expectation passed the time in a miserable perplexity For they were euer within a little eâ—ther of escaping or of perishing And one might heare in one and the same Army as long as the fight vpon the Water was indifferent at one
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