had cōmerce also by Sea then likewise hauing furnished themselues with a Nauy they scowred the Sea of Pirates and affording Traffique both by Sea and Land mightily increased their City in reuenue of money After this the Iönians in the times of Cyrus first King of the Persians and of his Sonne Cambyses got together a great Nauie and making warre on Cyrus obtained for a time the dominion of that part of the Sea that lyeth on their owne Coast. Also Polycrates who in the time of Cambyses Tyrannized in Samos had a strong Nauy wherewith he subdued divers of the Ilands and amongst the rest hauing wonne Rhenea hee consecrated the same to Apollo of Delos The Phocaeans likewise when they were building the Citty of Marseilles ouercame the Carthagineans in a sight at Sea These were the greatest Nauies extant and yet euen these though many Ages after the time of Troy consisted is it seemes but of a few Gallies and were made vp with Vessels of fiftie Oares and with long Boates as well as those of former times And it was but a little before the Medan Warre and death of Darius successor of Cambyses in the Kingdome of Persia that the Tyrants of Sicily and the Corcyraeans had of Gallies any number For these last were the onely Nauies worth speaking of in all Greece before the invasion of the Medes And the People of Aegina and the Athenians had but small ones and the most of them consisting but of fifty Oares a piece and that so lately as but from the time that the Athenians making Warre on Aegina and withall expecting the comming of the Barbarian at the perswasion of Themistocles built those Ships which they vsed in that Warre and these also not all had Deckes Such were then the Nauies of the Greekes both ancient and moderne Neuerthelesse such as applyed themselues to navall businesse gained by them no small power both in reuenue of money and in dominion ouer other people For with their Nauies especially those men that had not sufficient Land where they inhabited to maintaine themselues they subdued the Ilands But as for Warre by Land such as any State might acquire power by there was none at all And such as were were onely betweene Borderer and Borderer For the Grecians had neuer yet gone out with any Army to conquer any Nation far from home because the lesser Cities neither brought in their Forces to the great ones as Subiects nor concurred as Equals in any common Enterprize but such as were neighbours warred against each other hand to hand For the Warre of old betweene the Chalcideans and the Eretrians was it wherein the rest of Greece was most divided and in league with either partie As others by other meanes were kept backe from growing great so also the Ionians by this That the Persian Affaires prospering Cyrus and the Persian Kingdome after the defeat of Croesus made warre vpon all that lyeth from the Riuer Halys to the Sea side and so subdued all the Citties which they possessed in the Continent Darius afterward when he had ouercome the Phoenissian Fleet did the like vnto them in the Ilands And as for the Tyrants that were in the Grecian Cities who forecasted onely for themselues how with as much safety as was possible to looke to their owne persons and their owne Families they resided for the most part in the Cities and did no Action worthy of memory vnlesse it were against their neighbours for as for the Tyrants of Sicily they were already arrived at greater power Thus was Greece for a long time hindred that neither ioyntly it could doe any thing remarkable nor the Cities singly be adventrous But after that the Tyrants both of Athens and of the rest of Greece where Tyrannies were were the most and last of them excepting those of Sicily put downe by the Lacedaemonians for Lacedaemon after it was built by the Doreans that inhabited the same though it hath bin longer troubled with seditions then any other Citie we know yet hath it had for the longest time good Laws and bin also alwaies free from Tyrants For it is vnto the end of this Warre 400. yeeres and somewhat more that the Lacedaemonians haue vsed one and the same gouernment and thereby being of power themselues they also ordered the Affaires in the other Cities I say after the dissolution of Tyrannies in Greece it was not long before the Battaile was fought by the Medes against the Athenians in the Fields of Marathon And in the tenth yeere againe after that came the Barbarian with the great Fleet into Greece to subdue it And Greece being now in great danger the leading of the Grecians that leagued in that Warre was giuen to the Lacedaemonians as to the most potent State And the Athenians who had purposed so much before and already stowed their necessaries at the comming in of the Medes went a ship-boord and became Sea-men When they had ioyntly beaten backe the Barbarian then did the Grecians both such as were revolted from the King and such as had in common made Warre vpon him not long after devide themselues into Leagues one part with the Athenians and the other with the Lacedaemonians these two Citties appearing to bee the mightiest for this had the power by Land and the other by Sea But this Confederation lasted but a while for afterwards the Lacedaemonians and the Athenians being at variance warred each on other together with their seuerall Confederates And the rest of Greece where any discord chanced to arise had recourse presently to one of these In so much that from the Warre of the Medes to this present Warre being continually exercised sometimes in peace sometimes in Warre either one against the other or against revolted Confederates they arrived at this Warre both well furnished with Military provisions and also expert because their practice was with danger The Lacedaemonians governed not their Confederates so as to make them Tributaries but onely drew them by faire meanes to embrace the Oligarchy convenient to their owne Policy But the Athenians having with time taken into their hands the Gallies of all those that stood out except the Chians and Lesbians reigned over them and ordained euery of them to pay a certaine tribute of money By which meanes their owne particular provision was greater in the beginning of this Warre then when in their flourishing time the League betweene them and the rest of Greece remaining whole it was at the most Such then I finde to haue beene the state of things past hard to be beleeued though one produce proofe for euery particular thereof For Men receiue the report of things though of their owne Countrey if done before their owne time all alike from one as from another without examination For the vulgar sort of Athenians thinke that Hipparchus was the Tyrant and slaine
but belieue it Themistocles when hee saw this wished them not to bee led by reports but rather to send thither some of their owne such as were honest men and hauing informed themselues would relate the truth Which they also did And Themistocles sendeth priuily to the Athenians about the same men to take order for their stay with as little apparence of it as they could and not to dismisse them till their owne Ambassadours were returned For by this time were arriued those that were ioyned with him namely Abronychus the sonne of Lysicles and Aristides the sonne of Lysimachus and brought him word that the Wall was of a sufficient height For hee feared lest the Lacedaemonians when they knew the truth would refuse to let them goe The Athenians therefore kept there those Ambassadours according as it was written to them to doe Themistocles comming now to his audience before the Lacedaemonians said plainely That the Citie of Athens was already walled and that sufficiently for the defence of those within And that if it shall please the Lacedaemonians vpon any occasion to send Ambassadours vnto them they were to send thenceforward as to men that vnderstood what conduced both to their owne and also to the common good of all Greece For when they thought it best to quit their Citie and put themselues into their Gallies he said they were bold to doe it without asking the aduice of them And in Common Counsell the aduice of the Athenians was as good as the aduice of them And now at this time their opinion is that it will bee best both for themselues in particular and for all the Confederates in common that their Citie should bee walled For that in strength vnequall men cannot alike and equally aduise for the common benefit of Greece Therefore said hee eyther must all the Confederate Cities bee vnwalled or you must not thinke amisse of what is done by vs. The Lacedaemonians when they heard him though they made no shew of being angry with the Athenians for they had not sent their Ambassadours to forbid them but by way of aduice to admonish them not to build the Wall besides they bare them affection then for their courage shewne against the Medes yet they were inwardly offended because they missed of their will And the Ambassadours returned home of either side without complaint Thus the Athenians quickly raised their Walles the structure it selfe making manifest the haste vsed in the building For the Foundation consisteth of stones of all sorts and those in some places vnwrought and as they were brought to the place Many Pillars also taken from Sepulchers and polished Stones were piled together amongst the rest For the circuit of the City was set euery way further out and therefore hastening they tooke alike whatsoeuer came next to hand Themistocles likewise perswaded them to build vp the rest of Peiraeus for it was begun in the yeere that himselfe was Archon of Athens as conceiuing the place both beautifull in that it had three naturall Hauens and that beeing now Sea-men it would very much conduce to the enlargement of their power For hee was indeede the first man that durst tell them that they ought to take vpon them the command of the Sea and withall presently helped them in the obtaining it By his counsell also it was that they built the Wall of that breadth about Piraeus which is now to be seene For two Carts carrying stones met and passed vpon it one by another And yet within it there was neither Rubbish nor Morter to fill it vp but it was made all of great stones cut square and bound together with Iron and Lead But for height it was raised but to the halfe at the most of what he had intended For hee would haue had it able to hold out the Enemie both by the height and breadth and that a few and the lesse seruiceable men might haue sufficed to defend it and the rest haue serued in the Nauie For principally hee was addicted to the Sea because as I thinke he had obserued that the Forces of the King had easier accesse to invade them by Sea then by Land and thought that Piraeus was more profitable then the City aboue And oftentimes hee would exhort the Athenians that in case they were oppressed by Land they should goe downe thither and with their Gallies make resistance against what Enemie soeuer Thus the Athenians built their Walles and fitted themselues in other kinds immediately vpon the departure of the Persians In the meane time was Pausanias the sonne of Cleombrotus sent from Lacedaemon Commander of the Grecians with twenty Gallies out of Peloponnesus With which went also 30. Saile of Athens besides a multitude of other Confederates and making Warre on Cyprus subdued the greatest part of the same and afterwards vnder the same Commander came before Byzantium which they besieged and wonne But Pausanias being now growne insolent both the rest of the Grecians and specially the Iönians who had newly recouered their liberty from the King offended with him came vnto the Athenians and requested them for consanguinities sake to become their Leaders and to protect them from the violence of Pausanias The Athenians accepting the motion applyed themselues both to the defence of these and also to the ordering of the rest of the affaires there in such sort as it should seeme best vnto themselues In the meane time the Lacedaemonians sent for Pausanias home to examine him of such things as they had heard against him For great crimes had beene laid to his charge by the Grecians that came from thence and his gouernment was rather an imitation of Tyranny then a Command in Warre And it was his hap to bee called home at the same time that the Confederates all but the Souldiers of Peloponnesus out of hatred to him had turned to the Athenians When he came to Lacedaemon though he were censured for some wrongs done to priuate men yet of the greatest matters he was acquit especially of Medizing the which seemed to bee the most euident of all Him therefore they sent Generall no more but Dorcis and some others with him with no great Army whose command the Confederates refused and they finding that went their wayes likewise And after that the Lacedaemonians sent no more because they feared lest such as went out would proue the worse for the State as they had seene by Pausanias and also because they desired to be rid of the Persian Warre conceiuing the Athenians to bee sufficient Leaders and at that time their friends When the Athenians had thus gotten the Command by the Confederates owne accord for the hatred they bare to Pausanias they then set downe an order which Cities should contribute money for this Warre against the Barbarians and which Gallies For they pretended to repaire the iniuries they had suffered by laying
also for the whole Citie lest when the Lacedaemonians were gone the Athenians should come and take the custody of it out of their hands or that the Thebans comprehended in the oath of receiuing both sides should againe attempt to surprize it But Archidamus to encourage them made this answer Deliuer you vnto vs Lacedaemonians your Citie and your houses shew vs the bounds of your Territory giue vs your trees by tale and whatsoeuer else can be numbred and depart your selues whither you shall think good as long as the Warre lasteth and when it shall be ended we will deliuer it all vnto you againe in the meane time we will keepe them as deposited and will cultiuate your ground and pay you rent for it as much as shall suffice for your maintenance Hereupon the Ambassadours went againe into the City and hauing consulted with the people made answer That they would first acquaint the Athenians with it and if they would consent they would theÌ„ accept the condition till then they desired a suspension of armes and not to haue their Territory wasted Vpon this he granted them so many dayes truce as was requisite for their returne and for so long forbore to waste their Territory When the Plataean Ambassadours were arriued at Athens and had aduised on the matter with the Athenians they returned to the City with this answer The Athenians say thus That neither in former times since wee were their Confederates did they euâ—r abandon vs to the iniuries of any nor will they now neglect vs but giue vs their vtmost assistance And they coniure vs by the oath of our Fathers not to make any alienation touching the league When the Ambassadours had made this report the Plataeans resolued in their councels not to betray the Athenians but rather to endure if it must bee the wasting of their Territory before their eyes and to suffer whatsoeuer misery could befall them and no more to goe forth but from the Walles to make this Answer That it was impossible for them to doe as the Lacedaemonians had required When they had answered so Archidamus the King first made a protestation to the Gods and Heroes of the Countrey saying thus All ye Gods and Heroes protectors of Plataeis bee witnesses that wee neither invade this Territory wherein our Fathers after their vowes vnto you ouercame the Medes and which you made propitious for the Grecians to fight in vniustly now in the beginning because they haue first broken the League they had sworne nor what wee shall further doe will bee any iniury because though we haue offered many and reasonable conditions they haue yet beene all refused Assent ye also to the punishment of the beginners of iniury and to the reuenge of those that beare lawfull armes Hauing made this protestation to the Gods hee made ready his Armie for the Warre And first hauing felled Trees he therewith made a Palizado about the Towne that none might goe out That done he raised a Mount against the Wall hoping with so great an Armie all at worke at once to haue quickly taken it And hauing cut downe Wood in the Hill Cithaeron they built a Frame of Timber and watled it about on either side to serue in stead of Walles to keepe the Earth from falling too much away and cast into it stones and earth and whatsoeuer else would serue to fill it vp 70. dayes and nights continually they powred on diuiding the worke betweene them for rest in such manner as some might bee carrying whilest others tooke their sleepe and foode And they were vrged to labour by the Lacedaemonians that commanded the Mercenaries of the seuerall Cities and had the charge of the worke The Plataeans seeing the Mount to rise made the frame of a Wall with Wood which hauing placed on the Wall of the Citie in the place where the Mount touched they built it within full of Brickes taken from the adioyning Houses for that purpose demolished the Timber seruing to binde them together that the building might not bee weakned by the height The same was also couered with Hides and Quilts both to keepe the Timber from shot of wilde-fire and those that wrought from danger So that the height of the Wall was great on one side and the Mount went vp as fast on the other The Plataeans vsed also this deuice they brake a hole in their owne Wall where the Mount ioyned and drew the earth from it into the Citie But the Peloponnesians when they found it out tooke clay and therewith daubing Hurdles of Reeds cast the same into the chinke which mouldring not as did the earth they could not draw it away The Plataeans excluded heere gaue ouer that Plot and digging a secret mine which they carried vnder the mount from within the Citie by coniecture fetched away the earth againe and were a long time vndiscouered so that still casting on the Mount grew still lesse the earth being drawne away below and settling ouer the part where it was voyded The Plataeans neuerthelesse fearing that they should not be able euen thus to hold out beeing few against many deuised this further they gaue ouer working at the high Wall against the Mount and beginning at both ends of it where the Wall was low built another Wall in forme of a Crescent inward to the Citie that if the great Wall were taken this might resist and put the Enemy to make another Mount and by comming further in to bee at double paines and withall more encompassable with shot The Peloponnesians together with the raising of their Mount brought to the Citie their Engines of battery one of which by helpe of the Mount they applyed to the high Wall wherewith they much shooke it and put the Plataeans into great feare and others to other parts of the Wall which the Plataeans partly turned aside by casting Ropes about them and partly with great beames which being hung in long iron chaines by either end vpon two other great beames â—etting ouer and enclining from aboue the Wall like two hornes they drew vp to them athwart and where the Engine was about to light slacking the chaines and letting their hands goe they let fall with violence to breake the beake of it After this the Peloponnesians seeing their Engines auailed not and thinking it hard to take the City by any present violence prepared themselues to besiege it But first they thought fit to attempt it by fire being no great Citie and when the Wind should rise if they could to burne it For there was no way they did not thinke on to haue gained it without expence and long siege Hauing therefore brought Faggots they cast them from the Mount into the space betweene it and their new Wall which by so many hands was quickly filled and then into as much of the rest of the Citie as at that distance they could reach and throwing amongst
reported by their messengers at Athens The Syracusians in the meane time from diuers parts and also from their spies had certaine intelligence that the Fleet was now at Rhegium and therefore made their preparations with all diligence and were no longer incredulous but sent vnto the Siculi to some Cities men to keepe them from reuolting to others Ambassadors and into such places as lay vpon the Sea Garrisons And examined the forces of their owne City by a view taken of the Armes and Horse whether they were complete or not and ordered all things as for a Warre at hand and onely not already present The three Gallies sent before to Egesta returned to the Athenians at Rhegium and brought word that for the rest of the money promised there was none onely there appeared thirty Talents At this the Generals were presently discouraged both because this first hope was crossed and because also the Rhegians whom they had already begun to perswade to their League and whom it was most likely they should haue wonne as being of kinne to the Leontines and alwayes heretofore fauourable to the Athenian State now refused And though to Nicias this newes from the Egestaeans was no more then he expected yet to the other two it was extreme strange But the Egestaeans when the first Ambassadors from Athens went to see their Treasure had thus deceiued them They brought them into the Temple of Venus in Eryx and shewed them the holy Treasure Goblets Flagons Censers and other Furniture in no small quantity which being but siluer appeared to the eye a great deale aboue their true value in money Then they feasted such as came with them in their priuate houses and at those feastings exhibited all the gold and siluer vessell they could get together either in the Citie of Egesta it selfe or could borrow in other as well Phaenician as Grecian Cities for their owne So all of them in a manner making vse of the same Plate and much appearing in euery of those houses it put those which came with the Ambassadors into a very great admiration in so much as at their returne to Athens they stroue who should first proclaime what wealth they had seene These men hauing both been abused themselues and hauing abused others when it was told that there was no such wealth in Egesta were much taxed by the Souldiers But the Generals went to councell vpon the businesse in hand Nicias was of this opinion That it was best to goe presently with the whole Fleet to Selinus against which they were chiefly set forth and if the Egestaeans would furnish them with money for the whole Army then to deliberate further vpoÌ„ the occasioÌ„ if not then to require maintenance for the 60 Gallies set forth at their own request staying with them by force or composition to bring the Selinuntians and them to a Peace And thence passing along by other of those Cities to make a shew of the power of the Athenian State and of their readinesse to helpe their friends and Confederates and so to goe home vnlesse they could light on some quicke and vnthought of meanes to doe some good for the Leontines or gaine some of the other Cities to their owne League and not to put the Common-wealth in danger at her owne charges Alcibiades said it would not doe well to haue come out from Athens with so great a power and then dishonourably without effect to goe home againe But rather to send Heralds to euery City but Selinus and Syracuse and assay to make the Siculi to reuolt from the Syracusians and others to enter League with the Aâ—henians that they might ayde them with men and victuall And first to deale with the Messenians as being seated in the passage and most opportune place of all Sicily for comming in and hauing a Port and Harbour sufficient for their Fleet and when they had gained those Cities and knew what helpe they were to haue in the Warre then to take in hand Syracuse and Selinus vnlesse these would agree with the Egestaeans and the other suffer the Leontines to be replanted But Lamachus was of opinion that it was best to goe directly to Syracuse and to fight with them as soone as they could at their City whilest they were yet vnfurnished and their feare at the greatest For that an Army is alwaies most terrible at first But if it stay long ere it come in sight men recollect their spirits and contemne it the more when they see it Whereas if it come vpon them suddenly while they expect it with feare it would the more easily get the Victory and euerything would affright them as the sight of it for then they would appeare most for number and the expectation of their sufferings but especially the danger of a present Battell And that it was likely that many men might be cut off in the Villages without as not beleeuing they would come and though they should be already gotten in yet the Army being master of the Field and sitting downe before the City could want no money and the other Sicilians would then neglect leaguing with the Syracusians and ioyne with the Athenians no longer standing off and spying who should haue the better And for a place to retire vnto and Anchor in he thought Megara most fit being desart and not far from Syracuse neither by Sea nor Land Lamachus said this but came afterwards to the opinion of Alcibiades After this Alcibiades with his owne Gallie hauing passed ouer to Messana and propounded to them a League and not preuailed they answering that they would not let the Army in but allow them onely a Market without the Walles returned backe to Rhegium And presently the Generals hauing out of the whole Fleet manned threescore Gallies and taken prouision aboard went along the shore to Naxus hauing left the rest of the Armie with one of the Generals at Rhegium The Naxians hauing receiued them into the City they went on by the Coast to Catana But the Cataneans receiuing them not for there were some within that fauoured the Syracusians they entred the Riuer of Terias and hauing stayed there all that night went the next day towards Syracuse leasurely with the rest of their Gallies but tenne they sent before into the great Hauen not to stay but to discouer if they had lanched any Fleet there and to proclaime from their Gallies that the Athenians were come to replant the Leontines on their owne according to League and affinity and that therefore such of the Leontines as were in Syracuse should without feare goe forth to the Athenians as to their friends and benefactors And when they had thus proclaimed and well considered the Citie and the Hauens and the region where they were to seate themselues for the Warre they returned to Catana An Assembly being called at Catana though they refused to receiue the Army they admitted the
into the great Hauen from Thapsus but the Syracusians were masters of the places neere the Sea and the Athenians brought their prouision to the Army from Thapsus by land The Syracusians when they thought both their Palizadoe and wall sufficient and considering that the Athenians came not to empeach them in the worke as they that feared to diuide their Army and to be therby the more easie to be fought withall that also hasted to make an end of their owne wall wherewith to encompasse the Citie left one squadron for a guard of their workes and retyred with the rest into the Citie And the Athenians cut off the Pipes of their Conduits by which their water to drinke was conueyed vnder-ground into the Towne And hauing obserued also that about noone the Syracusians kept within their Tents and that some of them were also gone into the Citie and that such as were remaining at the Palizado kept but negligent watch they commanded three hundred chosen men of Armes and certaine other picked out and Armed from amongst the vnarmed to runne suddenly to that Counterwall of the Syracusians The rest of the Army diuided in two went one part with one of the Generals to stop the succour which might be sent from the Citie and the other with the other Generall to the Palizado next to the Gate of the Counterwall The three hundred assaulted and tooke the Palizado the guard whereof forsaking it fled within the wall into the Temple ground and with them entred also their pursuers but after they were in were beaten out againe by the Syracusians and some slaine both of the Argiues and Athenians but not many Then the whole Army went backe together and pulled downe the wall and plucked vp the Palizado the Pales whereof they carried with them to their Campe and erected a Trophie The next day the Athenians beginning at their Circular wall built onwards to that Cragge ouer the Marishes which on that part of Epipolae looketh to the great Hauen and by which the way to the Hauen for their wall to come through the Plaine and Marish was the shortest As this was doing the Syracusians came out againe and made another Palizado beginning at the Citie through the middle of the Marish and a Ditch at the side of it to exclude the Athenians from bringing their wall to the Sea But the Athenians when they had finished their worke as farre as to the Cragge assaulted the Palizado and Trench of the Syracusians againe And hauing commanded their Gallies to be brought about from Thapsus into the great Hauen of Syracusa about breake of day went straight downe into the Plaine and passing through the Marish where the ground was Clay and firmest and partly vpon Boards and Planckes won both the Trench and Palizado all but a small part betimes in the morning and the rest not long after And here also they fought and the victory fell to the Athenians The Syracusians those of the Right-wing fled to the City and they of the Left to the Riuer The three hundred chozen Athenians desiring to cut off their passage marched at high speed towards the Bridge but the Syracusians fearing to be preuented for most of the Horsemen were in this number set vpon these three hundred and putting them to flight draue them vpon the right Wing of the Athenians and following affrighted also the formost guard of the Wing Lamachus seeing this came to aide them with a few Archers from the left Wing of their owne and with all the Argiues and passing ouer a certaine Ditch hauing but few with him was deserted and slaine with some sixe or seuen more These the Syracusians hastily snatched vp and carried into a place of safety beyond the Riuer And when they saw the rest of the Athenian Army comming towards them they departed In the meane time they that fled at first to the Citie seeing how things went tooke heart againe and reimbattailed themselues against the same Athenians that stood ranged against them before and withall sent a certaine portion of their Armie against the circular Fortification of the Athenians vpon Epipolae supposing to finde it without defendants and so to take it And they tooke and demolished the out-worke tenne Plethers in length but the Circle it selfe was defended by Nicias who chanced to be left within it for infirmity For he commanded his seruants to set fire on all the Engines and whatsoeuer woodden matter lay before the Wall knowing there was no other possible meanes to saue themselues for want of men And it fell out accordingly For by reason of this fire they came no neerer but retired For the Athenians hauing by this time beaten backe the Enemie below were comming vp to relieue the Circle and their Gallies withall as is before mentioned were going about from Thapsus into the great Hauen Which they aboue perceiuing speedily made away they and the whole Armie of the Syracusians into the Citie with opinion that they could no longer hinder them with the strength they now had from bringing their Wall through vnto the Sea After this the Athenians erected a Trophie and deliuered to the Syracusians their dead vnder Truce and they on the other side deliuered to the Athenians the body of Lamachus and of the rest slaine with him And their whole Armie both Land and Sea-forces being now together they began to incloze the Syracusians with a double Wall from Epipolae and the Rockes vnto the Sea-side The necessaries of the Army were supplyed from all parts of Italy and many of the Siculi who before stood aloofe to obserue the way of Fortune tooke part now with the Athenians to whom came also three Penteconteri long-boates of 50. Oares apiece from Hetruria and diuers other wayes their hopes were nourished For the Syracusians also when there came no helpe from Peloponnesus made no longer account to subsist by Warre but conferred both amongst themselues and with Nicias of composition for Lamachus being dead the sole command of the Armie was in him And though nothing were concluded yet many things as was likely with men perplexed and now more straitely besieged then before were propounded vnto Nicias and more amongst themselues And the present ill successe had also bred some iealousie amongst them one of another And they discharged the Generals vnder whose conduct this hapned as if their harme had come either from their vnluckinesse or from their perfidiousnesse and chose Heraclides Eucles and Tellias in their places Whilest this passed Gylippus of Lacedaemon and the Corinthian Gallies were already at Leucas purposing with all speed to goe ouer into Sicily But when terrible reports came vnto them from all hands agreeing in an vntruth That Syracuse was already quite enclosed Gylippus had hope of Sicily no longer but desiring to assure Italy he and Pythen a Corinthian with two Laconicke and two Corinthian Gallies with all speede crossed the Ionique Sea to Tarentum
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
waste the Territories of the King And then first came vp amongst the Athenians the Office of Treasurers of Greece who were receiuers of the Tribute for so they called this money contributed And the first Tribute that was taxed came to 460. Talents The Treasurie was at Delos and their meetings were kept there in the Temple Now vsing their authority at first in such maner as that the Confederates liued vnder their own Laws and were admitted to Cōmon Councell by the War and administration of the common affaires of Greece from the Persian War to this what against the Barbarians what against their own innouating Confederates and what against such of the Peloponnesians as chanced alwaies in euery Warre to fall in they effected those great matters following which also I haue therefore written both because this place hath beene pretermitted by all that haue written before me For they haue either compiled the Grecian acts before the invasion of the Persians or that invasion only Of which number is Hellanicus who hath also touched them in his Attique Historie but briefly and without exact mention of the times and also because they carry with them a demonstration of how the Athenian Empire grew vp And first vnder the Conduct of Cimon the sonne of Miltiades they tooke Eion vpon the Riuer Strymon from the Medes by siege and carried away the Inhabitants Captiues Then the I le Scyros in the Aegean Sea inhabited by the Dolopes the Inhabitants whereof they also carried away Captiues and planted therein a Colony of their owne Likewise they made Warre on the Caristians alone without the rest of the Euboeans and those also after a time came in by composition After this they warred on the reuolted Naxians and brought them in by siege And this was the first Confederate Citie which contrary to the Ordinance they depriued of their free estate though afterwards as it came to any of their turnes they did the like by the rest Amongst other causes of reuolts the principall was their failing to bring in their Tribute and Gallies and their refusing when they did so to follow the Warres For the Athenians exacted strictly and were grieuous to them by imposing a necessity of toyle which they were neither accustomed nor willing to vndergoe They were also otherwise not so gentle in their gouernment as they had beene nor followed the Warre vpon equall termes and could easily bring backe to their subiection such as should revolt And of this the Confederates themselues were the causes for through this refusall to accompanie the Armie the most of them to the end they might stay at home were ordered to excuse their Gallies with Money as much as it came to By which meanes the Nauy of the Athenians was increased at the cost of their Confederates and themselues vnprouided and without meanes to make Warre in case they should reuolt After this it came to passe that the Athenians and their Confederates fought against the Medes both by Land and by Water vpon the Riuer of Eurymedon in Pamphylia and in one and the same day the Athenians had Victory in both and tooke or sunke all the Phoenician Fleet to the number of 200. Gallies After this againe happened the revolt of Thasus vpon a difference about the places of Trade and about the Mines they possessed in the opposite parts of Thrace And the Athenians going thither with their Fleet ouerthrew them in a Battell at Sea and landed in the Iland But hauing about the same time sent 10000. of their owne and of their Confederates people into the Riuer of Strymon for a Colonie to be planted in a place called then the Nine-wayes now Amphipolis They wonne the said Nine-wayes which was held by the Eidonians but advancing farther towards the heart of the Countrey of Thrace they were defeated at Drabescus a Citie of the Eidonians by the whole power of the Thracians that were Enemies to this new-built Towne of the Nine-wayes The Thasians in the meane time being ouercome in diuers Battels and besieged sought ayde of the Lacedaemonians and entreated them to divert the Enemie by an invasion of Attica which vnknowne to the Athenians they promised to doe and also had done it but by an Earth-quake that then happened they were hindred In which Earth-quake their Helotes and of neighbouring Townes the Thuriatae and Aetheans reuolted and seazed on Ithome Most of these Helotes were the posterity of the ancient Messenians brought into seruitude in former times whereby also it came to passe that they were called all Messenians Against these had the Lacedaemonians a Warre now at Ithome The Thasians in the third yeere of the Siege rendred themselues to the Athenians vpon condition to raze their Walles to deliuer vp their Gallies to pay both the money behinde and for the future as much as they were wont and to quit both the Mines and the Continent The Lacedaemonians when the Warre against those in Ithome grew long amongst other their Confederates sent for aide to the Athenians who also came with no small Forces vnder the command of Cimon They were sent for principally for their reputation in murall assaults the long continuance of the Siege seeming to require men of ability in that kinde whereby they might perhaps haue gotten the place by force And vpon this Iourney grew the first manifest dissension betweene the Lacedaemonians and the Athenians For the Lacedaemonians when they could not take the place by assault fearing lest the audacious and innovating humour of the Athenians whom withall they esteemed of a contrary Race might at the perswasion of those in Ithome cause some alteration if they staid dismissed them alone of all the Confederates not discouering their iealousie but alledging that they had no further need of their Seruice But the Athenians perceiuing that they were not sent away vpon good cause but onely as men suspected made it a heynous matter and conceiving that they had better deserued at the Lacedaemonians hands as soone as they were gone left the League which they had made with the Lacedaemonians against the Persian and became Confederates with their Enemies the Argiues and then both Argiues and Athenians tooke the same Oath and made the same League with the Thessalians Those in Ithome when they could no longer hold out in the tenth yeere of the Siege rendred the place to the Lacedaemonians vpon condition of security to depart out of Peloponnesus and that they should no more returne and whosoeuer should bee taken returning to bee the Slaue of him that should take him For the Lacedaemonians had before beene warned by a certaine answer of the Pythian Oracle to let goe the Suppliant of Iupiter Ithometes So they came forth they and their Wiues and their Children And the Athenians for hatred they bore to the Lacedaemonians receiued them and put them into
Forces of Theagenes and perswaded his Friends to the Enterprize seazed on the Cittadell at the time of the Olimpicke Holidayes in Peloponnesus with intention to take vpon him the Tyranny Esteeming the Feast of Iupiter to bee the greatest and to touch withall on his Particular in that he had beene Victor in the Olympian exercises But whether the Feast spoken of were meant to be the greatest in Attica or in some other place neither did hee himselfe consider nor the Oracle make manifest For there is also amongst the Athenians the Diasia which is called the greatest Feast of Iupiter Meilichius and is celebrated without the City wherein in the confluence of the whole people many men offered Sacrifices not of liuing Creatures but such as was the fashion of the Natiues of the place But hee supposing hee had rightly vnderstood the Oracle laid hand to the enterprise and when the Athenians heard of it they came with all their Forces out of the Fields and lying before the Cittadell besieged it But the time growing long the Athenians wearied with the Siege went most of them away and left both the Guard of the Cittadell and the whole businesse to the nine Archontes with absolute authority to order the same as to them it should seeme good For at that time most of the afaffaires of the Common-weale were administred by those 9. Archontes Now those that were besieged with Cylon were for want both of victuall and Water in very euill estate and therefore Cylon and a Brother of his fled priuily out but the rest when they were pressed and some of them dead with famine sate downe as suppliants by the Altar that is in the Cittadell And the Athenians to whose charge was committed the guard of the place raysing them vpon promise to doe them no harme put them all to the Sword Also they had put to death some of those that had taken Sanctuary at the Altars of the Seuere Goddesses as they were going away And from this the Athenians both themselues and their posterity were called accursed and sacrilegious persons Heereupon the Athenians banished those that were vnder the curse and Cleomenes a Lacedaemonian together with the Athenians in a Sedition banished them afterwards againe and not onely so but dis-enterred and cast forth the bodies of such of them as were dead Neuerthelesse there returned of them afterwards againe and there are of their race in the Citie vnto this day This Pollution therefore the Lacedaemonians required them to purge their Citie of Principally forsooth as taking part with the Gods but knowing withall that Pericles the sonne of Xantippus was by the Mothers side one of that Race For they thought if Pericles were banished the Athenians would the more easily bee brought to yeeld to their desire Neuerthelesse they hoped not so much that hee should bee banished as to bring him into the enuie of the Citie as if the misfortune of him were in part the cause of the Warre For being the most powerfull of his time and hauing the sway of the State hee was in all things opposite to the Lacedaemonians not suffering the Athenians to giue them the least way but inticing them to the Warre Contrariwise the Athenians required the Lacedaemonians to banish such as were guilty of breach of Sanctuary at Toenarus For the Lacedaemonians when they had caused their Helotâ—s Suppliants in the Temple of Neptune at Toenarus to forsake Sanctuary slew them For which cause they themselues thinke it was that the great Earthquake happened afterwards at Sparta Also they required them to purge their Citie of the pollutioÌ„ of Sanctuary in the Temple of Pallas Chalcioeca which was thus After that Pausanias the Lacedaemonian was recalled by the Spartans from his charge in Hellespont and hauing bin called in question by them was absolued though hee was no more sent abroad by the State yet hee went againe into Hellespont in a Gallie of Hermione as a priuate man without leaue of the Lacedaemonians to the Grecian Warre as hee gaue out but in truth to negotiate with the King as hee had before begunne aspiring to the Principality of Greece Now the benefit that hee had laid vp with the King and the beginning of the whole businesse was at first from this When after his returne from Cyprus he had taken Byzantium when he was there the first time which being holden by the Medes there were taken in it some neere to the King and of his kindred vnknowne to the rest of the Confederates hee sent vnto the King those neere ones of his which hee had taken and gaue out they were runne away This hee practised with one Gongylus and Eretrian to whose charge hee had committed both the Towne of Byzantium and the Prisoners Also he sent Letters vnto him which Gongylus carried wherein as was afterwards knowne was thus written The Letter of Pausanias to the King PAVSANIAS Generall of the Spartans being desirous to doe thee a courtesie sendeth backe vnto thee these men whom hee hath by Armes taken prisoners And I haue a purpose if the same seeme also good vnto thee to take thy Daughter in marriage and to bring Sparta and the rest of Greece into thy subiection These things I account my selfe able to bring to passe if I may communicate my counsels with thee If therefore any of these things doe like thee send some trusty man to the Sea side by whose mediation wee may conferre together These were the Contents of the Writing Xerxes being pleased with the Letter sends away Artabazus the sonne of Pharnaces to the Sea side with commandement to take the gouernment of the Prouince of Dascylis and to dismisse Megabates that was Gouernour there before and withall giues him a Letter to Pausanias which hee commanded him to send ouer to him with speed to Byzantium and to shew him the Seale and well and faithfully to performe whatsoeuer in his affaires he should by Pausanias be appointed to doe Artabazus after hee arriued hauing in other things done as hee was commanded sent ouer the Letter wherein was written this answer The Letter of Xerxes to Pausanias THVS saith King Xerxes to Pausanias For the men which thou hast saued and sent ouer the Sea vnto mee from Byzantium thy benefit is laid vp in our House indelebly registred for euer And I like also of what thou hast propounded And let neither night nor day make thee remisse in the performance of what thou hast promised vnto mee Neither bee thou hindred by the expence of Gold and Siluer or multitude of Souldiers requisite whithersoeuer it bee needfull to haue them come But with Artabazus a good man whom I haue sent vnto thee doe boldly both mine and thine owne businesse as shall bee most fit for the dignity and honour of vs both Pausanias hauing receiued these Letters whereas he was before in great authority for his conduct at Plataea became
for this aduenture was the first that was praised at Sparta in this Warre The Athenians putting off from thence sailed along the Coast and put in at Pheia of Elis where they spent two dayes in wasting the Countrey and in a Skirmish ouerthrew 300. choice men of the lower Elis together with other Eleans thereabouts that came forth to defend it But the Wind arising and their Gallies being tossed by the weather in a harbourlesse place the most of them imbarqued and sayled about the Promontory called Icthys into the Hauen of Pheia But the Messenians and certaine others that could not get aboard went by Land to the Towne of Pheia and rifled it and when they had done the Gallies that now were come about tooke them in and leauing Pheia put forth to Sea againe by which time a great Army of Eleans was come to succour it but the Athenians were now gone away and wasting some other Territory About the same time the Athenians sent likewise thirty Gallies about Locris which were to serue also for a Watch about Euboea Of these Cleopompus the sonne of Câ—inias had the conduct and landing his Souldiers in diuers parts both wasted some places of the Sea-coast and won the Towne of Thronium of which hee tooke Hostages and ouercame in fight at Alope the Locrians that came out to ayde it The same Summer the Athenians put the Aeginetae man woman and childe out of Aegina laying to their charge that they were the principall cause of the present Warre And it was also thought the safer course to hold Aegina being adjacent to Peloponnesus with a Colonie of their own people and not long after they sent Inhabitants into the same When the Aeginetae were thus banished the Lacedaemonians gaue them Thyraea to dwell in and the occupation of the Lands belonging vnto it to liue on both vpon hatred to the Athenians and for the benefits receiued at the hands of the Aeginetae in the time of the Earthquake and insurrection of their Helotes This Territory of Thyraea is in the border betweene Argolica and Laconica and reacheth to the Sea side So some of them were placed there and the rest dispersed into other parts of Greece Also the same Summer on the first day of the Moneth according to the Moone at which time it seemes onely possible in the afternoone happened an Eclipse of the Sunne the which after it had appeared in the forme of a crescent and withall some Starres had been discerned came afterwards againe to the former brightnesse The same Summer also the Athenians made Nymphodorus the sonne of Pythos of the Citie of Abdera whose Sister was married to Sitalces and that was of great power with him their Host though before they tooke him for an Enemie and sent for him to Athens hoping by his meanes to bring Sitalces the sonne of Teres King of Thrace into their League This Teres the Father of Sitalces was the first that aduanced the Kingdome of the Odrysians aboue the power of the rest of Thrace For much of Thrace consisteth of free States And Tereus that tooke to wife out of Athens Procne the Daughter of Pandion was no kinne to this Teres nor of the same part of Thrace But that Tereus was of the Citie of Daulia in the Countrey now called Phocis then inhabited by the Thracians And the fact of the Women concerning Itâ—s was done there and by the Poets where they mention the Nightingall that Bird is also called Daulias And it is more likely that Pandion matched his Daughter with this man for vicinity and mutuall succour then with the other that was so many dayes iourney off as to Odrysae And Teres which is also another name was the first that seazed on the Kingdome of Odrysae Now Sitalces this mans sonne the Athenians got into their League that they might haue the Townes lying on Thrace and Perdiccas to bee of their party Nymphodorus when hee came to Athens made this League betweene them and Sytalces and caused Sadocus the sonne of Sitalces to bee made free of Athens and also vndertooke to end the Warre in Thrace For hee would perswade Sitalces to send vnto the Athenians a Thracian Armie of Horsemen and Targettiers Hee likewise reconciled Perdiccas to the Athenians and procured of him the restitution of Therme And Perdiccas presently ayded the Athenians and Phormio in the Warre against the Chalcideans Thus were Sitalces the sonne of Teres King of Thrace and Perdiccas the sonne of Alexander King of Macedonia made Confederates with the Athenians The Athenians being yet with their hundred Gallies about Peloponnesus tooke Solium a Towne that belonged to the Corinthians and put the Palirenses onely of all the Acarnaniâ—ns into the possession both of the Towne and Territorie Hauing also by force taken Astacus from the Tyrant Euarchus they draue him thence and ioyned the place to their League From thence they sayled to Cephalonia and subdued it without battell This Cephalonia is an Iland lying ouer against Acarnania and Leucas and hath in it these foure Cities the Pallenses Cranij Samei and Pronaei And not long after returned with the Fleet to Athens About the end of the Autumne of this Summer the Athenians both themselues and the Strangers that dwelt amongst them with the whole power of the Citie vnder the conduct of Pericles the sonne of Xantippus inuaded the Territory of Megara And those Athenians likewise that had beene with the hundred Gallies about Peloponnesus in their returne being now at Aegina hearing that the whole power of the Citie was gone into Megaris went and ioyned with them And this was the greatest Armie that euer the Athenians had together in one place before the Citie being now in her strength and the Plague not yet amongst them For the Athenians of themselues were no lesse then 10000. men of Armes besides the 3000. at Potidaea and the Strangers that dwelt amongst them and accompanyed them in this inuasion were no fewer then 3000. men of Armes more besides other great numbers of light-armed Souldiers And when they had wasted the greatest part of the Countrey they went backe to Athens And afterwards yeere after yeere during this Warre the Athenians often inuaded Megaris sometimes with their Horsemen and sometimes with their whole Armie vntill such time as they had wonne Nisaea Also in the end of this Summer they fortified Atalante an Iland lying vpon the Locrians of Opus desolate till then for a Garrison against Theeues which passing ouer from Opus and other parts of Locris might annoy Euboea These were the things done this Summer after the retreat of the Peloponnesians out of Attica The Winter following Euarchus of Acarnania desirous to returne to Astacus preuaileth with the Corinthians to goe thither with 40. Gallies and 1500. men of Armes to re-establish him to which he hired also certaine other Mercenaries for
as they led vs as equals wee followed them with much zeale but when wee saw they remitted their enmity against the Medes and led vs to the subiugation of the Confederates we could not then but bee afraid And the Confederates through the multitude of distinct Councels vnable to vnite themselues for resistance fell all but our selues and the Chians into their subiection and wee hauing still our owne Lawes and being in name a free State followed them to the Warres but so as by the examples of their former actions we held them not any longer for faithfull Leaders For it was not probable when they had subdued those whom together with vs they tooke into league but that when they should bee able they would doe the like also by the rest It is true that if we were now in liberty all wee might bee the better assured that they would forbeare to innouate but since they haue vnder them the greatest part already in all likelihood they will take it ill to deale on equall termes with vs alone and the rest yeelding to let vs onely stand vp as their equals Especially when by how much they are become stronger by the subiection of their Confederates by so much the more are wee become desolate But the equality of mutuall feare is the onely band of faith in Leagues For hee that hath the will to transgresse yet when he hath not the oddes of strength will abstaine from comming on Now the reason why they haue left vs yet free is no other but that they may haue a faire colour to lay vpon their domination ouer the rest and because it hath seemed vnto them more expedient to take vs in by policy then by force For therein they made vse of vs for an argument that hauing equall vote with them wee would neuer haue followed them to the Warres if those against whom they led vs had not done the iniury And thereby also they brought the stronger against the weaker and reseruing the strongest to the last made them the weaker by remouing the rest Whereas if they had begunne with vs when the Confederates had had both their owne strength and a side to adhere to they had neuer subdued them so easily Likewise our Nauy kept them in some feare lest vnited and added to yours or to any other it might haue created them some danger Partly also we escaped by our obseruance toward their Commons and most eminent men from time to time But yet we still thought we could not doe so long considering the examples they haue shewed vs in the rest if this Warre should not haue fallen out What friendship then or assurance of liberty was this when we receiued each other with alienated affections when whilst they had Warres they for feare courted vs and when they had Peace we for feare courted them and whereas in others good will assureth loyalty in vs it was the effect of feare So it was more for feare then loue that we remained their Confederates and whomsoeuer security should first embolden he was first likely by one meanes or other to breake the league Now if any man thinke we did vniustly to reuolt vpon the expectation of euill intended without staying to be certaine whether they would doe it or not he weigheth not the matter aright For if we were as able to contriue euill against them and againe to deferre it as they can against vs being thus equall what needed vs to be at their discretion But seeing it is in their hands to inuade at pleasure it ought to be in ours to anticipate Vpon these pretentions therefore and causes Men of Lacedaemon Confederates we haue reuolted the which are both cleare enough for the hearers to iudge vpon that we had reason for it and weighty enough to affright and compell vs to take some course for our owne safety which we would haue done before when before the Warre we sent Ambassadours to you about our reuolt but could not because you would not then admit vs into your league And now when the Boeotians inuited vs to it we presently obeyed Wherein wee thought we made a double reuolt one from the Grecians in ceasing to doe them mischiefe with the Athenians and helping to set them free and another from the Athenians in breaking first and not staying to be destroyed by them hereafter But this reuolt of ours hath beene sooner then was fit and before we were prouided for it For which cause also the Confederates ought so much the sooner to admit vs into the league and send vs the speedier aide thereby the better at once both to defend those you ought to defend and to annoy your enemies Whereof there was neuer better opportunity then at this present For the Athenians being both with the likenesse and their great expences consumed and their Nauy diuided part vpon your own Coasts and part vpon ours it is not likely they should haue many Gallies spare in case you againe this Summer inuade them both by Sea and Land but that they should either be vnable to resist the inuasion of your Fleet or be forced to come off from both our Coastes And let not any man conceiue that you shall herein at your owne danger defend the Territory of another For though Lesbos seeme remote the profit of it will be neere you For the Warre will not be as a man would thinke in Attica but there from whence commeth the profit to Attica This profit is the reuenue they haue from their Confederates which if they subdue vs will still be greater For neither will any other reuolt and all that is ours will accrew vnto them and wee shall be worse handled besides then those that were vnder them before But aiding vs with diligence you shall both adde to your league a Citie that hath a great Nauy the thing you most stand in need of and also easily ouerthrow the Athenians by subduction of their Confederates because euery one will then be more confident to come in and you shall auoyd the imputation of not assisting such as reuolt vnto you And if it appeare that your endeuour is to make them free your strength in this Warre will be much the more confirmed In reuerence therefore of the hopes which the Grecians haue reposed in you and of the presence of Iupiter Olympius in whose Temple here we are in a manner suppliants to you receiue the Mitylenians into league and ayde vs. And doe not cast vs off who though as to the exposing of our persons the danger be our owne shall bring a common profit to all Greece if we prosper and a more common detriment to all the Grecians if through your inflexiblenesse we miscarry Be you therefore men such as the Grecians esteeme you and our feares require you to be In this manner spake the Mitylenians And the Lacedaemonians and their Confederates when they had heard and allowed their reasons decreed not onely a League with the Lesbians
were vnable to fight Wherevpon the Lacedaemonian Commander perceiuing their weaknesse would not take the place by force for he had command to that purpose from Lacedaemon to the end that if they should euer make peace with the Athenians with conditions of mutuall restitution of such Cities as on eyther side had beene taken by Warre Plataea as hauing come in of its own accord might not be thereby recouerable but sent a Herald to them who demanded whether or no they would giue vp their City voluntarily into the hands of the Lacedaemonians and take them for their Iudges with power to punish the offenders but none without forme of Iustice. So said the Herald and they for they were now at the weakest deliuered vp the Citie accordingly So the Peloponnesians gaue the Plataeans food for certaine dayes till the Iudges which were fiue should arriue from Lacedaemon And when they were come no accusation was exhibited but calling them man by man they asked of euery one onely this question Whether they had done to the Lacedaemonians and their Confederates in this Warre any good seruice But the Plataeans hauing sued to make their answer more at large and hauing appointed Astymachus the sonne of Asopolaus and Lacon the sonne of Adimnestus who had been heretofore the Hoste of the Lacedaemonians for their Speakers said as followeth THE ORATION OF THE PLATAEANS MEn of Lacedaemon relying vpon you we yeelded vp our Citie not expecting to vndergoe this but some more Legall manner of proceeding and we agreed not to stand to the iudgement of others as now we doe but of your selues onely conceiuing we should so obtaine the better iustice But now we feare we haue beene deceiued in both For we haue reason to suspect both that the tryall is capitall and you the Iudges partiall Gathering so much both from that that there hath not been presented any accusation to which we might answer and also from this that the interrogatory is short and such as if we answer to it with truth we shall speake against our selues and be easily conuinced if we lie But since we are on all hands in a straight we are forced and it seemes our safest way to try what we can obtaine by pleading For for men in our case the speech not spoken may giue occasion to some to thinke that spoken it had preserued vs. But besides other inconueniences the meanes also of perswasion goe ill on our side For if we had not knowne one another we might haue helped our selues by producing testimony in things you knew not Whereas now all that we shall say will be before men that know already what it is And we feare not that you meane because you know vs inferiour in vertue to your selues to make that a crime but lest you bring vs to a iudgement already iudged to gratifie some body else Neuerthelesse we will produce our reasons of equity against the quarrell of the Thebans and withall make mention of our seruices done both to you and to the rest of Greece and make tryall if by any meanes we can perswade you As to that short interrogatory Whether we haue any way done good in this present Warre to the Lacedaemonians and their Confederates or not If you aske vs as enemies wee say that if we haue done them no good we haue also done them no wrong If you aske vs as friends then we say that they rather haue done vs the iniury in that they made Warre vpon vs. But in the time of the Peace and in the Warre against the Medes we behaued our selues well for the one we brake not first and in the other we were the onely Boeotians that ioyned with you for the deliuery of Greece For though we dwell vp in the land yet we fought by Sea at Artemisium and in the battell fought in this our own territory we were with you and whatsoeuer dangers the Grecians in those times vnderwent we were partakers of all euen beyond our strength And vnto you Lacedaemonians in particular when Sparta was in greatest affright after the Earthquake vpon the Rebellion of the Helotes and seazing of Ithome we sent the third part of our power to assist you which you haue no reason to forget Such then wee shewed our selues in those ancient and most important affaires It is true wee haue beene your enemies since but for that you are to blame your selues For when oppressed by the Thebans we sought league of you you reiected vs and bade ws goe to the Athenians that were neerer hand your selues being farre off Neuerthelesse you neither haue in this Warre nor were to haue suffered at our hands any thing that mis became vs. And if we denyed to reuolt from the Athenians when you bade vs we did you no iniury in it For they both ayded vs against the Thebans when you shrunke from vs and it was now no more any honesty to betray them Especially hauing beene well vsed by them and we our selues hauing sought their league and been made denizens also of their Citie Nay we ought rather to haue followed them in all their commands with alacrity When You or the Athenians haue the leading of the Confederates if euill be done not they that follow are culpable but you that lead to the euill The Thebans haue done vs many other iniuries but this last which is the cause of what wee now suffer you your selues know what it was For we auenged vs but iustly of those that in time of Peace and vpon the day of our Nouiluniall Sacrifice had surprized our Citie and by the Law of all Nations it is lawfull to repell an assailing enemy and therefore there is no reason you should punish vs now for them For if you shall measure Iustice by your and their present benefit in the Warre it will manifestly appeare that you are not Iudges of the Truth but respecters onely of your profit And yet if the Thebans seeme profitable to you now we and the rest of the Grecians were more profitable to you then when you were in greater danger For though the Thebans are now on your side when you inuade others yet at that time when the Barbarian came in to impose seruitude on all they were on his It is but Iustice that with our present offence if wee haue committed any you compare our forwardnesse then which you will finde both greater then our fault and augmented also by the circumstance of such a season when it was rare to find any Grecian that durst oppose his valour to Xerxes power and when they were most commended not that with safety helped to further his inuasion but that aduentured to doe what was most honest though with danger But we being of that number and honoured for it amongst the first are afraid lest the same shall be now a cause of our destruction as hauing chosen rather to follow the Athenians iustly then you profitably But you should euer haue the
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
this Countrey of yours when a forraine enemy comes against you to fight with him both on your owne and on your neighbours ground alike but much more you ought to doe it against the Athenians when they be borderers For liberty with all men is nothing else but to be a match for the Cities that are their neighbours With these then that attempt the subiugation not onely of their neighbours but of estates farre from them why should we not try the vtmost of our fortune We haue for example the estate that the Euboeans ouer against vs and also the greatest part of the rest of Greece do liue in vnder them And you must know that though others fight with their neighbours about the bounds of their Territories wee if we be vanquished shall haue but one bound amongst vs all so that wee shall no more quarrell about limits For if they enter they will take all our seuerall states into their owne possession by force So much more dangerous is the neighbourhood of the Athenians then of other people And such as vpon confidence in their strength inuade their neighbours as the Athenians now doe vse to bee bolde in warring on those that sit still defending themselues onely in their owne Territories whereas they be lesse vrgent to those that are ready to meete them without their owne limits or also to beginne the Warre when opportunity serueth We haue experience hereof in these same men for after wee had ouercome them at Coronea at what time through our owne sedition they held our Countrey in subiection wee established a great security in Boeotia which lasted till this present Remembring which wee ought now the elder sort to imitate our former acts there and the yonger sort who are the children of those valiant Fathers to endeuour not to disgrace the vertue of their Houses but rather with confidence that the God whose Temple fortified they vnlawfully dwell in will bee with vs the Sacrifices wee offered him appearing faire to march against them and let them see that though they may gaine what they couet when they inuade such as will not fight yet men that haue the generosity to hold their owne in liberty by battell and not inuade the state of another vniustly will neuer let them goe away vnfoughten Pagondas with this exhortation perswaded the Boeotians to march against the Athenians and making them rise led them speedily on for it was drawing towards night and when he was neere to their Army in a place from whence by the interposition of a Hill they saw not each other making a stand he put his Armie into order and prepared to giue Battell When it was told Hippocrates who was then at Delium that the Boeotians were marching after them he sends presently to the Armie commanding them to bee put in array and not long after hee came himselfe hauing left some 300. Horse about Delium both for a guard to the place if it should be assaulted and withall to watch an opportunity to come vpon the Boeotians when they were in fight But for these the Boeotians appointed some Forces purposely to attend them And when all was as it should be they shewed themselues from the toppe of the Hill Where they sate downe with their Armes in the same order they were to fight in being about seuen thousand men of Armes of light-armed Souldiers aboue tenne thousand a thousand Horsemen and fiue hundred Targettiers Their right Wing consisting of the Thebans and their partakers In the middle battell were the Haliartians Coronaeans Copaeans and the rest that dwell about the Lake In the left were the Thespians Tanagraeans and Orchomenians The Horsemen and light-armed Souldiers were placed on either wing The Thebans were ordered by twenty fiue in File but the rest euery one as it fell out This was the preparation and order of the Boeotians The Athenian men of Armes in number no fewer then the enemy were ordered by eight in File throughout Their Horse they placed on either Wing but for light-armed Souldiers armed as was fit there were none nor was there any in the City Those that went out followed the Campe for the most part without Armes as being a generall expedition both of Citizens and Strangers and after they once began to make homeward there stayed few behind When they were now in their order and ready to ioyne battell Hippocrates the Generall came into the Army of the Athenians and encouraged them speaking to this effect THE ORATION OF HIPPOCRATES to his Souldiers MEN of Athens my exhortation shall be short but with valiant men it hath as much force as a longer and is for a remembrance rather then a command Let no man thinke because it is in the Territory of another that we therefore precipitate our selues into a great danger that did not concerne vs. For in the Territory of these men you fight for your owne If wee get the victory the Peloponnesians will neuer inuade our Territories againe for want of the Boeotian Horsemen So that in one battell you shall both gaine this Territory and free your owne Therefore march on against the enemy euery one as becommeth the dignity both of his naturall Citie which he glorieth to be chiefe of all Greece and of his Ancestors who hauing ouercome these men at Oenophyta vnder the Conduct of Myronides were in times past Masters of all Boeotia Whiles Hippocrates was making this exhortation and had gone with it ouer halfe the Army but could proceed no further the Boeotians for Pagondas likewise made but a short exhortation and had there sung the Paean came downe vpon them from the hill And the Athenians likewise went forward to meet them so fast that they met together running The vtmost parts of both the Armies neuer came to ioyne hindred both by one and the same cause for certaine currents of water kept them asunder But the rest made sharpe battell standing close and striuing to put by each others Bucklers The left wing of the Boeotians to the very middle of the Army was ouerthrowne by the Athenians who in this part had to deale amongst others principally with the Thespians For whilest they that were placed within the same wing gaue backe and were circled in by the Athenians in a narrow compasse those Thespians that were slaine were hewed downe in the very fight Some also of the Athenians themselues troubled with inclosing thē through ignorance slew one another So that the Boeotians were ouerthrowne in this part and fled to the other part where they were yet in fight But the right wing wherein the Thebans stood had the better of the Athenians and by little and little forced them to giue ground and followed vpon them from the very first It hapned also that Pagondas whilst the left wing of this Army was in distresse sent two Companies of Horse secretly about the hill whereby that wing of the Athenians which was victorious apprehending vpon
vpon them And it fell out that the Athenians by this vnexpected and sudden attempt were on both sides in confusion and the left wing which was next to Eion and which indeed was marching away before was immediately broken off from the rest of the Army and fled When that was gone Brasidas comming vp to the right wing was there wounded The Athenians saw not when he fell and they that were neere tooke him vp and carried him off The right wing stood longer to it and though Cleon himselfe presently fled as at first he intended not to stay and was intercepted by a Myrcinian Targettier and slaine yet his men of Armes casting themselues into a circle on the top of a little hill twice or thrice resisted the charge of Clearidas and shrunke not at all till begirt with the Myrcinian and Chalcidean horse and with the Targettiers they were put to flight by their Darts Thus the whole Army of the Athenians getting away with much adoe ouer the hills and by seuerall wayes all that were not slaine vpon the place or by the Chalcidean horse and Targettiers recouered Eion The other side taking vp Brasidas out of the battell and hauing so long kept him aliue brought him yet breathing into the City And he knew that his side had gotten the victory but expired shortly after When Clearidas with the rest of the Army were returned from pursute of the enemy they rifled those that were slaine and erected a Trophie After this the Confederates following the Corpes of Brasidas all of them in their Armes buried him in the City at the publique charge in the entrance of that which is now the Market place And the Amphipolitans afterwards hauing taken in his Monument with a wall killed vnto him as to a Heroe honoured him with Games and anniuersary sacrifice and attributed their Colony vnto him as to the Founder pulling downe the Edifices of Agnon and defacing whatsoeuer Monument might maintaine the memory of his foundation This they did both for that they esteemed Brasidas for their preseruer and also because at this time through feare of the Athenians they courted the Lacedaemonians for a League As for Agnon because of their hostility with the Athenians they thought it neither expedient for them to giue him honours nor that they would be acceptable vnto him if they did The dead bodies they rendred to the Athenians of whom there were slaine about 600 and but seuen of the other side by reason that it was no set battell but fought vpon such an occasion and precedent affright After the dead were taken vp the Athenians went home by Sea and Clearidas and those with him stayed to settle the estate of Amphipolis About the same time of the Summer now ending Ramphias Antocharidas and Epicydidas Lacedaemonians were leading a supply towards the parts vpon Thrace of 900 men of Armes and when they were come to Heraclea in Trachinia they stayed there to amend such things as they thought amisse Whilst they stayed this battell was fought And the Summer ended The next Winter they that were with Ramphias went presently forward as farre as the hill Pierium in Thessaly But the Thessalians forbidding them to goe on and Brasidas to whom they were carrying this Army being dead they returned homewards conceiuing that the opportunity now serued not both because the Athenians were vpon this ouerthrow gone away and for that they themselues were vnable to performe any of those designes which the other had intended But the principall cause of their returne was this that they knew at their comming forth that the Lacedaemonians had their mindes more set vpon a Peace then Warre Presently after the battell of Amphipolis and returne of Rhamphias out of Thessaly it fell out that neither side did any act of Warre but were inclined rather to a Peace the Athenians for the blow they had receiued at Delium and this other a little after at Amphipolis and because they had no longer that confident hope in their strength on which they relyed when formerly they refused the Peace as hauing conceiued vpon their present successe that they should haue had the vpper hand Also they stood in feare of their owne Confederates lest emboldned by these losses of theirs they should more and more reuolt and repented that they made not the Peace after their happy successe at Pylus when occasion was offered to haue done it honourably And the Lacedaemonians on the other side did desire Peace because the Warre had not proceeded as they expected for they had thought they should in a few yeeres haue warred downe the power of Athens by wasting their Territory and because they were falne into that calamity in the Iland the like whereof had neuer happened vnto Sparta before because also their Countrey was continually rauaged by those of Pylus and Cythera and their Helotes continually fled to the Enemie and because they feared lest those which remained trusting in them that were runne away should in this estate of theirs raise some innouation as at other times before they had done Withall it hapned that the 30. yeeres peace with the Argiues was now vpon the point of expiring and the Argiues would not renue it without restitution made them of Cynuria so that to warre against the Argiues and the Athenians both at once seemed impossible They suspected also that some of the Cities of Peloponnesus would reuolt to the Argiues as indeed it came afterwards to passe These things considered it was by both parts thought good to conclude a Peace but especially by the Lacedaemonians for the desire they had to recouer their men taken in the Iland for the Spartans that were amongst them were both of the prime men of the City and their kinsmen And therfore they began to treat presently after they were taken But the Athenians by reason of their prosperity would not lay downe the War at that time on equall termes But after their defeat at Delium the Lacedaemonians knowing they would be apter now to accept it made that Truce for a yeere during which they were to meet and consult about a longer time But when also this other ouerthrow happened to the Athenians at Amphipolis and that both Cleon and Brasidas were slaine the which on either side were most opposite to the Peace the one for that hee had good successe and honour in the Warre the other because in quiet times his euill actions would more appeare and his calumniations bee the lesse beleeued those two that in the two States aspired most to bee chiefe Pleistoanax the sonne of Pausanias and Nicias the sonne of Niceratus who in Military charges had beene the most fortunate of his time did most of all other desire to haue the Peace goe forward Nicias because he was desirous hauing hitherto neuer beene ouerthrowne to carry his good fortune through and to giue both himselfe and the
purpose to put into their hands The Lacedaemonians after their returne from Argos with their foure moneths Truce seuerely questioned Agis for that vpon so faire an opportunity as they neuer had before he subdued not Argos to the State for so many and so good Confederates would hardly be gotten together againe at one time But when also the newes came of the taking of Orchomenus then was their indignation much greater and they presently resolued contrary to their owne custome in their passion to raze his house and fine him in the summe of 10000 Drachmaes But he besought them that they would doe neither of these things yet and promised that leading out the Armie againe he would by some valiant action cancell those accusations or if not they might proceed afterwards to doe with him whatsoeuer they thought good So they forbore both the Fine and the razing of his house but made a decree for that present such as had neuer beene before that tenne Spartans should bee elected and ioyned with him as Councellours without whom it should not be lawfull for him to leade the Army into the field In the meane time came newes from their side in Tegea that vnlesse they came presently with aide the Tegeans would reuolt to the Argiues and their Confederates and that they wanted little of being reuolted already Vpon this the Lacedaemonians with speed leuyed all their forces both of themselues and their Helotes in such number as they had neuer done before and marched vnto Orestium in Maenalia and appointed the Arcadians such as were of their League to assemble and follow them at the heeles to Tegea The Lacedaemonians being come entire to Orestium from thence sent backe the sixt part of their Armie in which they put both the yongest and the eldest sort for the custody of the Citie and with the rest marched on to Tegea and not long after arriued also their Confederates of Arcadia They sent also to Corinth and to the Boeotians Phoceans and Locrians to come with their aydes with all speed to Mantinea But these had too short a warning nor was it easie for them vnlesse they came altogether and stayed for one another to come through the enemies Countrey which lay betweene and barred them of passage Neuerthelesse they made what hast they could And the Lacedaenians taking with them their Arcadian Confederates present entred into the Territory of Mantinea and pitching their Camp by the Temple of Hercules wasted the Territory about The Argiues and their Confederates as soone as they came in sight seazed on a certaine place fortified by nature and of hard accesse and put themselues into battell array And the Lacedaemonians marched presently towards them and came vp within a stone or a darts cast But then one of the ancient men of the Army cryed out vnto Agis seeing him to goe on against a place of that strength that he went about to amend one fault with another signifying that he intended to make amends for his former retreat from Argos which hee was questioned for with his now vnseasonable forwardnesse But he whether it were vpon that increpation or some other suddaine apprehension of his owne presently withdrew his Army before the fight began and marching vnto the Territory of Tegea turned the course of the water into the Territory of Mantinea touching which water because into what part soeuer it had his course it did much harme to the Countrey the Mantineans and Tegeates were at Warres Now his drift was by the turning of that water to prouoke those Argiues and their Confederates which kept the hill when they should heare of it to come down and oppose them that so they might fight with them in the Plaine And by that time he had stayed about the water a day he had diuerted the streame The Argiues their Confederates were at first amazed at this their sudden retreat from so neere them and knew not what to make of it But when after the retreat they returned no more in sight and that they themselues lying still on the place did not pursue them then began they anew to accuse their CoÌ„manders both for suffering the Lacedaemonians to depart formerly when they had them inclosed at so faire an aduantage before Argos and now againe for not pursuing them when they ran away but giuing them leaue to saue themselues betraying the Army The Commanders for the preseÌ„t were much troubled hereat but afterwards they drew downe the Armie from the Hill and comming forth into the Plaine encamped as to goe against the enemie The next day the Argiues and their Confederates put themselues into such order as if occasion serued they meant to fight in the Lacedaemonians returning froÌ„ the water to the temple of Hercules the same place where they had formerly encamped perceiue the enemies to be all of theÌ„ in order of battell hard by them come downe already from the hill Certainely the Lacedaemonians were more affrighted at this time then euer they had beene to their remembrance before For the time they had to prepare themselues was exceeding short and such was their diligence that euery man fell immediately into his owne Ranke Agis the King commanding all according to the Law For whilest the King hath the Army in the field all things are commanded by him and he signifieth what is to be done to the Polemarchi they to the Lochagi these to the Pentecontateres and these againe to the Enomatarchi who lastly make it knowne euery one to his owne Enomatia In this manner when they would haue any thing to be done their commands passe through the Army and are quickly executed For almost all the Lacedaemonian Army saue a very few are Captaines of Captaines and the care of what is to be put in execution lyeth vpon many Now their left Wing consisted of the Sciritae which amongst ahe Lacedaemonians haue euer alone that place Next to these were placed the Brasidian Souldiers lately come out of Thraâ—e and with them those that had been newly made free After them in order the rest of the Lacedaemonians Band after Band and by them Arcadians first the Heraeans after these the Maenalians In the right Wing were the Tegeates and a few Lacedaemonians in the point of the same Wing And vpon the out side of either Wing the horsemen So stood the Lacedaemonians Opposite to them in the right Wing stood the Mantineans because it was vpon their owne Territory and with them such Arcadians as were of their League Then the 1000 chosen Argiues which the City had for a long time caused to be trayned for the Warres at the publique charge and next to them the rest of the Argiues After these the Cleonaeans and Orneates their Confederaes And lastly the Athenians with the Horsemen which were also theirs had the left Wing This was the order and preparation of both the Armies The Army of the
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
the feare that the other hath of their owne danger if we should come are brought by necessity the one to moderation against his will the other into safety without his trouble Refuse not therefore the security now present common both to vs that require it and to your selues But doe as others vse to doe come with vs and in stead of defending your selues alwayes against the Syracusians take your turne once and put them to their guard as they haue done you Thus spake Euphemus The Camarinaeans stood thus affected They bare good will to the Athenians saue that they thought they meant to subiugate Sicily And were euer at strife with the Syracusians about their borders Yet because they were afraid that the Syracusians that were neere them might as well get the victory as the other they had both formerly sent them some few horse and also now resolued for the future to helpe the Syracusians but vnderhand and as sparingly as was possible and withall that they might no lesse seeme to fauour the Athenians then the Syracusians especially after they had wonne a battell to giue for the present an equall answer vnto both So after deliberation had they answered thus That for as much as they that warred were both of them their Confederates they thought it most agreeable to their oath for the present to giue ayde to neither And so the Ambassadours of both sides went their wayes And the Syracusians made preparation for the Warre by themselues The Athenians being encamped at Naxus treated with the Siculi to procure as many of them as they might to their side Of whom such as inhabited the Plaine and were subiect to the Syracusians for the most part held off but they that dwelt in the most inland parts of the Iland being a free people and euer before dwelling in Villages presently agreed with the Athenians and brought Corne into the Army and some of them also money To those that held off the Athenians went with their Army and some they forced to come in and others they hindred from receiuing the aydes and garrisons of the Syracusians And hauing brought their Fleet from Naxus where it had been all the Winter till now they lay the rest of the Winter at Catana and re-erected their Campe formerly burnt by the Syracusians They sent a Gally also to Carthage to procure amity and what helpe they could from thence And into Hetruria because some Cities there had of their owne accord promised to take their parts They sent likewise to the Siculi about them and to Egesta appointing them to send in all the Horse they could and made ready Brickes and Iron and whatsoeuer else was necessary for a Siege and euery other thing they needed as intending to fall in hand with the Warre early the next Spring The Ambassadours of Syracuse which were sent to Corinth and Lacedaemon as they sayled by endeauoured also to moue the Italians to a regard of this action of the Athenians Being come to Corinth they spake vnto them and demanded ayde vpon the Title of consanguinity The Corinthians hauing forthwith for their owne part decreed cheerefully to ayde them sent also Ambassadours from themselues along with these to Lacedaemon to helpe them to perswade the Lacedaemonians both to make a more open Warre against the Athenians at home and to send some forces also into Sicily At the same time that these Ambassadours were at Lacedaemon from Corinth Alcibiades was also there with his fellow fugitiues who presently vpon their escape passed ouer from Thuria first to Cyllene the Hauen of the Eleans in a Ship and afterwards went thence to Lacedaemon sent for by the Lacedaemonians themselues vnder publique security For he feared them for his doings about Mantinea And it fell out that in the Assembly of the Lacedaemonians the Corinthians Syracusians and Alcibiades made all of them the same request Now the Ephores and Magistrates though intending to send Ambassadours to Syracuse to hinder them from compounding with the Athenians being yet not forward to send them ayde Alcibiades stood foorth and sharpned the Lacedaemonians inciting them with words to this effect THE ORATION OF ALCIBIADES IT will be necessary that I say something first concerning mine owne accusation lest through iealousie of me you bring a preiudicate eare to the common businesse My Ancestors hauing on a certaine quarrell renounced the office of receiuing you I was the man that restored the same againe and shewed you all possible respect both otherwise and in the matter of your losse at Pylus Whilest I persisted in my good will to you being to make a Peace at Athens by treating the same with my aduersaries you inuested them with authority and me with disgrace For which cause if in applying my selfe afterwards to the Mantineans and Argiues or in any thing else I did you hurt I did it iustly And if any man heere were causelesly angry with mee then when hee suffered let him bee now content againe when hee knowes the true cause of the same Or if any man thinke the worse of mee for enclining to the People let him acknowledge that therein also hee is offended without a cause For wee haue beene alwayes Enemies to Tyrants and what is contrary to a Tyrant is called the People and from thence hath continued our adherence to the multitude Besides in a City gouerned by Democracie it was necessary in most things to follow the present course neuerthelesse wee haue endeuoured to bee more moderate then suteth with the now headstrong humour of the People But others there haue beene both formerly and now that haue incited the Common People to worse things then I and they are those that haue also driuen out mee But as for vs when wee had the charge of the whole wee thought it reason by what forme it was growne most great and most free and in which we receiued it in the same to preserue it For though such of vs as haue iudgement doe know well enough what the Democracie is and I no lesse then another insomuch as I could inueigh against it But of confessed madnesse nothing can be said that 's new yet wee thought it not safe to change it when you our Enemies were so neere vs. Thus stands the matter touching my own accusation And concerning what we are to consult of both you and I If I know any thing which your selues doe not heare it now We made this voyage into Sicily first if we could to subdue the Sicilians after them the Italians after them to assay the dominion of Carthage Carthage it selfe If these or most of these enterprizes succceded then next wee would haue vndertaken Peloponnesus with the accession both of the Greeke Forces there and with many mercenarie Barbarians Iberians and others of those parts confessed to bee the most warlike of the Barbarians that are now We should also haue built many Gallies besides these which
speed These were the Contents of the Letter of Nicias The Athenians when they had heard it read though they released not Nicias of his Charge yet for the present till such time as others chosen to be in Commission might arriue they ioyned with him two of those that were already in the Armie Menander and Euthydemon to the end that hee might not sustaine the whole burthen alone in his sicknesse They concluded likewise to send another Armie aswell for the Sea as the Land both of Athenians enrolled and of their Confederates And for fellow-Generals with Nicias they elected Demosthenes the sonne of Alcisthenes and Eurymedon the sonne of Thucles Eurymedon they sent away presently for Sicily about the time of the Winter Solstice with tenne Gallies and twenty Talents of Siluer to tell them there that ayde was comming and that there was care taken of them But Demosthenes staying made preparation for the Voyage to set out early the next Spring and sent vnto the Confederates appointing what Forces they should prouide and to furnish himselfe amongst them with Money and Gallies and men of Armes The Athenians sent also twenty Gallies about Peloponnesus to watch that none should goe ouer into Sicily from Corinth or Peloponnesus For the Corinthians after the Ambassadours were come to them and had brought newes of the amendment of the affaires in Sicily thought it was well that they had sent thither those other Gallies before but now they were encouraged a great deale more and prepared men of Armes to be transported into Sicily in Ships and the Lacedaemonians did the like for the rest of Peloponnesus The Corinthians manned fiue and twenty Gallies to present Battell to the Fleet that kept watch at Naupactus that the Ships with the men of Armes whilest the Athenians attended these Gallies so embattailed against them might passe by vnhindered The Lacedaemonians as they intended before and being also instigated to it by the Syracusians and Corinthians vpon aduertisement now of the Athenians new supply for Sicily prepared likewise to inuade Attica thereby to diuert them And Alcibiades also importunately vrged the fortifying of Decelea and by no meanes to warre remissely But the Lacedaemonians were heartned thereunto principally because they thought the Athenians hauing in hand a double War one against them and another against the Sicilians would be the easilier pulled downe and because they conceiued the breach of the last Peace was in themselues for in the former Warre the iniury proceeded from their own side in that the Thebans had entred Plataea in time of peace And because also whereas it was inserted in the former Articles that Armes should not bee carried against such as would stand to tryall of Iudgement they had refused such tryall when the Athenians offered it And they thought all their misfortunes had deseruedly befalne them for that cause remembring amongst others the calamity at Pylus But when the Athenians with a Fleet of thirty Sayle had spoiled part of the Territory of Epidaurus and of Prasâ—ae and other places and their Souldiers that lay in Garrison in Pylus had taken bootie in the Countrey about And seeing that as often as there arose any controuersie touching any doubtfull point of the Articles the Lacedaemonians offering tryall by Iudgement they refused it Then indeed the Lacedaemonians conceiuing the Athenians to bee in the same fault that themselues had beene in before betooke themselues earnestly to the Warre And this Winter they sent about vnto their Confederates to make ready Iron and all Instruments of Fortification And for the ayde they were to transport in Ships to the Sicilians they both made prouision amongst themselues and compelled the rest of Peloponnesus to doe the like So ended this Winter and the eighteenth Yeere of the Warre written by Thucydides The next Spring in the very beginning earlier then euer before the Lacedaemonians and their Confederates entred with their Armie into Attica vnder the command of Agis the sonne of Archidamus their King And first they wasted the Champaigne Countrey and then went in hand with the Wall at Decelea diuiding the worke amongst the Armie according to their Cities This Decelea is from the Citie of Athens at the most but 120. Furlongs and about as much or a little more from Boeotia This Fort they made in the plaine and in the most opportune place that could bee to annoy the Athenians and in sight of the Citie Now the Peloponnesians and their Confederates in Attica went on with their fortification They in Peloponnesus sent away their Ships with the men of Armes about the same time into Sicily Of which the Lacedaemonians out of the best of their Helotes and men made newly free sent in the whole sixe hundred and Eccritus a Spartan for Commander And the Boeotians three hundred vnder the Conduct of Xenon and Nicon Thebans and Hegessander a Thespian And these set foorth first and put to Sea at Taenarus in Laconia After them a little the Corinthians sent away fiue hundred more part from the Citie it selfe of Corinth and part mercenarie Arcadians and Alexarchus a Corinthian for Captaine The Sicyonians also sent two hundred with them that went from Corinth and Sargeus a Sicyonian for Captaine Now the 25 Corinthian Gallies that were manned in Winter lay opposite to the twenty Gallies of Athens which were at Naupactus till such time as the men of Armes in the Ships from Peloponnesus might get away for which purpose they were also set out at first that the Athenians might not haue their mindes vpon these Ships so much as vpon the Gallies In the meane time also the Athenians whilest Decelea was fortifying in the beginning of the Spring sent twenty Gallies about Peloponnesus vnder the command of Caricles the sonne of Apollodorus with order when hee came to Argos to take aboord the men of Armes which the Argiues were to send them according to League and sent away Demosthenes as they intended before into Sicily with threescore Gallies of Athens and fiue of Chios and one thousand two hundred men of Armes of the Roll of Athens and as many of the Ilanders as they could get prouided by their subiect Confederates of all other necessaries for the Warre But he had order to ioyne first with Charicles and helpe him to make Warre first vpon Laconia So Demosthenes went to Aegina and stayed there both for the remnant of his owne Army if any were left behind and for Charicles till he had taken aboord the Argiues In Sicily about the same time of the Spring Gylippus also returned to Syracuse bringing with him from the Cities hee had dealt withall as great forces as seuerally hee could get from them And hauing assembled the Syracusians he told them that they ought to man as many Gallies as they could and make triall of a battell by Sea and that he hoped thereby to performe somewhat to the benefit of the Warre which should be worthy
and chased them to the Euripus and to the Sea where the Gallies lay that brought them Some of them they killed of those most in their going aboord For swimme they could not and such as were in the small Boats when they saw how things went a-land had thrust off their Boats and lay without the Euripus In the rest of the retreat the Thracians behaued themselues not vnhandsomely against the Theban Horsemen by whom they were charged first but running out and againe rallying themselues in a circle according to the manner of their Countrey defended themselues well and lost but few men in that action But some also they lost in the City it selfe whilest they stayed behind for pillage But in the whole of 1300 there were slaine onely 250. Of the Thebans and others that came out to helpe the Citie there were slaine Horsemen and men of Armes one with another about 20 and amongst them Scirphondas of Thebes one of the Gouernours of Boeotia And of the Mycalessians there perished a part Thus went the matter at Mycalessus the losse which it receiued being for the quantity of rhe City no lesse to be lamented then any that happened in the whole Warre Demosthenes going from Corcyra after his fortifying in Laconia found a Ship lying in Phia of Elis and in her certaine men of Armes of Corinth ready to goe into Sicily The Ship he sunke but the men escaped and afterwards getting another Shippe went on in their voyage After this Demosthenes being about Zacynthus and Cephallenia tooke aboord their men of Armes and sent to Naupactus for the Messenians From thence he crossed ouer to the Continent of Acarnania to Alyzea and Anactorium which belonged to the Athenians Whilest he was in these parts he met with Eurymedon out of Sicily that had been sent in Winter vnto the Army with commodities who told him amongst other things how he had heard by the way after he was at Sea that the Syracusians had wonne Plemmyrium Conon also the Captaine of Naupactus came to them and related that the 25 Gallies of Corinth that lay before Naupactus would not giue ouer Warre and yet delayed to fight and therefore desired to haue some Gallies sent him as being vnable with his 18 to giue battell to 25 of the enemy Whereupon Demosthenes and Eurymedon sent 20 Gallies more to those at Naupactus the nimblest of the whole Fleet by Conon himselfe And went themselues about furnishing of what belonged to the Army Of whom Eurymedon went to Corcyra hauing appointed thē there to man 15 Gallies leuyed men of Armes for now giuing ouer his course to Athens he ioyned with Demosthenes as hauing been elected with him in the charge of Generall and Demosthenes tooke vp Slingers and Darters in the parts about Acarnania The Ambassadours of the Syracusians which after the taking of Plemmyrium had been sent vnto the Cities about hauing now obtained and leuyed an Army amongst them were conducting the same to Syracuse But Nicias vpon intelligence thereof sent vnto such Cities of the Siculi as had the passages and were their Confederates the Centoripines Halicycaeans and others not to suffer the enemy to goe by but to vnite themselues and stop them for that they would not so much as offer to passe any other way seeing the Agrigentines had already denyed them When the Sicilians were marching the Siculi as the Athenians had desired them put themselues in Ambush in three seuerall places and setting vpon them vnawares and on a sodaine slew about eight hundred of them and all the Ambassadours saue onely one a Corinthian which conducted the rest that escaped being about 1500 to Syracuse About the same time came vnto them also the ayde of the Camarinaeans 500 men of Armes 300 Darters and 300 Archers Also the Geloans sent them men for fiue Gallies besides 400 Darters and 200 Horsemen For now all Sicily except the Agrigentines who were Newtrall but all the rest who before stood looking on came in to the Syracusian side against the Athenians Neuerthelesse the Syracusians after this blow receiued amongst the Siculi held their hands and assaulted not the Athenians for a while Demosthenes and Eurymedon hauing their Army now ready crossed ouer from Corcyra and the Continent with the whole Army to the Promontory of Iäpygia From thence they went to the Chaerades Ilands of Iäpygia and here tooke in certaine Iäpygian Darters to the number of 250 of the Messapian Nation And hauing renewed a certaine ancient alliance with Artas who raigned there and granted them those Darters they went thence to Metapontium a City of Italy There by vertue of a League they got two Gallies and 200 Darters which taken aboord they kept along the Shoare till they came to the Territory of Thuria Here they found the aduers faction to the Athenians to haue been lately driuen out in a sedition And because they desired to muster their Army here that they might see if any were left behind and perswade the Thurians to ioyne with them freely in the War and as things stood to haue for friends and enemies the same that were so to the Athenians they staied about that in the Territory of the Thurians The Peloponnesians and the rest who were at the same time in the 25 Gallies that for safegard of the Ships lay opposite to the Gallies before Naupactus hauing prepared themselues for battell and with more Gallies so as they were little inferiour in number to those of the Athenians went to an Anchor vnder Erineus of Achaia in Rhypica The place where they rid was in forme like a halfe-Moone and their Land forces they had ready on either side to assist them both Corinthians and other their Confederates of those parts embattelled vpon the points of the Promontory and their Gallies made vp the space betweene vnder the command of Polyanthes a Corinthian Against these the Athenians came vp with 33 Gallies from Naupactus commanded by Diphilus The Corinthians at first lay still but afterwards when they saw their time and the Signall giuen they charged the Athenians and the fight began They held each other to it long The Athenians sunke three Gallies of the Corinthians And though none of their owne were sunke yet seauen were made vnseruiceable which hauing encountred the Corinthian Gallies a-head were torne on both sides between the beake and the oares by the beakes of the Corinthian Gallies made stronger for the same purpose After they had fought with equall fortune and so as both sides challenged the victory though yet the Athenians were masters of the wrecks as driuen by the wind into the maine and because the Corinthians came not out to renew the fight they at length parted There was no chasing of men that fled nor a prisoner taken on either side because the Peloponnesians and Corinthians fighting neere the Land easily escaped nor was there any Gally of the Athenians sunke But when the Athenians were
ouercome them pursued them and not onely slew many of their men of Armes but also saued the most of their Gallies and brought them backe into the Harbour Neuerthelesse the Syracusâ—ans tooke eighteene and slew the men taken in them And amongst the rest they let driue before the Wind which blew right vpon the Athenians an old Ship full of Faggots and Brands set on fire to burne them The Athenians on the other side fearing the losse of their Nauie deuised remedies for the fire and hauing quenched the flame and kept the Shippe from comming neere escaped that danger After this the Syracusians set vp a Trophie both for the Battell by Sea and for the men of Armes which they intercepted aboue before the Campe where also they tooke the Horses And the Athenians erected a Trophie likewise both for the flight of those Footmen which the Tuscans draue into the Marish and for those which they themselues put to flight with the rest of the Armie When the Syracusians had now manifestly ouercome their Fleet for they feared at first the supply of Gallies that came with Demosthenes the Athenians were in good earnest vtterly out of heart And as they were much deceiued in the euent so they repented more of the Voyage For hauing come against these Cities the onely ones that were for institution like vnto their owne and gouerned by the People as well as themselues and which had a Nauie and Horses and greatnesse seeing they could create no dissention amongst them about change of gouernment to winne them that way nor could subdue it with the greatnesse of their Forces when they were farre the stronger but misprospered in most of their designes they were then at their wits end But now when they were also vanquished by Sea which they would neuer haue thought they were much more deiected then euer The Syracusians went presently about the Hauen without feare and meditated how to shut vp the same that the Athenians mought not steale away without their knowledge though they would For now they studyed not onely how to saue themselues but how to hinder the safety of the Athenians For the Syracusians conceiued not vntruely that their owne strength was at this present the greater and that if they could vanquish the Athenians and their Confederates both by Sea and Land it would be a mastery of great honour to them amongst the rest of the Grecians For all the rest of Greece should be one part freed by it and the other part out of feare of subiection hereafter For it would be vnpossible for the Athenians with the remainder of their strength to sustaine the Warre that would be made vpon them afterwards and they being reputed the authors of it should be had in admiration not only with all men now liuing but also with posterity And to say truth it was a worthy Mastery both for the causes shewne and also for that they became Victors not of the Athenians onely but many others their Confederates nor againe they themselues alone but their Confederates also hauing been in ioynt command with the Corinthians and Lacedaemonians and both exposed their City to the first hazard and of the busines by Sea performed the greatest part themselues The greatest number of Nations except the generall Roll of those which in this Warre adhaered to Athens and Lacedaemon were together at this one City And this number on both sides against Sicilie and for it some to helpe winne and some to helpe saue it came to the Warre at Syracuse not on any pretence of right nor as kindred to aid kindred but as profit or necessity seuerally chanced to induce them The Athenians being Ionique went against the Syracusians that be Dorique voluntarily With these as being their Colonies went the Lemnians and Imbrians and the Aeginetae that dwelt in Aegina then all of the same language and institutions with themselues Also the Hestiaeans of Euboea Of the rest some went with them as their subiects and some as their free Confederates and some also hired Subiects and Tributaries as the Eretrians Chalcideans Styrians and Carystians from Euboea Ceians Andrians Tenians from out of the Ilands Milesians Samians and Chians from Ionia Of these the Chians followed them as free not as tributaries of money but of Gallies And these were almost all of them Ionians descended from the Athenians except onely the Carystians that are of the Nation of the Dryopes And though they were subiects and went vpon constraint yet they were Ionians against Dorians Besides these there went with them Aeolians namely the Methymnaeans subiects to Athens not tributaries of mony but of Gallies the Tenedians and Aeolians tributaries Now here Aeolians were constrained to fight against Aeolians namely against their Founders the Boeotians that tooke part with the Syracusians But the Plataeans and onely they being Boeotians fought against Boeotians vpon iust quarrell The Rhodians and Cytherians Dorique both by constraint bore Armes one of them namely the Cytherians a Colony of the Lacedaemonians with the Athenians against the Lacedaemonians that were with Gylippus and the other that is to say the Rhodians being by descent Argiues not onely against the Syracusians who were also Dorique but against their owne Colony the Gelans which tooke part with the Syracusians Then of the Ilanders about Peloponnesus there went with them the Cephallenians and Zathythians not but that they were free States but because they were kept in awe as Ilanders by the Athenians who were masters of the Sea And the Corcyraeans being not only Dorique but Corinthians fought openly against both Corinthians and Syracusians though a Colony of the one and of kin to the other which they did necessarily to make the best of it but indeed no lesse willingly in respect of their hatred to the Corinthians Also the Messenians now so called in Naupactus were taken along to this Warre and the Messenians at Pylus then holden by the Athenians Moreouer the Megarean Out-lawes though not many by aduantage taken of their misery were faine to fight against the Sâ—linuntians that were Megareans likewise But now the rest of their Army was rather voluntary The Argiues not so much for the League as for their enmity with the Lacedaemonians and their present particular spleene followed the Athenians to the Warre though Ionique against Dorians And the Mantineans and other Arcadian Mercenaries went with him as men accustomed euer to inuade the enemy shewed them and now for gaine had for enemies as much as any those other Arcadians which went thither with the Corinthians The Cretans and Aetolians were all Mercenary and it fell out that the Cretans who together with the Rhodians were Founders of Gela not onely tooke not part with their Colony but fought against it willingly for their hire And some Acarnanians also went with them for gaine but most of them went
were in Laconia and Chalciâ—â—us the Commander of them and with him Aleibiades but afterwards as they were ready to goe out came the newes of the Gallies chased into Peiraeus which so much discouraged them in respect they stumbled in the very entrance of the Ionique Warre that they purposed now not onely not to send away those Gallies of their owne but also to call backe againe some of those that were already at Sea When Alcibiades saw this he dealt with Endius and the rest of the Ephores againe not to feare the Voyage alleaging that they would make haste and be there before the Chians should haue heard of the misfortune of the Fleet. And that as soone as he should arriue in Ionia himselfe he could easily make the Cities there to reuolt by declaring vnto them the weaknesse of the Athenians and the diligence of the Lacedaemonians wherein he should be thought more worthy to bee belieued then any other Moreouer to Endius hee said that it would be an honour in particular to him that Ionia should reuolt and the King be made Confederate to the Lacedaemonians by his owne meanes and not to haue it the mastery of Agis for he was at difference with Agis So hauing preuailed with Endius and the other Ephores he tooke Sea with 5 Gallies together with Chalcideus of Lacedaemon and made haste About the same time came backe from Sicily those 16 Gallies of the Peloponnesians which hauing ayded Gylippus in that Warre were intercepted by the way about Leucadia and euill intreated by twenty seuen Gallies of Athens that watched thereabouts vnder the command of Hyppocles the sonne of Menippus for such Gallies as should returne out of Sicily For all the rest sauing one auoyding the Athenians were arriued in Corinth before Chalcideus and Alcibiades as they sayled kept prisoner euery man they met with by the way to the end that notice might not be giuen of their passage and touching first at Corycus in the Continent where they also dismissed those whom they had apprehended after conference there with some of the Conspirators of the Chians that aduised them to goe to the Citie without sending them word before they came vpon the Chians suddenly and vnexpected It put the Commons into much wonder and astonishment but the Few had so ordered the matter beforehand that an Assembly chanced to be holden at the same time And when Chalcideus and Alcibiades had spoken in the same and told them that many Gallies were comming to them but not that those other Gallies were besieged in Peiraeus the Cbians first and afterwards the Erythraeans reuolted from the Athenians After this they went with three Gallies to Clazomenae and made that City to reuolt also And the Clazomenians presently crossed ouer to the Continent and there fortified Polichna least they should need a retyring place from the little Iland wherein they dwelt The rest also all that had reuolted fell to fortifying and making of preparation for the Warre This newes of Chius was quickly brought to the Athenians who conceiuing themselues to be now beset with great and euident danger and that the rest of the Confederates seeing so great a City to reuolt would be no longer quiet in this their present feare decreed that those 1000 Talents which through all this Warre they had affected to keepe vntouched forthwith abrogating the punishment ordained for such as spake or gaue their suffrages to stirre it should now be vsed and therewith Gallies not a few manned They decreed also to send thither out of hand vnder the command of Strombichides the sonne of Diotimas 8 Gallies of the number of those that besieged the Enemy at Peiraeus the which hauing forsaken their charge to giue chase to the Gallies that went with Chalcideus and and not able to ouertake them were now returned and shortly after also to send Thrasicles to help theÌ„ with 12 Gallies more which also had departed from the same guard vpon the Enemy And those 7 Gallies of Chius which likewise kept watch at Peiraeus with the rest they fetched from thence and gaue the bondmen that serued in them their liberty and the chaynes to those that were free And in stead of all those Gallies that kept guard vpon the Gallies of the Peloponnesians they made ready other with all speed in their places besides 30 more which they intended to furnish out afterwards Great was their diligence and nothing was of light importance that they went about for the recouery of Chius Strombichides in the meane time arriued at Samos and taking into his company one Samian Gally went thence to Teus and entreated them not to stirre But towards Teus was Chalcideus also comming with 23 Gallies from Chius and with him also the Land-forces of the Clazomenians and Erythraeans whereof Strombichides hauing been aduertized he put forth againe before his arriuall and standing off at Sea when he saw the many Gallies that came from Chius he fled towards Samos they following him The Land-forces the Teans would not at the first admit but after this flight of the Athenians they brought them in And these for the most part held their hands for a while expecting the returne of Chalcideus from the chase but when he stayed somewhat long they fell of themselues to the demolishing of the wall built about the Citie of Teus by the Athenians towards the Continent wherein they were also helped by some few Barbarians that came downe thither vnder the leading of Tages Deputy Lieutenant of Tissaphernes Chalcideus and Alcibiades when they had chased Strombichides into Samos armed the Mariners that were in the Gallies of Peloponnesus and left them in Chius in stead of whom they manned with Mariners of Chius both those and 20 Gallies more and with this Fleet they went to Miletus with intent to cause it to reuolt For the intention of Alcibiades that was acquainted with the principall Milesians was to preuent the Fleet which was to come from Peloponnesus and to turne these Cities first that the honour of it might be ascribed to the Chians to himselfe to Chalcideus and as he had promised to Endius that set them out as hauing brought most of the Cities to reuolt with the Forces of the Chians onely and of those Gallies that came with Chalcideus So these for the greatest part of their way vndiscouered and arriuing not much sooner then Strombichides and Thrasicles who now chancing to be present with those 12 Gallies from Athens followed them with Strombichides caused the Milesians to reuolt The Athenians following them at the heeles with 19 Gallies being shut out by the Milesians lay at Anchor at Lada an Iland ouer against the City Presently vpon the reuolt of Miletus was made the first League betweene the King and the Lacedaemonians by Tissaphernes and Chalcideus as followeth The Lacedaemonians and their Confederates haue made a League with the King and Tissaphernes on these Articles Whatsoeuer Territory
enquirie made after the deed doers nor Iustice prosecuted against any that was suspected But the People were so quiet and so afraid that euery man thought it gaine to escape violence though he said neuer a word Their hearts failed them because they thought the Conspirators more then indeed they were and to learne their number in respect of the greatnesse of the Citie and for that they knew not one another they were vnable For the same cause also was it impossible for any man that was angry at it to bemone himselfe whereby to be reuenged on them that conspired For he must haue told his mind either to one he knew not or to one he knew trusted not For the Populars approached each other euery one with iealousie as if they thought him of the plot For indeed there were such amongst them as no man would haue thought would euer haue turned to the Oligarchy and those were they that caused in the Many that diffidence and by strengthning the iealousie of the populars one against another conferred most to the security of the Few During this opportunity Pisander and they that were with him comming in fell in hand presently with the remainder of the businesse And first they assembled the People and deliuered their opinion for tenne men to bee chosen with power absolute to make a draught of Lawes and hauing drawne them to deliuer their opinion at a day appointed before the People touching the best forme of gouernment for the Citie Afterwards when that day came they summoned the Assembly to Colonus which is a place consecrated to Neptune without the City about two Furlongs off And they that were appointed to write the Lawes presented this and onely this That it should be lawfull for any Athenian to deliuer whatsoeuer opinion hee pleased imposing of great punishments vpon whosoeuer should eyther accuse any that so spake of violating the Lawes or otherwise do him hurt Now here indeed it was in plaine termes propounded That not any Magistracy of the forme before vsed might any longer be in force nor any Fee belong vnto it but that fiue Prytanes might be elected and these fiue choose a hundred and euery one of this hundred take vnto him three others And these 400 entring into the Councell-house might haue absolute authority to gouerne the State as they thought best and to summon the 5000 as oft as to them should seeme good He that deliuered this opinion was Pisander who was also otherwise openly the forwardest to put downe the Democracie But he that contriued the whole businesse how to bring it to this passe and had long thought vpon it was Antiphon a man for vertue not inferiour to any Athenian of his time and the ablest of any man both to deuise well and also to expresse well what he had deuised And though he came not into the assemblies of the People nor willingly to any other debatings because the Multitude had him in iealousie for the opinion they had of the power of his eloquence yet when any man that had occasion of suite eyther in the Courts of Iustice or in the Assembly of the People came to him for his counsell this one man was able to help him most The same man when afterwards the gouernment of the Foure hundred went downe and was vexed of the People was heard pleade for himselfe when his life was in question for that businesse the best of any man to this day Phrynichus also shewed himselfe an earnest man for the Oligarchy and that more eminently then any other because he feared Alcibiades and knew him to be acquainted with all his practices at Samos with Astyochus and thought in all probability that he would neuer returne to liue vnder the gouernment of the Few And this man in any matter of weight appeared the most sufficient to bee relyed on Also Theramenes the sonne of Agnon an able man both for elocution and vnderstanding was another of the Principall of those that ouerthrew the Democracie So that it it is no maruell if the businesse tooke effect being by many and wise men conducted though it were a hard one For it went sore with the Athenian People almost a hundred yeeres after the expulsion of the Tyrants to be now depriued of their liberty hauing not onely not beene subiect to any but also for the halfe of this time beene enured to dominion ouer others When the Assembly after it had passed these things no man contradicting was dissolued then afterwards they brought the Foure hundred into the Councell-house in this manner The Athenians were euermore partly on the Walles and partly at their Armes in the Campe in regard of the Enemie that lay at Decelea Therefore on the day appointed they suffered such as knew not their intent to goe forth as they were wont But to such as were of the Conspiracy they quietly gaue order not to goe to the Campe it selfe but to lagge behind at a certaine distance and if any man should oppose what was in doing to take Armes and keepe them backe They to whom this charge was giuen were the Andrians Tenians three hundred Carystians and such of the Colonie of Aegina which the Athenians had sent thither to inhabite as came on purpose to this action with their owne Armes These things thus ordered the Foure hundred with euery man a secret Dagger accompanyed with one hundred and twenty yong men of Greece whom they vsed for occasions of shedding bloud came in vpon the Counsellors of the Beane as they sate in the Counsell-house and commanded them to take their Salary and be gone which also they brought ready with them for the whole time they were behind and payed it to them as they went out And the rest of the Citizens mutined not but rested quiet The 400 being now entred into the Counsell-house created Prytanes amongst themselues by lot and made their prayers and sacrifices to the Gods all that were before vsuall at the entrance vpon the Gouernment And afterwards receding farre from that course which in the administration of the State was vsed by the People sauing that for Alcibiades his sake they recalled not the Outlawes in other things they gouerned the Common-wealth imperiously And not onely slew some though not many such as they thought fit to be made away and imprisoned some and confined others to places abroad but also sent Heralds to Agis King of the Lacedaemonians who was then at Decelea signifying that they would come to composition with him and that now he might better treat with them then he might before with the vnconstant People But he not imagining that the Citie was yet in quiet nor willing so soone to deliuer vp their ancient liberty but rather that if they saw him approach with great forces they would be in tumult not yet beleeuing fully but that some stirre or other would arise amongst them gaue no answer at all to
them fire together with Brimstone and Pitch kindled the Wood and raised such a flame as the like was neuer seene before made by the hand of man For as for the woods in the Mountaines the trees haue indeed taken fire but it hath bin by mutuall attrition and haue flamed out of their own accord But this fire was a great one and the Plataeans that had escaped other mischiefes wanted little of being consumed by this For neere the Wall they could not get by a great way and if the Wind had beene with it as the enemy hoped it might they could neuer haue escaped It is also reported that there fell much raine then with great Thunder and that the flame was extinguished and the danger ceased by that The Peloponnesians when they failed likewise of this retayning a part of their Armie and dismissing the rest enclosed the Citie about with a Wall diuiding the circumference thereof to the charge of the seuerall Cities There was a Ditch both within and without it out of which they made their Brickes and after it was finished which was about the rising of Arcturus they left a guard for one halfe of the Wall for the other was guarded by the Boeotians and departed with the rest of their Armie and were dissolued according to their Cities The Plataeans had before this sent their Wiues and Children and all their vnseruiceable men to Athens The rest were besieged beeing in number of the Plataeans themselues 400. of Athenians 80. and 100 Women to dresse their meate These were all when the Siege was first laid and not one more neither free nor bond in the Citie In this manner was the Citie besieged The same Summer at the same time that this Iourney was made against Plataea the Athenians with 2000. men of Armes of their owne Citie and 200. Horsemen made Warre vpon the Chalcideans of Thrace and the Bottiaeans when the Corne was at the highest vnder the conduct of Xenophon the sonne of Eurypides and two others These comming before Spartolus in Bottiaea destroyed the Corne expected that the Town should haue bin rendred by the practice of some within But such as would not haue it so hauing sent for aid to Olynthus before there came into the Citie for safegard thereof a supply both of men of Armes and other Souldiers from thence And these issuing forth of Spartolus the Athenians put themselues into order of Battell vnder the Towne it selfe The men of Armes of the Chalcideans and certaine auxiliaries with them were ouercome by the Athenians and retired within Spartolus And the Horsemen of the Chalcideans and their light-armed Souldiers ouercame the Horsemen and light-armed of the Athenians but they had some few Targettiers besides of the Territory called Chrusis When the Battell was now begun came a supply of other Targettiers from Olynthus which the light armed Souldiers of Spartolus perceiuing emboldned both by this addition of strength and also as hauing had the better before with the Chalcidean Horse and this new supply charged the Athenians afresh The Athenians heereupon retired to two companies they had left with the Carriages and as oft as the Athenians charged the Chalcideans retired and when the Athenians retired the Chalcideans charged them with their shot Especially the Chalcidean Horsemen rode vp and charging them where they thought fit forced the Athenians in extreme affright to turne their backes and chased them a great way The Athenians fled to Potidaea and hauing afterwards fetched away the bodies of their dead vpon truce returned with the remainder of their Armie to Athens Foure hundred and thirty men they lost and their chiefe Commanders all three And the Chalcideans and Bottiaeans when they had set vp a Trophie and taken vp their dead bodies disbanded and went euery one to his Citie Not long after this the same Summer the Ambraciotes and Chaonians desiring to subdue all Acarnania and to make it reuolt from the Athenians perswaded the Lacedaemonians to make ready a Fleet out of the Confederate Cities and to send 1000. men of Armes into Acarnania saying that if they ayded them both with a Fleet and a Land Armie at once the Acarnanians of the Sea-cost being thereby disabled to assist the rest hauing easily gained Acarnania they might be Masters afterward both of Zacynthus and Cephalonia and the Athenians hereafter lesse able to make their voyages about Peloponnesus and that there was a hope besides to take Naupactus The Peloponnesians assenting sent thither Cnemus who was yet Admirall with his men of Armes in a few Gallies immediately and withall sent word to the Cities about as soone as their Gallies were ready to sayle with all speed to Leucas Now the Corinthians were very zealous in the behalfe of the Ambraciotes as being their owne Colony And the Gallies which were to goe from Corinth Sicyonia and that part of the Coast were now making ready and those of the Leucadians Anactorians and Ambraciotes were arriued before and stayed at Leucas for their comming Cnemus and his 1000. men of Armes when they had crossed the Sea vndiscryed of Phormio who commanded the 20. Athenian Gallies that kept watch at Naupactus presently prepared for the War by Land He had in his Army of Grecians the Ambraciotes Leucadians Anactorians and the thousand Peloponnesians he brought with him and of Barbarians a thousand Chaonians who haue no King but were led by Photius and Nicanor which two being of the Families eligible had now the annuall gouernment With the Chaonians came also the Thesprotians they also without a King The Molossians and Antitanians were led by Sabylinthus protector of Tharups their King who was yet in minority The Paraueans were led by their King Oraedus and vnder Oroedus serued likewise by permission of Antiochus their King a thousand Orestians Also Perdiccas sent thither vnknowne to the Athenians a thousand Macedonians but these last were not yet arriued With this Armie began Cnemus to march without staying for the Fleet from Corinth And passing through Argia they destroyed Limnaea a Towne vnwalled From thence they marched towards Stratus the greatest Citie of Acarnania conceiuing that if they could take this first the rest would come easily in The Acarnanians seeing a great Army by Land was entred their Countrey already and expecting the enemy also by Sea ioyned not to succour Stratus but guarded euery one his owne and sent for ayde to Phormio But he answered them that since there was a Fleet to bee set forth from Corinth he could not leaue Naupactus without a guard The Peloponnesians and their Confederates with their Armie diuided into three marched on towards the Citie of the Stratians to the end that being encamped neere it if they yeelded not on parley they might presently assault the Walles So they went on the Chaonians and other Barbarians in the middle the Leucadians and Anactonians and such others as were with these on the
in to the ayde of their owne left wing put the right wing of the Athenians to flight and chased them to the Sea-side But then from their Gallies they turned head againe both the Athenians and the Carystians The other part of their Armie continued fighting on both sides especially the right wing of the Corinthians where Lycophron fought against the left wing of the Athenians for they expected that the Athenians would attempt to goe to Solygia so they held each other to it a long time neither side giuing ground But in the end for that the Athenians had Horse men which did them great seruice seeing the other had none the Corinthians were put to flight and retired to the Hill where they laid downe their Armes and descended no more but there rested In this Retreat the greatest part of their right wing was slaine and amongst others Lycophron one of the Generals But the rest of the Army being in this manner neither much vrged nor retiring in much haste when they could do no other made their Retreat vp the Hill there sate downe The Athenians seeing them come no more downe to Battel rifled the dead bodies of the Enemy and tooke vp their owne and presently erected a Trophie on the place That halfe of the Corinthians that lay at Cenchrea to watch the Athenians that they went not against Crommyon saw not this Battell for the Hill Oneius but when they saw the dust and so knew what was in hand they went presently to their ayde so did also the old men of Corinth from the Citie when they vnderstood how the matter had succeeded The Athenians when all these were comming vpon them together imagining them to haue been the succours of the neighbouring Cities of Peloponnesus retired speedily to their Gallies carrying with them the booty and the bodies of their dead all saue two which not finding they left Being aboard they crossed ouer to the Ilands on the other side and from thence sent a Herald and fetched away those two dead bodies which they left behinde There were slaine in this battell Corinthians two hundred and twelue and Athenians somewhat vnder fifty The Athenians putting off from the Ilands sayled the same day to Crommyon in the Territory of Corinth distant from the City a hundred and twenty Furlongs where anchoring they wasted the Fields and stayed all that night The next day they sailed along the shore first to to the Territory of Epidaurus whereinto they made some little incursion from their Gallies and then went to Methone betweene Epidaurus and Troezen and there tooke in the Isthmus of Chersonnesus with a Wall and placed a Garrison in it which afterwards exercised robberies in the Territories of Troezen Halias and Epidaurus and when they had fortified this place they returned home with their Fleet. About the same time that these things were in doing Eurymedon and Sophocles after their departure from Pylus with the Athenian Fleet towards Sicily arriuing at Corcyra ioyned with those of the Citie and made Warre vpon those Corcyraeans which lay encamped vpon the Hill Istone and which after the sedition had come ouer and both made themselues masters of the Field and much annoyed the Citie and hauing assaulted their fortification tooke it But the men all in one troupe escaped to a certaine high ground and thence made their composition which was this That they should deliuer vp the Strangers that ayded them and that they themselues hauing rendred their Armes should stand to the iudgement of the People of Athens Heereupon the Generals granted them truce and transported them to the Iland of Ptychia to bee there in custodie till the Athenians should send for them with this condition That if any one of them should be taken running away then the truce to bee broken for them all But the Patrons of the Commons of Corcyra fearing lest the Athenians would not kill them when they came thither deuise against them this plot To some few of those in the Iland they secretly send their friends and instruct them to say as if forsooth it were for good will that it was their best course with all speed to get away and withall to offer to prouide them of a Boat for that the Athenian Commanders intended verily to deliuer them to the Corcyraean people When they were perswaded to doe so and that a Boat was treacherously prepared as they rowed away they were taken and the Truce being now broken were all giuen vp into the hands of the Corcyraeans It did much further this Plot that to make the pretext seeme more serious and the agents in it lesse fearefull the Athenian Generals gaue out that they were nothing pleased that the men should be carried home by others whilest they themselues were to goe into Sicily and the honour of it be ascribed to those that should conuoy them The Corcyraeans hauing receiued them into their hands imprisoned them in a certaine Edifice from whence afterwards they tooke them out by twenty at a time and made them passe through a Lane of men of Armes bound together and receiuing stroakes and thrusts from those on eyther side according as any one espyed his Enemie And to hasten the pace of those that went slowliest on others were set to follow them with Whips They had taken out of the Roome in this manner and slaine to the number of threescore before they that remained knew it who thought they were but remoued and carried to some other place But when they knew the truth some or other hauing told them they then cryed out to the Athenians and said that if they would themselues kill them they should doe it and refused any more to go out of the Roome nor would suffer they said as long as they were able any man to come in But neither had the Corcyraeans any purpose to force entrance by the doore but getting vp to the top of the House vncouered the roofe and threw Tyles and shot Arrowes at them They in prison defended themselues as well as they could but many also slew themselues with the Arrowes shot by the Enemie by thrusting them into their throats and strangled themselues with the cords of certaine beds that were in the Roome and with ropes made of their owne garments rent in pieces And hauing continued most part of the night for night ouertooke them in the action partly strangling themselues by all such meanes as they found and partly shot at from aboue they all perished When day came the Corcyraeans laid them one acrosse another in Carts and carried them out of the City And of their Wiues as many as were taken in the Fortification they made bond-women In this manner were the Corcyraeans that kept the Hill brought to destruction by the Commons And thus ended this farre-spred sedition for so much as concerned this present Warre for of other seditions there remained nothing
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