History of the Peloponnesian War

About the very time when they were performing the rites of confirmation,[*](These consisted of formal libations.) Scione, a city in Pallene, revolted from the Athenians and went over to Brasidas. The Scionaeans assert that they came originally from Pellene[*](Pellene was in Achaea, near Sicyon; the people are mentioned as allies of Sparta in 2.9.2..) in the Peloponnesus, and that the first settlers in Scione were driven to this place on their way back from Troy by the storm[*](Referred to again in 6.2.3.) which the Achaeans encountered, and settled here.

On their revolt, Brasidas crossed over[*](ie. from Torone.) by night to Scione, a friendly trireme sailing ahead and he himself following in a skiff at some distance behind. His idea was that, if he should meet with any boat larger than a skiff, the trireme would protect him, but if another trireme of equal strength should come along it would turn, not against the smaller boat, but against the ship, and in the meantime he could get safely across.

He succeeded in crossing, and having called a meeting of the Scionaeans repeated what he had said at Acanthus and Torone, adding that their own conduct had been most praiseworthy of all because, when Pallene was cut off at the isthmus by the Athenians who held Potidaea and when they were nothing but islanders, they had not supinely awaited the compulsion of necessity in a matter that was manifestly for their own good, but had of their own free will taken the side of freedom; and that, he said, was a proof that they would endure like men any other peril however great; and if things should be settled according to his wish, he would consider them in very truth most loyal friends of the Lacedaemonians and would honour them in other respects.