History of the Peloponnesian War

After this brief speech, Brasidas himself prepared for the sally and placed the rest with Clearidas at the gate called Thracian, in order that they might come out to his support according to his orders.

But he had been seen when he came down from Cerdylium, and again in the city—which is in full view from outside—while sacrificing at the temple of Athena and busied about these matters; and word was brought to Cleon, who had gone forward at that time for the reconnaissance, that the whole army of the enemy could be clearly seen inside the city, and the feet of men and horses in great numbers were visible under the gates, as though ready for a sally.

Hearing this Cleon came nearer; and when he saw it, being unwilling to risk a battle before his reinforcements arrived, and thinking that he could get away in time, he gave orders to sound a retreat and at the same time passed along word to the troops as they set off to go to the left —as alone was possible—upon the road to Eion.

But as it seemed to him this was being done too slowly, he himself wheeled the right wing, thus exposing the unarmed side[*](ie. the right side, the left being covered by the shield.) to the enemy, and began to lead off his army.

At this moment Brasidas, seeing his opportunity and the army of the Athenians on the move, said to those immediately about him[*](ie. the hundred and fifty (5.8.4).) and to the rest of the troops: “These men will not stand before us; they show it by the wagging of their spears and of their heads; men who do that never await an attack.

Somebody open the gates for me as I have ordered and let us boldly get at them as quickly as possible.” He went out then by the gate that led to the palisade and by the first gate of the long wall, which was then standing, and advanced at full speed up the straight road where now, as one comes to the steepest part of the hill, a trophy stands, and attacking the centre of the Athenians, who were amazed at his audacity, as well as panic-stricken because of their own disorder, he routed them.

At the same moment Clearidas, as he had been ordered, went out at the Thracian gate and bore down with his troops.

And so it came to pass that owing to the unexpected and sudden nature of the attack from both sides at once the Athenians were thrown into confusion; and the left wing, on the side toward Eion, which had already gone some distance in advance, was at once cut off, and fled.

(It was just when it began to retire that Brasidas, who was pressing forward against the right wing, was wounded, and the Athenians did not observe that he had fallen, but those who were near took him up and carried him from the field.) The right wing of the Athenians stood its ground better. Cleon, indeed, as he had not intended from the first to stand his ground, fled at once, and was overtaken and slain by a Myrcinian targeteer; but the hoplites, rallying at their first position on the hill, twice or thrice repulsed the attack of Clearidas, and did not give way till the Myrcinian and Chalcidian horse and the targeteers, who surrounded and hurled javelins at them, put them to flight.

Then at last the whole Athenian army took to flight, making their way with difficulty and by many routes over the hills, until finally the survivors—all that were not destroyed either at once in hand to hand conflict or by the Chalcidian horse and targeteers—got back to Eion.

Brasidas was taken up by his followers and carried safely from the battlefield to the city, still breathing; and he learned that his men were victorious, but after a little interval he died.

The rest of the army, after returning with Clearidas from the pursuit, despoiled the dead and set up a trophy.