History of the Peloponnesian War

On his voyage along the coast to and from Sicily and in Italy he negotiated with certain cities about friendship with the Athenians. He fell in also with the Locrian settlers who had been expelled from Messene; for these, after the general agreement among the Siceliots, when the Messenians had fallen into discord and one faction had called in the Locrians, had been sent out as colonists, Messene thus coming for a time into the hands of the Locrians.

Falling in, then, with these when they were on their way home, he did them no injury, as an agreement had been made with him[*](On his way to Sicily.) by the Locrians for a treaty with the Athenians.

For they alone of the allies, when the Siceliots became reconciled, made no treaty with the Athenians, nor would they have done so then if they had not been pressed by the war with the Iponieans and Medmaeans, who lived on their borders and were colonists of theirs. And Phaeax some time after this returned to Athens.

Now when Cleon had sailed round from Torone to Amphipolis, as mentioned above, taking Eion as his base he made an unsuccessful attack upon Stagirus,[*](cf. 4.88.2.) an Andrian colony, but did take by storm Galepsus,[*](cf. 4.107.3.) a colony of the Thasians.

Then sending envoys to Perdiccas, with a request to join him with an army in accordance with the terms of alliance,[*](cf. 4.132.1.) and other envoys to Thrace to Polles, king of the Odomantians, to bring as many Thracian mercenaries as possible, he himself kept quiet at Eion.

But Brasidas, on hearing of these things, took post over against him at Cerdylium. This place is in the territory of the Argilians, on high ground across the river not far from Amphipolis, and commands a view in all directions, so that Cleon could not move his army without being observed; for Brasidas expected that Cleon in contempt of the small numbers of the Lacedaemonians would go up against Amphipolis, with his present army.[*](ie. without waiting for reinforcements.)