History of the Peloponnesian War

The following winter, Ramphias and his companions immediately passed through the country as far as Pierius in Thessaly; but as the Thessalians forbad their advance, and as Brasidas, moreover, was dead, to whom they were leading the force, they turned back home; thinking the time for action had gone by; as both the Athenians had departed in consequence of their defeat, and they were not competent to execute any of his designs.

But, most of all, they returned because they knew that the Lacedaemonians, at the time of their setting out, were more strongly disposed for peace.