History of the Peloponnesian War

Thucydides

Thucydides. The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury. Hobbes, Thomas. translator. London: John Bohn, 1843.

But Phormio and the Athenians, leaving Acarnania and returning to Naupactus, in the very beginning of the spring came back to Athens and brought with them such galleys as they had taken and the freemen they had taken prisoners in their fights at sea, who were again set at liberty by exchange of man for man.

So ended that winter, and the third year of the war written by Thucydides.

[*](THE PRINCIPAL CONTENTSAttica invaded by the Peloponnesians.The Mytilenaeans revolt and are received by the Peloponnesians at Olympia into their league.The Athenians send Paches to Mytilene to besiege it.Part of the besieged Plataeans escape through the fortifications of the enemy.The commons of Mytilene, armed by the nobility for a sally on the enemy, deliver the town to the Athenians.The residue of the Plataeans yield to the besiegers and are put to the sword.The proceedings upon the Mytilenaeans and their punishment. The sedition in Corcyra.Laches is sent by the Athens into Sicily, and Nicias into Melos.Demosthenes fighteth against the Aetolians unfortunately, and afterwards against the Ambraciotes fortunately.Pythadorus is sent into Sicily to receive the fleet from Laches.This in other three years of this war.)

The summer following, the Peloponnesians and their confederates, at the time when corn was at the highest, entered with their army into Attica under the conduct of Archidamus, the son of Zeuxidamus, king of the Lacedaemonians, and there set them down and wasted the territory about.

And the Athenian horsemen, as they were wont, fell upon the enemy where they thought fit and kept back the multitude of light-armed soldiers from going out before the men of arms and infesting the places near the city.

And when they had stayed as long as their victual lasted, they returned and were dissolved according to their cities.

After the Peloponnesians were entered Attica, Lesbos immediately, all but Methymne, revolted from the Athenians, which though they would have done before the war and the Lacedaemonians would not then receive them, yet even now they were forced to revolt sooner than they had intended to do.