History of the Peloponnesian War

Thucydides

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

Nevertheless, after many slain on either side, and equal battle which ended by the coming of night, the Tegeatae lodged all night in the place and erected their trophy then presently; whereas the Mantineans turned to Bucolion and set up their trophy afterwards.

The same winter ending and the spring now approaching, Brasidas made an attempt upon Potidaea. For coming by night, he applied his ladders and was thitherto undiscerned. He took the time to apply his ladders when the bell passed by, and before he that carried it to the next returned. Nevertheless, being discovered, he scaled not the wall, but presently again withdrew his army with speed, not staying till it was day.

So ended this winter, and the ninth year of this war written by Thucydides.

[*](THE PRINCIPAL CONTENTSThe former year's truce ended, Cleon warreth on the Chalcidic cities, and recovereth Torone.Phaeax is sent by the Athenians to move a war amongst the Sicilians.Cleon and Brasidas, who were on both sides the principal maintainers of the war, are both slain at Amphipolis.Presently after their death a peace is concluded; and after that again, a league between the Lacedaemonians and Athenians.Divers of the Lacedaemonian confederates, hereat discontented, seek the confederacy of the Argives.These make league, first with the Corinthians, Eleians, and Mantineans, then with the Lacedaemonians, and then again, by the artifice of Alcibiades, with the Athenians.After this the Argives make war upon the Epidaurians; and the Lacedaemonians upon the Argives.The Athenian captains and the Melians treat by way of dialogue touching the yielding of Melos, which the Athenians afterwards besiege and win.These are the acts of almost six years more of the same war.)

The summer following, the truce for a year, which was to last till the Pythian holidays, expired. During this truce, the Athenians removed the Delians out of Delos, because [though they were consecrated, yet] for a certain crime committed of old they esteemed them polluted persons; because also they thought there wanted this part to make perfect the purgation of the island, in the purging whereof, as I declared before, they thought they did well to take up the sepulchres of the dead. These Delians seated themselves afterwards, every one as he came, in Adramyttium in Asia, a town given unto them by Pharnaces.