History of the Peloponnesian War

And things which before were spoken of from hearsay, but scantily confirmed by fact, were rendered not incredible; both about earthquakes, which at once extended over the greatest part of the world, and most violent at the same time; and eclipses of the sun, which happened more frequently than was on record of former times; and great droughts in some parts, and from them famines also; and what hurt them most, and destroyed a considerable part—the plague. For all these things fell upon them at once along with this war:

which the Athenians and Peloponnesians began by breaking the thirty years' truce after the taking of Euboea.

As for the reason why they broke it, I have first narrated their grounds of complaint and their differences, that no one might ever have to inquire from what origin so great a war broke out amongst the Greeks. For the truest reason, though least brought forward in words, I consider to have been, that the Athenians, by becoming great, and causing alarm to the Lacedaemonians, compelled them to proceed to hostilities.

But the following were the grounds of complaints openly alleged on either side, from which they broke the truce, and set to the war.

Epidamnuis is a, city situated on the right hand as you sail into the Ionian Gulf; bordering upon it, are the Taulantii, a barbarian people of Illyria.