History of the Peloponnesian War

To these articles the Lacedaemonians agreed, (their allies also swearing to them,) with the Athenians and their allies, on the twelfth day of the Spartan month Gerastius.

Those who agreed to the articles and ratified them by libations, were the following: Of the Lacedaemonians, Taurus son of Echetimidas, Athenaeus son of Pericleidas, and Philocharidas son of Eryxidaidas; of the Corinthians, Aeneas son of Ocytus, and Euphamidas son of Aristonymus; of the Sicyonians, Damotimus son of Naucrates, and Onasimus son of Megacles; of the Megareans, Nicasus son of Cecalus, and Menecrates son of Amphidorus; of the Epidaurians, Amphias son of Eupaidas;

of the Athenians, the following generals, Nicostratus son of Diitrephes, Nicias son of Niceratus, and Autocles son of Tolmaeus. This then was the armistice which was concluded; and during it they were throughout holding conferences for a more general treaty.

About the time at which they were thus going backwards and forwards to each other, Scione, a town in Pallene, revolted from the Athenians to Brasidas. Now these Scionaeans say that they are Palleneans from the Peloponnese, and that their first founders, while on their voyage from Troy, were carried to this place by the storm which the Achaeans experienced, and there took up their abode.

On their revolting, Brasidas crossed over to Scione by night, with a friendly trireme sailing ahead of him, and himself following at some distance in a skiff; that in case of his falling in with any vessel larger than the skiff, the trireme might come to his aid; while if another trireme of equal force came against them, he thought that it would not turn upon the smaller vessel, but upon the ship, and in the mean time he should make his escape. Having thus crossed over, and convened an assembly of the Scionaeans, he spoke to the same effect as at Acanthus and Torone:

and told them, moreover, that they were most deserving of praise, inasmuch as, though Pallene within the isthmus was cut off from succours by land through the Athenians occupying Potidaea, and they were virtually nothing else but islanders, they had of their own accord joined the banner of liberty, and had not through cowardice waited for compulsion to be applied to them, in the case of what was manifestly for their own advantage. That this was a proof that they would also endure like men any other even of the greatest perils, if [by their so doing] their affairs should be arranged to their satisfaction; in short, that he should consider them as truly the most faithful allies of the Lacedaemonians, and show them all other proofs of his respect.

The Scionaeans were elated by his language, and all alike taking courage, even those who before were not pleased with the business, resolved to carry on the war with spirit; and both received Brasidas with other marks of honour, and publicly crowned him with a crown of gold, as the liberator of Greece; while individually they decked him with garlands, and thronged to him as to a victorious athlete.

At that time, after leaving them some guards, he crossed over again, and not long after sent them over a larger force; as he wished, in conjunction with them, to make an attempt on Mende and Potidaea, thinking that the Athenians would come to their relief, as though it were an island, and desiring to be beforehand with them. He was carrying on also some communications with those towns, with a view to their being betrayed to him. And thus he was meditating an attack on these places.

But in the mean time there came to him in a trireme the commissioners, who were carrying round intelligence of the armistice, Aristonymus on the side of the Athenian s, and Athenians on that of the Lacedaemonians.

So the troops crossed over again to Torone; while they informed Brasidas of the truce, and all the allies of the Lacedaemonians Thrace-ward assented to what had been done. Now Aristonymus allowed all the other cases;

but finding, on a calculation of the days, that the Scionaeans had revolted after the date of the convention, he said that they would not be included in it. But Brasidas earnestly contended, on the other hand, that they had revolted before the truce was made, and refused to give the town up.

So when Aristonymus reported their case at Athens, the people were immediately prepared to send an expedition against Scione. But the Lacedaemonians sent envoys and told them that they would be violating the truce; and laid claim to the town, in reliance on the statement of Brasidas; offering, at the same time, to let the question be decided by arbitration.

The Athenians, however, did not wish to run the risk of arbitration, but to send the expedition as quickly as possible; being enraged to think that even the inhabitants of the islands now presumed to revolt from them, trusting in the power of the Lacedaemonians by land, which could not help them.

And indeed the truth of the question respecting the revolt was rather as the Athenians maintained; for the Scionaeans revolted two days after the truce was signed. Accordingly, at the instigation of Cleon, they at once passed a decree that they should reduce the Scionaeans, and put them to death; and so, while they remained quiet from other undertakings, they were engaged in preparing for this.