Greece -- History -- Peloponnesian War, 431-404 B.C.
Such were the words of Brasidas. The Acanthians, after much had been
said on both sides of the question, gave their votes in secret, and the
majority, influenced by the seductive arguments of Brasidas and by fear
for their fruit, decided to revolt from Athens; not however admitting
the army until they had taken his personal security for the oaths sworn
by his government before they sent him out, assuring the independence
of the allies whom he might bring over. Not long after, Stagirus, a
colony of the Andrians, followed their example and revolted.
Such were the events of this summer. It was in the first days of the
winter following that the places in Boeotia were to be put into the
hands of the Athenian generals, Hippocrates and Demosthenes, the latter
of whom was to go with his ships to Siphae, the former to Delium. A
mistake, however, was made in the days on which they were each to
start; and Demosthenes, sailing first to Siphae, with the Acarnanians
and many of the allies from those parts on board, failed to effect
anything, through the plot having been betrayed by Nicomachus, a
Phocian from Phanotis, who told the Lacedaemonians, and they the
Boeotians. Succours accordingly flocked in from all parts of Boeotia,
Hippocrates not being yet there to make his diversion, and Siphae and
Chaeronea were promptly secured, and the conspirators, informed of the
mistake, did not venture on any movement in the towns.
Meanwhile Hippocrates made a levy in mass of the citizens, resident
aliens, and foreigners in Athens, and arrived at his destination after
the Boeotians had already come back from Siphae, and encamping his army
began to fortify Delium, the sanctuary of Apollo, in the following
manner. A trench was dug all round the temple and the consecrated
ground, and the earth thrown up from the excavation was made to do duty
as a wall, in which stakes were also planted, the vines round the
sanctuary being cut down and thrown in, together with stones and bricks
pulled down from the houses near; every means, in short, being used to
run up the rampart. Wooden towers were also erected where they were
wanted, and where there was no part of the temple buildings left
standing, as on the side where the gallery once existing had fallen in.
The work was begun on the third day after leaving home, and continued
during the fourth, and till dinnertime on the fifth, when most of it
being now finished the army removed from Delium about a mile and a
quarter on its way home. From this point most of the light troops went
straight on, while the heavy infantry halted and remained where they
were; Hippocrates having stayed behind at Delium to arrange the posts,
and to give directions for the completion of such part of the outworks
as had been left unfinished.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account