Greece -- History -- Peloponnesian War, 431-404 B.C.
After this brief speech Brasidas himself prepared for the sally, and
placed the rest with Clearidas at the Thracian gates to support him as
had been agreed. Meanwhile he had been seen coming down from Cerdylium
and then in the city, which is overlooked from the outside, sacrificing
near the temple of Athene; in short, all his movements had been
observed, and word was brought to Cleon, who had at the moment gone on
to look about him, that the whole of the enemy’s force could be seen in
the town, and that the feet of horses and men in great numbers were
visible under the gates, as if a sally were intended. Upon hearing this
he went up to look, and having done so, being unwilling to venture upon
the decisive step of a battle before his reinforcements came up, and
fancying that he would have time to retire, bid the retreat be sounded
and sent orders to the men to effect it by moving on the left wing in
the direction of Eion, which was indeed the only way practicable. This
however not being quick enough for him, he joined the retreat in person
and made the right wing wheel round, thus turning its unarmed side to
the enemy. It was then that Brasidas, seeing the Athenian force in
motion and his opportunity come, said to the men with him and the rest:
“Those fellows will never stand before us, one can see that by the way
their spears and heads are going. Troops which do as they do seldom
stand a charge. Quick, someone, and open the gates I spoke of, and let
us be out and at them with no fears for the result.” Accordingly
issuing out by the palisade gate and by the first in the long wall then
existing, he ran at the top of his speed along the straight road, where
the trophy now stands as you go by the steepest part of the hill, and
fell upon and routed the centre of the Athenians, panic-stricken by
their own disorder and astounded at his audacity. At the same moment
Clearidas in execution of his orders issued out from the Thracian gates
to support him, and also attacked the enemy. The result was that the
Athenians, suddenly and unexpectedly attacked on both sides, fell into
confusion; and their left towards Eion, which had already got on some
distance, at once broke and fled. Just as it was in full retreat and
Brasidas was passing on to attack the right, he received a wound; but
his fall was not perceived by the Athenians, as he was taken up by
those near him and carried off the field. The Athenian right made a
better stand, and though Cleon, who from the first had no thought of
fighting, at once fled and was overtaken and slain by a Myrcinian
targeteer, his infantry forming in close order upon the hill twice or
thrice repulsed the attacks of Clearidas, and did not finally give way
until they were surrounded and routed by the missiles of the Myrcinian
and Chalcidian horse and the targeteers. Thus the Athenian army was all
now in flight; and such as escaped being killed in the battle, or by
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