The hystory writtone by Thucidides the Athenyan of the warre, whiche was betwene the Peloponesians and the Athenyans, translated oute of Frenche into the Englysh language by Thomas Nicolls citezeine and goldesmyth of London

Howe the Peloponesians in∣tred furste into the lande of Athenes, and the pyllages that there were made. And howe the Athenyans by the wysedome of Peri∣cles, were empesched to yssue forth, reserued the horsemen, whiche were repoulsed and dryuen backe agayne. ☞The .v. Chapter.

THe hoste of the Peloponesyans comming into the lande of Athenes, they mynded to lodge furste in the towne of Enoe,* 1.1 whiche is vpon y^e borders, betwene Athenes, and Beoce. And for that, that the towne was strongely walled, into the whiche the Athenyans retyred in ty∣me of warre, the Peloponesians determined to take it by batterye. For thys cau∣se, they made engyns to be sett vp for batterie: but for that, y^t it was longe tyme in doing, they had great suspytyō agaynst Archidamus, that he was fauourable to the Athenyās. For also they thought that he hadde ben eneglygent in causyng the confederates to assemble, and that he had coldly encouraged the armye. And after that it was assembled, that he taryed longe in the destraicte of Peloponese, before he departed, and more, that after hys departure, that he came very softly. but aboue all, they complayned of that, that he hadde bene so longe before E∣noe. And they thought, that yf he had vsed dylygence, they hadde (entrynge rea∣dely into the lande of Athenes) pyllaged all the goodes, that the Athenyans had brought into the cytye. In suche suspytyon was Archidamus at the assiege of Enoe, who as men saye, caused it to be protracted at length, hopynge that the Athenyans, before that theyr lande shulde be begonne to be wasted and destroi∣ed, wolde come fourthe, rather, than to see it destroyed before theyr eyes. But af∣••er that the Peloponesyans had done all theyr beste for to take Enoe, seyng that there was no hope to do it, and also that the Athenyans had not sente anye he∣raulde nor message vnto them, they departed from thence about fourskoore dai∣es after that, which had bene done by the Thebayns at Platee. and entredde into the countreye of Athenes in the tyme of sommer, the corne beyng rype in the fel∣des, vnder the conducte of Archidamus kynge of Sparte. And vainquyshed all the sayde lande, begynnynge in the quarter of Eleusine and of Triasie. and also dyd repoulse and dryue backe the horsemen of the Athenyans, that were come fourthe vpon them, into a place that is called Rithie. Afterwardes, they passed more further, hauyng on the ryght hande the mountaygne of Egaleon,* 1.2 ouerth∣wart the regyon called Cecropie, and came vntyll Acarne,* 1.3 whiche is the greatest towne that is in all the regyon of Athenes, before the which they layde theyr as∣siege, and there they were long, pyllagynge and destroying the coūtrey. It is said that Archidamus kept hym selfe abowtes the towne wyth all the armye in battayle, as for to fyght, and wolde not descende into the playne, fearyng that y^e Athenyans, who had so great nōbre of yonge people, more encouraged to warre, than euer they had before, wolde come to ouerrunne them, and coulde not endu∣re to see theyr lāde, so wasted & pillaged. And whan he yet did see, that they were not come fourth, the ennemyes, beinge in Eleusine and after in Trasie he myn∣ded to assaye, yf they durst comme to rayse the siege from before Acarne, conside∣ry••g also that the place was very propyce and mete for to lodge & soiourne hys campe. Also he thought, that they of the towne, that were well the thyrde parte o•• Athenes (for there were thre thousande all men of warre) wolde not suffer t••em wyllyngly to waste theyr terrytorye, & for that cause, all together wolde c••mme fourth, aswell from Athenes, as from Acarne for to geue them battayle.

And yf they came not fourthe, that than men might, from thence forwardes w^t lesse feare, waste and burne all the territory of Athens. And comme to the walles of the towne. For whan the Acarnes shulde haue sene all theyr lande wasted and theyr goodes lost, they shulde not be so determyned nor so ready to put thēselfe in daunger for to kepe the landes and the goodes of other. And by thys meane they shulde be of dyuers opynyons. Suche was the fantasye of Archidamus, beynge before Acarne. But the Athenyans, whyles the ennemys were aboutes Eleusine and in the lande of Triasie, they hadde some opynyon that they wolde passe no further. For that, that they remembred that .xiiii. yeares before y^e warre, Plistonactus,* 1.4 sonne of Pausanias kynge of Lacedemonyans, beynge entred in∣to the lande of Athenes wyth the hoste of Peloponesyans, whan he was come to the sayde countreys of Eleusyne and of Trias••e, passed no further, but retour∣ned. Throughe occasyon wherof after hys retourne, he was reiected and banny∣shed from the cytye of Sparte, for that, that it was suspected, that he had taken monneye for to retourne. But whan the Athenyans vnderstoode that the hoste of ennemys was before Acarne, whiche was not distant, but .lx. slades from the cytye, and that they sawe before theyr yes theyr terrytorye wasted, which thyng neuer mā of the towne, yonge nor olde had sene, but at the warre of Medes, they thought it a thynge to muche intollerable and not to be suffred. And so they were determyned, specyally the yonge people, no longer to indure it, but to ys••ue forth vpon the ennemyes. Whervpon the people beynge assembled vpon the markett, there was amonge them a great altercation. For some wolde that they shulde yssue fourth wyth all theyr force, the other wolde not suf••re it, the dyuynours also vnto whome men repayred on all sydes for to knowe theyr opynyon, rea∣ported dyuers Iudgementes and dyuers dyuynations. On thoder syde, the A∣carnanyans, seynge that theyr lande was wasted, laboured greatly the Atheny∣ans to sett fourthe, and they thoughte that they oughte to do it, for to succoure theyr people, that were wythin Acarne in greate nomber. In thys manner the cytye was in greate tumulte and dyssentyon of all sydes. and were angry against Perycles, and spake vnto hym many iniuryous wordes, for that, that he wolde not leade them fourthe beynge theyr duke, saying that he was cause of all theyr euylle. wythoute remembrynge that, whiche he had counsayled and shewed thē, before the warre, But he, seyng that they were astonyed for the hurtes that they dyd see in theyr lande, and that they had euyll opynyon, in wille to go fourthe a∣gaynst raysone, he wolde not assemble them, nor make declaration as he was ac∣customed to do. Fearynge that they wolde make some determynation, more throughe anger, than by reason, but gaue order to kepe the towne, and to holde it quyet, the moste that myght be. And neuertheles, he caused the horsmen to ys∣sue fourthe for to defende, that those that came frome the campe of the ennemies for to runne before the cytye, myght not cary away the goodes, that were abou∣tes it. And there was a small conflict in the quarter, that is called, Phrigie, bet∣wene a bende of the sayd horsmen Athenyans, the Thessalyans ioyned wyth them, and those of the Beotyens. Wherein the sayde Athenyans and Thes∣salyens had not the worste, vntyll that the fotemen B••otiens came to the suc∣cour of theyr horsmen. For than they put them to flight. And there were some of the deade men that were caryed awaye into the cytye, the selfe same daye wythoute demaundynge them of the ennemyes. And the morowe after, the Peloponesyans erected and sett vp a trophee vpon the place in token of the v••c∣torye. Nowe the Thessalyans were auncyent allyes of the Athenyans, a••d than they had sente them succoure of the sayde horsemen, to wytt they ••f

larisse, they of Pharsale, they of Parrhasie, they of Cranonie, they of Pirasie, they of Cyrtomie, and they of Ferere. Of the whiche succours, the Capytaynes were, Polymedes and Aristanus for Larisse,* 1.5 Menō for Pharsale,* 1.6 and other for euery one of the sayd cyties. Whan the Peloponesians did se, that the Athenyans came not fourth to battaile againste them, they did breake vp from bifore Acarne, and came to pyllaige & ouerronne certain other villages that were betwene Parneth and the mountaygne of Brilesse.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Oenoe.
• * 1.2

  The moun∣taygne of Ega∣leon.
• * 1.3

  Archar∣na.
• * 1.4

  Plisto∣nax.
• * 1.5

  Polyme¦des. Ariston.
• * 1.6

  Menon