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 Brasidas duke of the Lacedemonyans, dyd take the Cytie of Amphi∣polis soubdaynly, and some other in the countrey of Thrace, by treatye aud apoynctemente. ☞The .xiii. Chapter.

IN that same tyme, whan the thinges were done at Delos, wherof we haue spokene: Sytalces,* 1.1 kynge of Odrysyans dyed in battaill against the Tryballes. wyth whome he began to warre. And Seuthes,* 1.2 sonne of Spardocus hys brother, succeded hym aswell in the realme of O∣drysians, as in other landes and seigniories, whyche he helde in the countreye of Thrace. And in that same wynter Brasidas wyth the allyes of the Lacedemo∣nyans in that sayd countrey, moued warre against the cytie of Amphipolis,* 1.3, whi∣che was situated vpon the ryuer of Strymone.* 1.4 For that, that it was a Colonie of the Athenyans. And bifore that, they had peopled wyth their nation, the place, where the cytie presen••ly standeth, Aristagoras Milesius,* 1.5 flyinge the persecutiō of the kinge Darius•• had furste inhabyted yt, but he was chased fromthence by the Edonyans. And than the Athenyans .xxxii. yeres after, sent thyder tēne thou∣sand mē, aswel of their people, as of other assembled frō all quarters, whych were all destroyde by the Thracians nyghe vnto Dranesque. Notwythstanding .xxix yeares after, those same Athenians sente thider agayne of their people, vnder the conducte of Agnon, sonne of Nycias. who chased the Edonyans fromthence, and

founded the cytie, suche, as yt presently is, whyche was bifore named, the newe wayes. And whan the sayd Agnon came thyder to make it, he departed frome a towne, whiche the Athenyans had in the mouthe of the ryuer, named Eionus.* 1.6 wherein they made theire estaple, and called it Amphipolis, by cause that it was enuyronned on both sydes wyth the ryuer of Strymone, and so enclosed it wyth a wall that wente from one arme of the ryuer, vnto the other. And builded it in a place of a conuenyent heyght: so that it was fayre to se, aswelle towarde the sea, as to the lande. Brasidas, than beinge at Arnes,* 1.7 whyche is a towne in the terrytorye of the Agryans: departed fromthence wyth hys army, and arryued aboute goynge downe of the sonne in Aulone and in Bromisque,* 1.8 on that syde where the lake of Bolbus voydeth itselfe into the sea.* 1.9 And after that he had supped, he toke hys iourney in the nyght (whyche was very darke, and also it did snowe, and was veray foule whether) so that he aryued bifore the cytie, wythout beinge parceued by them, that were wythin. Resarued some, wyth whom he had intelligence, whi∣che were partly of the Argylians, that be in the countrey of Andrie & were come thider, for to inhabitt: and partly of other, whyche had be practised and wonne, as∣well by Pardiccas, as by the Chalcides. But pryncipally the Brasides, whyche was adioygninge vnto them, were of that intelligence and confederacy, and had bene alwayes ennemys of the Athenyans: and espyed and layd in wayte to take pryuely the sayd cytie. Those same than that were inhabitedde there as afore ys sayde: hauinge concluded the treasone wyth Brasydas, by consente of them, whi∣che than had the gouernance of the cytie, dyd suffre him to come in. And the same night they, rebellinge frō the Athenyans, came to lodge wyth the army of Brasidas, nighe the bridge, that was on the ryuer, distant a verye small space frome the cytie. whych was not thā closed wyth walles: as it presently ys. And though that there was a nomber of people, that kepte the brydge, yet aswell by cause of the nyghte, as of the foule wether, and also of the soubdayne arryuall, he repoul∣sed them easely and wonne the brydge, and dyd take all the cytezeins, that dwelled wythoute the cytie in the suburbs, except some small nomber, whyche saued themselfe in the towne, wherof, they that were wythin were greatly afrayed, and chiefly for that, that they greatly doubted amonge thēself, the one, the other. And the sayinge ys, that if Brasidas had aswell approued to take the cytie, as he suffred hys people to pillage the suburbs: he had than takene yt. But in the meane tyme that hys people did geue themselfe to pillaige, those of the cytie assuredde themselfe, in suche manner, that he durste not pursue hys enterpryse, chiefly par∣ceyuynge that they of hys intelligence did not discouer theymselfe in the towne. whyche thinge they coulde not do, forsomuche as the Cytezeins, who where in the greater nomber, empesched and dyd lett that the gates were not opened. And sent wyth all diligence, by the counsell of Eucles, who than was Capytayne of the Athenyans, vnto Thucydides sonne of Olerus, the same that hath writtone thys historie (whyche at that tyme had charge for the Athenyans in the sayde countrey of Thrace, wyth the sayde Eucles,* 1.10 beinge nyghe the towne of Thase, whyche was a colonie of the Paryans, distante frome Amphipolis aboute one iourney by sea) that he shuld come to succour them. whyche thynge he readelye dyd, and came fromthence wyth seuene shypps, whyche he founde by aduenture all ready in that parte, to succour Amphipolis, if it were not than takene, or if it were takene, for to take Eione. In thys meane tyme Brasidas, who greatly fea∣redde the succours of Thase by sea, and also leaste Thucydides,* 1.11 who kept in that quarter many mynes of golde and of syluer, by meane wherof, he hadde greate frendeshypp and authorytie wyth the principallest of the coūtrey, shuld assemble

a great nomber of people by land, he determyned to do hys beste to gett the said cytie by practyse & cōposytion, bifore that the cytezeins mighte haue y^e sayde suc∣cour. And for that cause he made it to be cryed and published wyth the sounde of a trompett, that all they, that were in the towne, beinge citezeins or Athenyans, myghte if they thought good, abyde in their estate and lybertie. Euen so, as the Peloponesyans. And those, that wolde not, might departe wyth their baguaige wythin fyue dayes. whyche crye beinge harde, many of the pryncipall Cytezeins changed their opynyon, vnderstandyng to be by that meane in lybertie. whereas the cytie at the presente tyme was gouerned, the moste parte by the Athenyans. And also they, whose parentes and frendes were takene in the suburbs, whyche were in greate nomber, all meane people, fearynge, that if they dyd it not, their sayd parentes and frendes shulde be yll intreated, chy••fly the Athenyans, whyche parceyued that wythout daunger they myghte departe wyth their baguage, & loked for to haue no succours redelye: and the reste of the people, seynge that by thys appoynctement, they shulde brynge and delyuer themself oute of danger, & shulde remayne in lybertie: all wyth one accorde dyd accepte the partye at per∣swation of them, that had intellygence wyth Brasidas, although that y^e gouer∣nours, whyche were for the Athenyans wolde haue perswaded them to the con∣trary. And by thys meane, the cytie was rendred. That self same day aboute the euenynge tyde, Thucidides arryued wyth hys ships at Eione. Brasidas, beinge already wythin Amphipolis. who had taken the sayd cytie of Eione yf the night had not come vpon hym. And also at the breake of the day he had taken yt, if the succours wyth the sayd shypps had not arryued. But the same Thucydides, be∣inge there arryued as is afore sayd, ordeyned hys case for to defende the towne, if Brasidas wold haue come to assaylle yt, & also that he myght wythdrawe and receyue those of the mayne lande, that were mynded to comme to ioygne wyth hym. wherby yt chaunced that Brasidas, who was descended a longe the ryuer wyth a good nomber of shypps, hauynge made hys strength to gett a rocke that was at the mouth of the same, nighe the towne, and after to take yt by the land syde, was repoulsed from both sides, and was constraigned to retourne into the cytie of Amphipolis, for to geue order to the affayres therof. And sone after, the cytie of Myrtine,* 1.12 in the countrey of the Edonians, dyd render itselfe to hys ally∣aunce. For that, that Pittacus,* 1.13 kinge of y^e sayd Edonians was slayne by the wyfe and children of Groa••es••* 1.14 and wythin fewe dayes, Gopselle and Esyne,* 1.15 whyche were two Colonies of the Thasiens, dyd lykewyse render themself, and that by the practique of Perdiccas, who arryued in the cytie of Amphipolis incontinētly after that it was takene. whan the Athenyans vnderstode the losse of that same cytie: they were therfore very sorowfull. For that, that it hadde bene muche pro∣pice and profytable to them, aswell by reasone of the monney, that they there le∣uyed, and of the woode that they dyd take fromthence for to make shipps: as al∣so for that the Lacedemonyans, hauinge bifore facultie and power to comme to inuade the allyes of the sayde Athenyans, vnto the ryuer of Strymone, by the conducte of the Thracyans, who dyd take their parte, coulde not passe ouer the water at the vpper parte therof, for that, that it was depe, nor also wyth boatts, so longe as the Athenyans dyd kepe their watche vpon the water at Eyone. But the Lacedemonyans, hauinge gottene the cytie, and consequently the passage of the ryuer, myght passe at their wylle and pleasure. whereby the Athenyans were in greate feare, that their frendes and allyes woolde tourne to take parte wyth the sayd Lacedemonyans. Chyefly for thys, that Brasidas, beside that, that he declared and shewed hymself to be a man curtoys and reasonable: dyd also pu∣blishe

generally euery where, that he had no charge, but to restoore all Grece into lybertie. By meane wherof, the other townes and cyties, that dyd take parte wyth the Athenyans, vnderstandynge the good entreatynge, whyche the sayde Brasidas vsedde and practysedde towards the Amphilochiens, and that he presented lyberte vnto euery man: they were all enclyned to reuolte and tourne vn∣to hym, and to wythdrawe themself from the obeissaunce of the Athenians. And thereupon dydde secretely sende their heraultes and messengers towardes hym, for to make their appoynctement: euery man, desyring to be the furste, thynking that there was none daunger of the Athenyans, who of longe tyme hadde nott any greate garnysons in that countrey: and thought not that their puissance had bene so greate, as they parceyuedde it afterwardes to be by experyence. ••or also thies be people, that haue accustomed to conduct their affayres more, by an dis∣ordered affectyon, rather than by reason and prouydence, and puttynge their es∣peraunce in that, whyche they wylled: they followed yt wythoute annye greate purpose to effecte. And that thynge whyche they wylledde not, they reprouedde vnder coloure of reasone. Also they grounded themself greately vpon the losse, whyche the Athenyans had made frankly in Beoce, through occasyon whereof, it semedde to them, that they coulde not soo soone sende succours into that quar∣ter, and the more by the perswasyons of Brasidas, who dydde theym to vnder∣stande. that the sayd Athenyans durste not fyghte againste hym nygh to Nysee, though that he hadde, but thys a••mie, that was there. Through thies reasons, and vpon thies ymagynations, they were all ioyous for the presente, to be in ly∣bertie vnder the protection of the Lacedemonyans, whome they thoughte, ha∣uynge newely made the enterpryse in that same quarter, to be fully determyned to followe it to their power. On the othere syde the Athenyans, consyderinge the daunger, sente fourthwyth succours into the sayde quarter for to kepe and de∣fende their lande, although it were wynter tyme. Also Brasidas hadde wrytton vnto them of Lacedemonye, that they shuld sende vnto him succours. And in the meane tyme he woulde cause to be made asmanye shyppes, as he coulde, in the ryuer of Strymone. But the Lacedemonyans did sende him no succours, aswel through occasyō of the discorde of the princypallest of the cytie: as also for that, that the people desired to recouer the prysonners, whyche were takene in the Is∣lande, and by that meane, rather to make peace: than to contynue the warre.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sital∣cis.
• * 1.2

  Seu∣thes
• * 1.3

  Amph••∣polis.
• * 1.4

  Stry∣mon.
• * 1.5

  Arista∣goras.
• * 1.6

  Eione.
• * 1.7

  Arne.
• * 1.8

  Aulon Bromi∣scus.
• * 1.9

  Bolbe
• * 1.10

  Eucle∣us.
• * 1.11

  Thuci∣dides.
• * 1.12

  Myrci∣nus.
• * 1.13

  Pitta∣cus.
• * 1.14

  Goa••is.
• * 1.15

  Gopse∣lus.

  Oesuna