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 Lacedemonians were required and instanced by those of Chio of Lesbos, and of Hellesponte to sende vnto them an army by sea for to resist the Athenyans a∣gainst whom they were wylling to rebell, & the order that therupon was geuen. ☞The .ii. Chapter.

IN the meane tyme that thies thynges were done on the one syde and on the other, and that they were attentife and diligent in their prepa∣tion asmuche, as if the warre shulde begyn at the self houre, specially the Eubeens, bifore all the other allyes of the Athenyens, sent messen∣gers vnto Agis for to iogine with the Lacedemonians, who receyued them gen∣tlely, and comanded two pryncipall men of Lacedemonie to come vnto him for to sende theym into Eubee, that is to wytt, Alcamenes sone of Stenclaide, and Melanthus,* 1.1 who came with foore houndredde freemen. The Lesbyans also, whiche desired to rebell fro thē, sent likewise vnto Agis to demaūde men of hym for to sende into their towne, who at the perswatiō of the Beotians agrede vnto them & in the meane time suspended the enterprise of Eubee. And he sent Alcame∣nes, who shuld go thider, vnto Lesbos w^t, xx, ships, wherof Agis furnished tenne and the Beotians tenne. And Agis did al this, without causinge the Lacedemo∣nyans to knowe any thyng therof. For he had auctoritie to sende people to what place that he woulde, and to assemble and leuie lykewyse & for to recouer mon∣ney and employ yt so as he shulde thinke expediente, so longe as he shulde be at Decelea. During whiche time all the allyes dyd obey him, somewhat more than the cytie of Lacedemonie, for that, that hauing the army at his will, he caused it to go whider he would. And so he agrede with the Lesbyans, as it is abouesayd. On the other syde those of Chio, and those of Erithree, whiche were mynded like∣wise to rebell from the Athenians, made their treatie with the officers and coun∣saillours of the cytie of Lacedemonie withoute knowlaige of Agis, with whome was come into the sayd cytie, Thissaphernes,* 1.2 that was prouoste of the inferiour prouynce for the kynge Dareus,* 1.3 sonne of Artaxarxes, who solycited the Pelo∣ponesians to make warrre against the Atheniens and promysed to fournishe thē with monney, wherof he had the comoditie, for that, that by the comandement of the king his maister, he had a lytle b••fore exacted a tribute of his prouynce to the intent for to employ the monney against the Athenyans. Whome he hated much, for that, y^t those were they, that had empesched him to make Grece trybu∣tairie vnto hym, and it semedde to the sayed Thissaphernes, that more easely he shulde recouer the sayd trybute insomuche as he was mynded to employe ytt a∣gainst the Athenyans, and also by that meane that he shoulde make allyance bi∣twene the Lacedemonians and the kynge Dareus, & besydes this, that he shulde haue in his power, Amorges,* 1.4 bastarde sonne, of Pyssuthnes. Who beyng prouost of the countrey of Carie for the kynge,* 1.5 was rebelled againste him, and he hadde comanded the sayd Thissaphernes that he shulde take paine to haue him lyuing or deade. And thereupon Thissaphernes agrede with theym of Chio. In the selfe season Calligetus,* 1.6 sonne of Leophon of Megare, & Tymagoras,* 1.7 sonne of Athe∣nagoras of Cizine, who were both chased out of their countrey, came vnto Lace∣demonie vnto Pharnabasus,* 1.8 sonne of Pharnacus, who had withdrawin thē thi∣der, to demaūde of the Lacedemonyans ships, for to carye thē into Hellesponte, offring them to make all his power to get the cyties of his prouynce, which toke parte with the Atheniās, for thē, desiring by that meane to make the like alliance bitwene the kyng Dareus his maister and them. Thies practises of Pharnaba∣zus

and of Thissaphernes being than brought to Lacedemonie, wythoute that those, whiche brought the one, hadde in any thynge knowlaige of the other: the Lacedemonyans were in greate controuersie, for some were of opynyon that mē shulde furst sende shyps into Ionium and Chio, and the other that they shulde sende into Hellesponte. But fynally the greater partie was of opynyon that men oughte furste to accepte the partie of Chio and of Thissaphernes, specially at the perswation of Alcibiades, who at that presente lodgedde in the house of Endi∣us, that was the same yeare Ephore, that is to saye, Trybune of the comon peo∣ple, and hys father also had lodgedde there, by reasone whereof, he was calledde, Endius Alcibiade.* 1.9 But bifore that the Lacedemonyans sente their shyppes to Chio, they sente one, who was neyghboure of that same cytye named Phrynes,* 1.10 for to espie, if they hadde so greate nomber of shyppes, as they had geuen to vn∣derstande, and in the reste if their cytye were so ryche, and so puissante as it was renomedde, who beynge come agayne and hauynge made hys reapoorte that there was nothynge lesse in effecte than in renome, made incontinentlye allyance wyth the sayd Chiens, and Erythriens, and ordeyned to sende thider foorty gal∣leys for to ioigne theyme wyth the other three skoore, whiche the Chiens sayde that they had, whereof they shulde sende at begynnynge foorty and tenne other afterwardes by Melacride their Capitaine by sea. In whose place they after∣wardes dydde choose Chalcideus, forsomuche as in the makynge the election of the sayd Melacride, yt hadde thoundredde. And of tenne shyppes that Chalcide∣us shulde haue caryed, he hadde but onely fyue therof. And in thies enterfeaictes the wynter ended. Whiche was the ende of the .xx. yeare of the warre, that Thu∣cydides hath wryttone. In the begynnynge of the furste sprynge, those of Chio sente incontinently vnto the Lacedemonyans that they shoulde sende them the shyppes, whiche they hadde promysed vnto theym. For they fearedde greately leaste the Athenyans shoulde be aduertisedde of their treatie, wherof they hadde yet vnderstandedde nothynge. For this cause the Lacedemonyans sente three of their cytezeins vnto the Corynthyans for to shewe theym, that they shoulde cause all the shyppes to passe, aswelle those, whiche Agis had caused to be armed for to sende into Lesbos, as the othere in the sea, where they were throughe the distreate in the sea of Athenes, and to conducte theyme to Chio whyche shyppes were to the nomber of, xlix. But forsomuche as Calligetus, and Tymagoras woulde not be partakers of that same voiage, the ambassadours of Pharnaba∣zus woulde not delyuer the monney that he hadde sente for to wage the armye by sea, whyche amountedde to, xxv, talentes, but rather determynedde to make an othere armye wyth that same monney, and therewyth to goo thider, where they hadde purposed. Whan Agis vnderstoode that the Lacedemonians hadde determyned for to sende furste vnto Chio, he woulde not goo agaynste their de∣liberation. And lykewyse the allyes hauynge holden their counseille in Corynthe, were of that self opynyon, that Chalcideus shulde furst goo into Chio. Who had armed fyue shyppes at Lacanique. And afterwardes Alcamenes, whome Agis hadde also cho••ene for capytaine, shulde goo to Lesbos. And fynally that Clear∣chus sonne of Rhamphius shulde goo into Hellesponte. But bifore all thynges they ordeynedde that the moytie of their shyppes shulde passe with all diligence, the distreacte, afore that the Athenyans shulde parceyue yt, fearynge leaste they shulde charge aswell vpon them, as also vpon the othere that shulde passe after∣wardes. For from the other sea, the shyps of the Peloponesians myght departe openly wythout any feare of the Athenyans, for that, that no man coulde yet see any army in the sea for them in anny poorte.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Melan∣thus.
• * 1.2

  Thissa∣phernes
• * 1.3

  Dareus
• * 1.4

  Amor∣ges.
• * 1.5

  Caria.
• * 1.6

  Calige∣tus.
• * 1.7

  Tima∣goras.
• * 1.8

  Pharna¦bazus.
• * 1.9

  Endius
• * 1.10

  Phry∣nes.