falne already into their hands. Now the manner how the Athenians came to the administration of those affaires, by which they so raised themselues, was this:After that the Medes, ouercome by Sea and Land,The meanes by which the Athenians came to haue the command of the common Forces of Greece against the Persian, by which they raied their Empire. were departed, and such of them as had escaped by Sea to A Promtorie in the of Xerxes leet ws defa∣ted, the same day Land-forces were defa∣ted by Pausanias ▪ with the slaughter of Mdo∣nius their Generall, and most their whole of 300000. men.My∣cale, were there also vtterly ouerthrowne, Leotychides King of the Lacedaemonians, then Commander of the Grecians at Mycale, with their Confederates of Peloponnesus, went home: But the Athenians with their Confederates of Iönia, and the Hellespont, as many as were already reuolted from the Of Persia.The Athenians returne to their City. King, staid behinde, and besieged Sestus, holden then by the Medes, and when they had layne before it all the Winter, they tooke it, abandoned by the Barbarians; and after this they set sayle from the Hellespont, euery one to his owne Citie. And the , the State. That is, they made Athens a∣gaine the Seate of their go∣uernment, whereas before it was in the Fleet and Campe still remouing.They repaire their Citie, and wall it. body of the Athenians, assoone as their Territory was cleere of the Barbarians, went home also, and fetcht thither their Wiues and Children, and such goods as they had, from the places where they had bin put out to keep, and went about the reparation of their City & Walles. For there were yet standing some pieces of the circuit of their Wall, and likewise a few houses, (though the most were downe) which the principall of the Persians had reserued for their owne lodgings. The Lacedaemonians hearing what they went about,The Lacedaemonians advise them to the contrary for their owne ends, preten∣ding the Common good. sent thither their Am∣bassadours, partly because they would themselues haue beene glad, that neyther the Athenians, nor any other had had Walles; but principally, as incited thereto by their Confederates, (who feared not only the greatnesse of their Nauie, which they had not before, but also their courage shewed against the Persians) and entreated them, not to build their Walles, but rather to ioyne with them, in pul∣ling downe the Walles of what Cities soeuer without Peloponnesus had them yet standing: Not discouering their meaning, and the iealousie they had of the Athenians; but pretending this, that if the Barbarian returned, hee might finde no fortified Citie, to make the Seate of his Warre, as hee did of Thebes: and that Peloponnesus was sufficient for thē all, whereinto to retire, and from whence to withstand the Warre. But the Athenians,Themistocles adviseth them to build on. by the aduice of Themisto∣cles, when the Lacedaemonian Ambassadours had so said, dismissed them presently with this Answer, That they would presently send Ambassadours about the businesse 0