Chapter LIII: Eighth Year of the War

Important operations of the eighth year of the war.—Capture
of Kythêra by the Athenians. Nikias ravages the Laconian
coast.—Capture of Thyrea—all the Æginetans resident there
are either slain in the attack or put to death afterwards as
prisoners.—Alarm and depression among the Lacedæmonians—their
insecurity in regard to the Helots.—They entrap, and cause to
be assassinated, two thousand of the bravest Helots.—Request
from the Chalkidians and Perdikkas that Spartan aid may be sent
to them under Brasidas.—Brasidas is ordered to go thither,
with Helot and Peloponnesian hoplites.—Elate and enterprising
dispositions prevalent at Athens. Plan formed against Megara.
Condition of Megara.—The Athenians, under Hippokratês and
Demosthenês, attempt to surprise Nisæa and Megara.—Conspirators
within open the gate, and admit them into the Megarian Long
Walls. They master the whole line of the Long Walls.—The
Athenians march to the gates of Megara—failure of the scheme
of the party within to open them.—The Athenians attack
Nisæa—the place surrenders to them.—Dissension of parties in
Megara—intervention of Brasidas.—Brasidas gets together an
army, and relieves Megara—no battle takes place—the Athenians
retire.—Revolution at Megara—return of the exiles from Pegæ,
under pledge of amnesty—they violate their oaths, and effect a
forcible oligarchical revolution.—Combined plan by Hippokratês
and Demosthenês for the invasion of Bœotia on three sides at
once.—Demosthenês, with an Akarnanian force, makes a descent
on Bœotia at Siphæ in the Corinthian gulf—his scheme fails and
he retires.—Disappointment of the Athenian plans—no internal
movements take place in Bœotia. Hippokratês marches with the
army from Athens to Delium in Bœotia.—Hippokratês fortifies
Delium, after which the army retires homeward.—Gathering
of the Bœotian military force at Tanagra. Pagondas, the
Theban bœotarch, determines them to fight.—Marshalling of
the Bœotian army—great depth of the Theban hoplites—special
Theban band of Three Hundred.—Order of battle of the Athenian
army.—Battle of Delium—vigorously contested—advantage derived
from the depth of the Theban phalanx.—Defeat and flight of
the Athenians—Hippokratês, with one thousand hoplites, is
slain.—Interchange of heralds—remonstrance of the Bœotians
against the Athenians for desecrating the temple of Delium—they
refuse permission to bury the slain except on condition of
quitting Delium.—Answer of the Athenian herald—he demands
permission to bury the bodies of the slain.—The Bœotians
persist in demanding the evacuation of Delium as a condition
for granting permission to bury the dead. Debate on the
subject. Remarks on the debate.—Siege and capture of Delium
by the Bœotians.—Sokratês and Alkibiadês, personally engaged
at Delium.—March of Brasidas through Thessaly to Thrace and
Macedonia. Rapidity and address with which he gets through
Thessaly.—Relations between Brasidas and Perdikkas—Brasidas
enters into an accommodation with Arrhibæus—Perdikkas is
offended.—Brasidas marches against Akanthus. State of parties
in the town.—He is admitted personally into the town to explain
his views—his speech before the Akanthian assembly.—Debate in
the Akanthian assembly, and decision of the majority voting
secretly to admit him, after much opposition.—Reflections upon
this proceeding—good political habits of the Akanthians.—Evidence
which this proceeding affords, that the body of citizens (among
the Athenian allies) did not hate Athens, and were not anxious
to revolt.—Brasidas establishes intelligences in Argilus. He
lays his plan for the surprise of Amphipolis.—Night-march of
Brasidas from Arnê, through Argilus to the river Strymon and
Amphipolis.—He becomes master of the lands round Amphipolis,
but is disappointed in gaining admission into the town.—He
offers to the citizens the most favorable terms of capitulation,
which they accept.—Amphipolis capitulates.—Thucydidês arrives
at Eion from Thasus with his squadron—not in time to preserve
Amphipolis—he preserves Eion.—Alarm and dismay produced at
Athens by the capture of Amphipolis—increased hopes among her
enemies.—Extraordinary personal glory, esteem, and influence
acquired by Brasidas.—Inaction and despondency of Athens after
the battle of Delium, especially in reference to arresting
the conquests of Brasidas in Thrace.—Loss of Amphipolis was
caused by the negligence of the Athenian commanders—Euklês,
and the historian Thucydidês.—The Athenians banish Thucydidês
on the proposition of Kleon.—Sentence of banishment passed on
Thucydidês by the Athenians—grounds of that sentence.—He justly
incurred their verdict of guilty.—Preparations of Brasidas
in Amphipolis for extended conquest—his operations against
the Aktê, or promontory of Athos.—He attacks Torônê in the
Sithonian peninsula—he is admitted into the town by an internal
party—surprises and takes it.—Some part of the population, with
the small Athenian garrison, retire to the separate citadel
called Lêkythus.—Conciliating address of Brasidas to the assembly
at Torônê.—He attacks Lêkythus and takes it by storm.—Personal
ability and conciliatory efficiency of Brasidas. 363-425