was not likely that they had fled towards a city of the enemy's. Immediately they perceived the besiegers, with torches in their hands, pursuing them in the road that led to Athens. After keeping that of Thebes about six or seven stadia, they turned short toward the mountain, and resumed the route of Athens, whither two hundred and twelve arrived out of two hundred and twenty who had quitted the place; the rest having returned back to it through fear, one archer excepted, who was taken on the side of the fosse of contravallation. The besiegers, after having pursued them to no purpose, returned to their camp.

In the mean time, the Plateans who remained in the city, supposing that all their companions had been killed, because those who were returned, to justify themselves, affirmed they were, sent a herald to demand the dead bodies; but being told the true state of the affair, he withdrew.

About the end of the following campaign, which is that wherein Mitylene was taken, the Plateans, being in absolute want of provisions, and unable to make the least defence, surrendered, upon condition that they should not be punished till they had been tried and adjudged in form of justice. Five commissioners came for this purpose from Lacedemon, and these, without charging them with any crime, barely asked them whether they had done any service to the Lacedemonians and the allies in this war? The Plateans were much surprised as well as puzzled at this question, and were sensible that it had been suggested by

the Thebans, their professed enemies, who had vowed their destruction. They therefore put the Lacedemonians in mind of the services they had done to Greece in general, both at the battle of Artemisium and that of Platea; and particularly in Lacedemonia, at the time of the earthquake, which was followed by the revolt of their slaves. The only reason they declared, of their having joined the Athenians afterwards, was, to defend themselves from the hostilities of the Thebans, against whom they had implored the assistance of the Lacedemonians to no purpose: that if that was imputed to them for a crime, which was only their misfortune, it ought not however entirely to obliterate the remembrance of their former services. "Cast your eyes," said they,

on the monuments of your ancestors which you see here, to whom we annually pay all the honours which can be rendered to the manes of the dead. You thought fit to intrust their bodies with us, as we were eye witnesses of their bravery, and yet you will now give up their ashes to their murderers, in abandoning us to the Thebans, who fought against them at the battle of Platea. Will you enslave a province where Greece recovered its liberty? Will you destroy the temples of those gods, to whom you owe the victory? Will you abolish the memory of their founders, who contributed so greatly to your safety? On this occasion we may venture to say, our interest is inseparable from your glory; and you cannot deliver up your ancient friends and benefactors to the unjust hatred of the Thebans, without eternal infamy to yourselves."

One would conclude that these just remonstrances should have made some impression on the Lacedemonians; but they were biassed more by the answer the Thebans made, and which was expressed in the most haughty and bitter terms against the Plateans; and besides, they had brought their instructions from Lacedemon. They stood therefore to their first question, "Whether the Plateans had done them any service since the war?" and making them pass one after another, as they severally answered No, he was immediately butchered, and not one escaped. About two hundred were killed in this manner; and twenty five Athenians, who were among them, met with the same unhappy fate. Their wives, who had been taken prisoners, were made slaves. The Thebans afterwards peopled their city with exiles from Megara and Platea; but the year after they demolished it entirely. It was in this manner the Lacedemonians, in the hopes of reaping great advantages from the Thebans, sacrificed the Plateans to their animosity, ninety three years after their first alliance with the Athenians.

f In the sixth year of the war of Peloponnesus, the plague broke out anew in Athens, and again swept away great numbers.

A. M. 3578. Ant. J. C. 426, Thucyd. 1. viii. p. 232:

SECTION IV.

THE ATHENIANS POSSESS THEMSELVES OF PYLUS, &c. SIXTE AND SEVENTH YEARS OF THE WAR.

h

I PASS over several particular incidents of the succeeding campaigns, which differ very little from one another; the Lacedemonians making regularly every year incursions into Attica, and the Athenians into Peloponnesus: I likewise omit some sieges in different places : that of Pylus, a little city of Messenia, only four hundred furlongs from Lacedemon, was one of the most considerable, The Athenians, headed by Demosthenes, had taken that city, and fortified themselves very strongly in it; this was the seventh year of the war. The Lacedemonians left Attica immediately, in order to go and recover, if possible, that place; and accordingly they attacked it both by sea and land. Brasidas, one of their leaders, signalized himself here by the most extraordinary acts of bravery. Opposite to the city was a little island called Sphacteria, whence the besieged might be greatly annoyed, and the entrance of the harbour shut up. They therefore threw a chosen body of Lacedemonians into it, making in all four hundred and twenty, exclusive of the Helots. A battle was fought at sea, in which the Athenians were victorious, and accordingly erected a trophy. They surrounded the island, and set a guard in every part of it, to prevent any of the inhabitants

8 A. M. 3579. Ant. J. C. 425. Thucyd. 1. iv. p. 253-280. Diod. 1. zii. p. 112-114.

b Twenty French leagues.

from going out, or any provisions from being brought in to them.

The news of the defeat being come to Sparta, the magistrate thought the affair of the utmost importance, and therefore came himself upon the spot, in order that he might be better able to take proper measures; when concluding that it would be impossible for him to save those who were in the island, and that they at last must necessarily be starved out, or be taken by some other means, he proposed an accommodation. A suspension of arms was concluded, in order to give the Lacedemonians time to send to Athens, but upon condition that in the mean time they should surrender up all their galleys, and not attack the place either by sea or land till the return of the ambassadors: that if they complied with these conditions, the Athenians, would permit them to carry provisions to those who were in the island, at the rate of so much for the master and half for the servant; and that the whole should be done publicly, and in sight of both armies: that, on the other side, the Athenians should be allowed to keep guard round the island, to prevent any thing from going in or out of it, but should not attack it in any manner: that in case this agreement should be infringed in the least, the truce would be broke; otherwise, that it should continue in full force till the return of the ambassadors, whom the Athenians obliged themselves by the articles to convey backwards and forwards; and that then the Lacedemonians should have their ships restored, in the same condition in which they

For the masters, two Attic chonices of flour, making about four pounds and a half, two cotyles, or half pints of wine, and a piece of meat with half this quantity for the servants.