198 Epidemics. 



prevailed that ' a plague ' had been mentioned, for men 

 adapted their recollections to what they were suffering. 

 But, I suppose, in case of another Dorian war ever befall- 

 ing them after this, and a famine happening to exist, in all 

 probability they will recite the verse accordingly. Those 

 who were acquainted with it recollected also the oracle given 

 to the Lacedaemonians, when on their inquiring of the god 

 whether they should go to war, he answered, ' that if they 

 carried it on with all their might, they would gain the 

 victory, and that he would himself take part with them in 

 it.' With regard to the oracle, then, they supposed that what 

 wasjhappening answered to it. For the disease had begun im- 

 mediately after the Lacedaemonians had made their incur- 

 sion ; and it did not go into the Peloponnese, worth even 

 speaking of, but ravaged Athens most of all, and next to it 

 the most populous of the other towns. Such were the cir- 

 cumstances that occurred in connection with the plague. 



" The Peloponnesians, after ravaging the plain, passed 

 into the Paralian territory, as it is called, as far as Laurium, 

 where the gold mines of the Athenians are situated. And 

 first they ravaged the side which looks towards Peloponnese; 

 afterwards, that which lies towards Euboea and Andrus. 

 Now, Pericles being general at that time as well as before, 

 maintained the same opinion as he had in the former inva- 

 sion, about the Athenians not marching out against them. 



" While they were still in the plain, before they went to 

 the Paralian territory, he was preparing an armament of a 

 hundred ships to sail against the Peloponnese ; and when all 

 was ready, he put out to sea. On board the ships he took 

 four thousand heavy-armed of the Athenians, and three hun- 

 dred cavalry in horse-transports, then for the first time made 

 out of old vessels ; a Chian and Lesbian force also joined the 

 expedition with fifty ships. When this armament of the 

 Athenians put out to sea, they left the Peloponnesians in 

 the Paralian territory of Attica. On arriving at Epidaurus, 

 in the Peloponnese, they ravaged the greater part of the 

 land, and having made an assault on the city, entertained some 

 hope of taking it ; but did not, however, succeed. After 

 sailing from Epidaurus, they ravaged the land belonging to 

 Trcezen, Halioe, and Hermione ; all which places are on the 

 coast of the Peloponnese. Proceeding thence they came to 

 Prasise, a maritime town of Laconia, and ravaged some of 

 the land, and took the town itself, and sacked it. After 

 performing these achievements, they returned home ; and 



