A T H 



of erents was revei-fcd : fentimeiits lod: tlicir natural force, 

 and words their ufual meaning. Dulliicfs and ftupidity 

 triumphed over abiHties and refinement ; for while the 

 crafty and ingenious were laying fine fpun fnares for 

 encmie:, men ot blunter minds had immediate rccourfe lo 

 the fword and poignard. Hitherto the war had been car- 

 ried on without any material advantage to cither parcy. 

 The following year, (B. C. 426.) more critieal events took 

 place; Demofthenes, a general of merit and enttrprife, 

 commanded the Athenian forces at Naupaftus, which had 

 been bellowed on the unfortunate Mclfenians ; by whofe 

 afliftance, together with that of the Athenian allies in Acar- 

 iiania, Demolthenes undertook to fubdne j^itolia. The 

 Meffenians being- continually haraiTed by the ^tolians, per- 

 fuadtd Demofthcnes that it wonid be be enly to overrun 

 their country, before the inhabitants, who lived in foattcred 

 villages, widely feparated from each other, could colleft 

 their force, or attempt refiftance. In purfuance of this ad- 

 vice, Demofthenes entered iEtolia, took and plundered the 

 towns, and drove the inhabitants before him. During ieve- 

 ral days he marched unrelilled ; but having proceeded to 

 JEgitium, the principal, or rather only city in the province, 

 he found that his defign had by no means efcaped the notice 

 of the enemy. Living in a country abounding in defiles, 

 and involved in woods, the iEtolians, though irregular and 

 defultory in their warfare, yet employing a Ipecies of bu(h 

 fighting not unlike to that which, two and twenty centuries 

 afterwards, has been ufed by the American Indians, defeated 

 the regularly difciplined heroes of Athens, and Demollhenes 

 was obliged to take refuge in Naupaclus. The Athenian 

 general, however, foon found means to irritate thofe Barba- 

 rians to venture a conteft in the plains, and, with great eafe, 

 obtained a fignal viftory. Elevated with this fuccefs, 

 Demofthenes undertaok an expedition to the weftern fljore 

 of Peloponncfns, and feized Pylus. The Spartans eager 

 to recover this important poll, attempt. d to diflodge the 

 enemy, but were defeated, and obliged to take refuge in 

 Sphatleria, a fmail ifland upon thecoall; a:idthe AO.e :ians, 

 being mailers of the fca, furrounded their retreat, and cut oif 

 all fupplits of provifions. Anxious to fave thofe troops, 

 the Spartans fent ambaffadors to Athens with propofais of 

 peace. The ambaffadors frankly owned the extreme ne- 

 ceflity that had obliged the I^acedxmonians to fubmit to fo 

 humiliating a (lep, put the Athenians in mind of the uncer- 

 tain fate of arms, and exhorted them to embrace this op- 

 portunity of retloring tranquillity to Greece. But the 

 Athenians grown prefumptuous by their good fortune, as 

 well as by the flattering oration of their favourite demagogue 

 Cleon, required, as a pteliminary condition, that the troops 

 confined in the ifland Ihould lay down their arms, and be 

 Conduced to Athens, upon the promirc of the Athenians 

 to fet them at liberty as foon as the Lacedsmonians had 

 delivered up the places conquered by tlicm, from the Athe- 

 nians. Tiie Lacedsemoniaiis refufcd to comply with this 

 condition, and both parties prepared themfelves forwar. The 

 Athenians, in the mean time, were very vigilant to prevent 

 any provifions from puffing into the ifland of Sphaderia. 

 The Laccd.-emonians, on the other hand, engaged the wliole 

 countrv rou-id to contribute their utmoft efforts to rehevc 

 the beiieged troops, and promifed to fet free all the flaves 

 who fliould fucceed in carrying them provifions; which 

 many did, r.t the extreme hazard of their lives. In the 

 mean time, the Athenians in Pylus began,. on their part, 

 to be ftraitened for provifions. Cleon perfuaded tlie 

 people, that the flownefs of the fiege was owing to the 

 inactivity of their commanders ; and maintained, that a 

 jjttle vigour mull very foon reducfe the iflund, which he 

 6 



A T H 



ofTered to accomplifh himfclf. Having been accordinTfy 

 fent thither, and having joined Demofthenes, they landed 

 together in Sphacleria, and beat the enemy to the extre- 

 mity of the ifland. The Lacedaemonians, however, took 

 poflefiion of a fortification, and defended, with the mod 

 dcfperate courage, the only paffage by which they could 

 be attacked. But the general of the Mtflcnians, having 

 difcovered a difficult pals that led to the fortification, 

 marched that way, and appearing unexpcftedly on t!»s 

 rear of the Lacedemonians, called aloud to them to lay 

 down their arms. The Lacedemonians exhaufted with 

 heat and fatigue, obeyed the fummons, by laying their 

 ihiclds on the ground ; and, after a fhort conference, they 

 furrendered at difcielion. The Athenians, after creeling 

 a trophy, reimbarkcd on board of their fleet. This fiege 

 continued fixty-two days. Cleon is faid to have cau- 

 fed 128 of thofe unhappy Spartans, to be murdered. 

 The reft were conveyed to Athens, and thrown into pri- 

 fon, till peace (hould take place ; the Athenians threaten- 

 ing, at the fame time, to put them all to death, if the 

 Lacedemonians made any more incurfions into their countr)-. 

 Soon after happened the fcJition of Megara. The inha- 

 bitants of that town, after expelling their magiftrates, 

 quarrelled among themfelves, one party being for recalling 

 their magillrates, the otlier, for delive ing their town into 

 the hands of the Athenians. Brafiias, in the mean time, 

 the beft officer the Laceda;monians then had, hanng come 

 before Megara, its gates are immediately thrown open 

 to him. The exiled magiftates returning foon after, and re- 

 fuming their authority, condemn to death one hundred in- 

 habitants of the oppofite faction. Brafidas ad\'ances into 

 Thrace, fubdues feveral cities, and lays fiege to Amphi- 

 polif, a place of much importance to the Athenians, who 

 thence got the greateft part of their wood. They therefore 

 difpatched Thucydides, the famous hillorian, to its relief;- 

 but the place was taken before his arrival. His countr)-- 

 men, however, imputed to him the lofs of the place, and- 

 banidu'd him at the inlligation of Cleon. The Athenians 

 having about the fame time advanced into Bccotia, under 

 the com-iiand of Demoft'ienes and Hippocrates, were de- 

 feated near Dehnm by the Thebans, who, after their vicloi-y, 

 befieged and took that town. No decifive advantage had 

 been hitherto obtained by either party. The Athenians 

 and Lacedxmonians therefore agreed on a truce for a 5'ear ; 

 which Brafidas, who had been fuccefsful in all bis enter- 

 prifts, bore with great impatience. Cleon, on the other 

 hand, who had acquired much authority in Athens by- 

 means of his bold and vehement eloquence, incited his coun- 

 trymen to refume the war. Being more prefumptiious than 

 {!;iiful in military operations, he refolvtd to attempt the le- 

 taking of Amphipolis, hoping to be afiifted by a body of 

 troops from Pc:\!iccas king of Mactdon. But Brafidas^ 

 got the ftart of him, and threw hinifelf into the town. To- 

 increafe the prefiimption of Cleon, the Spartaji general, 

 who was- well acquainted with his charader, affedled to be 

 afraid of an encounter ; but after making the proper difpo- 

 tions, Brafidas fallied forth unexpectedly, and attacked the 

 left win"- of the Atheinans, which, being tiie flower ot their 

 army, made a vigorous refiftance. Brafidas, however, at 

 laft broke them, and killed fix liundred, with very little 

 lofs on his own fide. This attack difconcerted and terrified. 

 Cleon, who was killed by a Spartan folditr as he was flying- 

 fiom the battle. Braiidas was of the number of thi flain on 

 the fide of the Lacedaemonians. He was an excellsnt otfi- 

 cer, equally brave and prudent, and deferves to be ranked_ 

 amono- the Lacedxmonian heroes. It was the mother of 

 this genend, who, on hearing the exploits of her fon com- 



incadcd> 



