Book II - Wilbourhall.org

244 0OYKYAIAOY tslYTTPA^KZ B.owing to the disease. At Athens the discontent caused bythe invasion and the plague together was so serious thatPericles called a special assembly and delivered an oration indefence of himself and his policy.60-64. Version by Thucydides of the speech then delivered.Pericles upbraided his hearers for falling so very farshort of the ideal he had set before them. Instead of beingready to sacrifice themselves for their city they had madeovertures for peace to Sparta. And what was the use ofblaming him for misfortunes sent by Providence ?65. Great as was the effect produced by the speech, theAthenians nevertheless did not rest satisfied until they hadfined Pericles. Then follows a notice of the statesman's death,and an account of his character and policy.66-67. Two Lacedaemonian failures narrated. An expeditionagainst Zacynthus produced no result, and ambassadorsfrom the Peloponnese to the Great King fell into the hands ofthe Athenians, having been arrested by Sadocus, son ofSitalces, while passing through Thrace. Among them wasthe notorious Corinthian Aristeus. They were put to deathat Athens without a trial.68. In the autumn the Ambi'aciots, enemies of Athens,attacked the Amphilocian Argos, but were unable to take it.The historian narrates the origin and earlier history of thisArgos.69-70. During the winter, Phormio was sent from Athenswith twenty ships to Naupactus to command the entrance ofthe Gulf of Corinth. About the same time Melesandrus, anAthenian general, was defeated and killed in Lycia. Potidaeasurrendered on terms which the Athenians at home consideredunnecessarily favourable.71-78. Opening of the campaign of 429 B.C. Instead ofinvading Attica, Archidamus attacked Plataea. After unsuccessfulnegotiations with the Plataeans and a solemn appealto heaven, the king attempted to carry a mound to the top ofthe walls, but the Plataeans first built on to their wall oppositethe mound, and then successfully undermined the enemy'swork. Then they built a new wall in towards the city,concave to the old wall where they had raised its height, theirobject being to take the enemy between a cross-fire in casethey gained the raised wall. Then the enemy used batteringrams,but the Plataeans broke them by letting down hugebeams upon them. Next Archidamus tried to burn the town.As the attempt failed he was forced to blockade Plataea,which contained four hundred and eighty men and one hundred