登陆注册
5541300000115

第115章

The Boeotians replied that if they were in Boeotia, they must evacuate that country before taking up their dead; if they were in their own territory, they could do as they pleased: for they knew that, although the Oropid where the bodies as it chanced were lying (the battle having been fought on the borders) was subject to Athens, yet the Athenians could not get them without their leave.

Besides, why should they grant a truce for Athenian ground? And what could be fairer than to tell them to evacuate Boeotia if they wished to get what they asked? The Athenian herald accordingly returned with this answer, without having accomplished his object.

Meanwhile the Boeotians at once sent for darters and slingers from the Malian Gulf, and with two thousand Corinthian heavy infantry who had joined them after the battle, the Peloponnesian garrison which had evacuated Nisaea, and some Megarians with them, marched against Delium, and attacked the fort, and after divers efforts finally succeeded in taking it by an engine of the following description. They sawed in two and scooped out a great beam from end to end, and fitting it nicely together again like a pipe, hung by chains a cauldron at one extremity, with which communicated an iron tube projecting from the beam, which was itself in great part plated with iron. This they brought up from a distance upon carts to the part of the wall principally composed of vines and timber, and when it was near, inserted huge bellows into their end of the beam and blew with them.

The blast passing closely confined into the cauldron, which was filled with lighted coals, sulphur and pitch, made a great blaze, and set fire to the wall, which soon became untenable for its defenders, who left it and fled; and in this way the fort was taken. Of the garrison some were killed and two hundred made prisoners; most of the rest got on board their ships and returned home.

Soon after the fall of Delium, which took place seventeen days after the battle, the Athenian herald, without knowing what had happened, came again for the dead, which were now restored by the Boeotians, who no longer answered as at first. Not quite five hundred Boeotians fell in the battle, and nearly one thousand Athenians, including Hippocrates the general, besides a great number of light troops and camp followers.

Soon after this battle Demosthenes, after the failure of his voyage to Siphae and of the plot on the town, availed himself of the Acarnanian and Agraean troops and of the four hundred Athenian heavy infantry which he had on board, to make a descent on the Sicyonian coast. Before however all his ships had come to shore, the Sicyonians came up and routed and chased to their ships those that had landed, killing some and taking others prisoners; after which they set up a trophy, and gave back the dead under truce.

About the same time with the affair of Delium took place the death of Sitalces, king of the Odrysians, who was defeated in battle, in a campaign against the Triballi; Seuthes, son of Sparadocus, his nephew, succeeding to the kingdom of the Odrysians, and of the rest of Thrace ruled by Sitalces.

The same winter Brasidas, with his allies in the Thracian places, marched against Amphipolis, the Athenian colony on the river Strymon. A settlement upon the spot on which the city now stands was before attempted by Aristagoras, the Milesian (when he fled from King Darius), who was however dislodged by the Edonians; and thirty-two years later by the Athenians, who sent thither ten thousand settlers of their own citizens, and whoever else chose to go. These were cut off at Drabescus by the Thracians. Twenty-nine years after, the Athenians returned (Hagnon, son of Nicias, being sent out as leader of the colony) and drove out the Edonians, and founded a town on the spot, formerly called Ennea Hodoi or Nine Ways. The base from which they started was Eion, their commercial seaport at the mouth of the river, not more than three miles from the present town, which Hagnon named Amphipolis, because the Strymon flows round it on two sides, and he built it so as to be conspicuous from the sea and land alike, running a long wall across from river to river, to complete the circumference.

Brasidas now marched against this town, starting from Arne in Chalcidice. Arriving about dusk at Aulon and Bromiscus, where the lake of Bolbe runs into the sea, he supped there, and went on during the night. The weather was stormy and it was snowing a little, which encouraged him to hurry on, in order, if possible, to take every one at Amphipolis by surprise, except the party who were to betray it. The plot was carried on by some natives of Argilus, an Andrian colony, residing in Amphipolis, where they had also other accomplices gained over by Perdiccas or the Chalcidians. But the most active in the matter were the inhabitants of Argilus itself, which is close by, who had always been suspected by the Athenians, and had had designs on the place. These men now saw their opportunity arrive with Brasidas, and having for some time been in correspondence with their countrymen in Amphipolis for the betrayal of the town, at once received him into Argilus, and revolted from the Athenians, and that same night took him on to the bridge over the river; where he found only a small guard to oppose him, the town being at some distance from the passage, and the walls not reaching down to it as at present. This guard he easily drove in, partly through there being treason in their ranks, partly from the stormy state of the weather and the suddenness of his attack, and so got across the bridge, and immediately became master of all the property outside; the Amphipolitans having houses all over the quarter.

同类推荐
  • 无上三元镇宅灵箓

    无上三元镇宅灵箓

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编人事典悲欢部

    明伦汇编人事典悲欢部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 神功妙济真君礼文

    神功妙济真君礼文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 养真集

    养真集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 北风扬沙录

    北风扬沙录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 朱公案之古宅灯光

    朱公案之古宅灯光

    八月二十日清早,朱公刚用罢早饭,就见一衙役急匆匆闯进来嚷道:“朱大人,大事不妙了!”“何事如此惊慌?”朱公放下茶杯问道。“大人可还记得那个死宅?”衙役问道,见朱公面带不解之色,又解释道,“就是西庄王豫园的故宅。自从他家破人亡后,没有后人继承其遗产,族里也没人愿意接管,更无人愿意买下。现在他家便成了一座无人死宅。”“那现在出什么事了?”“今早地保来报,有一个路过的书生,被发现死在了那座宅中。”
  • 御魔有道

    御魔有道

    仙魔一念,人间千年,御魔卫正,殊途同归……
  • 妃你莫属:毁容花魁翘皇宫

    妃你莫属:毁容花魁翘皇宫

    文文原名:《皇上,调戏的就是你!》有没有搞错?!在我一线天后的演唱会上居然会闹地震!怎么醒来是在一个老鸨的床上?!!伤疤?!毁容?!当妓院里的四等丫鬟?去你娘的老鸨!我可是娱乐天后,要当也得当花魁!史上第一个不露脸,第一天就入账两万两的花魁,史上第一家高级定制时装店的老板,正当我活得风生水起的时候,居然冒出来个皇上说要带我进宫?进宫就进宫,没想到你这个皇帝,居然是个大色鬼,就欺负我不会武功!翘课、翘工、翘记者,本天后我什么都翘过~!死鬼霸道皇上,敢惹我?看我不翘翻你的皇宫!广告时间:花魁中神秘瞎子太后的传奇大作《七世轮回:寻爱天涯》http://m.wkkk.net/a/131639/转型都市新作,唯美言情《你是我的幸福吗》http://m.wkkk.net/a/241537/希望大家喜欢~~~
  • 君子风

    君子风

    工作是嘉兴市中级法院的一名法官。已发表小说100万余字,散见于《小说选刊》、《中篇小说选刊》、《中国作家》、《江南》、《山花》、《百花洲》等期刊。
  • 废柴吃货穿越记

    废柴吃货穿越记

    一个女人魂穿到一个男人的身体里,跟这个男人共用一个身体,是一种什么体验?照个镜子看看帅不帅先。啊啊啊啊啊!妈妈呀!这个帅哥好帅呀!妈妈呀!怎么会有这么帅的帅哥呀?妈妈呀!这么帅的帅哥我要把他拐回家藏起来呀!妈妈呀!我要疯了呀!………………呃,那啥,头一次写东西,要鼓励,要安慰,也要批评,如果有一丁点儿喜欢,那就请伸出你那发财的小手手,鼓个励啥的。如果不喜欢,能不能也伸出你那发财的小手手,批个评啥的?最多写好了请你喝个茶啥的,行不?
  • 索爱:轩少的小邪妻

    索爱:轩少的小邪妻

    当爱情来的时候,他却失之交臂。当爱情远走的时候,他却只能孤独的看着她幸福。她说:“曾经,我是多么的深爱你!”如今,她挽着他人的胳膊,笑意盎然的离去,如同那一阵夏风,带着了他的情,他的心。
  • 美人鲛

    美人鲛

    初识是三百年前的海边,他是书生,她是鲛人。他和她相爱。后来的家变中,他娶了柳家二小姐,大婚那天,即使潜到海底深处,她还是听到了那刺心的唢呐锣鼓喧天。第一世,他子孙满堂。第二世,他成了将军,却有了夫人,她为他心上人,剜去鲛珠。第三世,他成了僧人,她化作道姑,失去鲛珠的她已经不大认识他,可他路过小巷经过她时,她恍然失神。爱你三百年,终究是没忘得了你。
  • 倾世王妃不好欺负

    倾世王妃不好欺负

    【本文断更】传说,兮王和兮王妃很恩爱……“王爷,不好了!王妃取走了厨房里所有的豆腐,说要去撞墙!”管家匆忙跑来。“告诉王妃,豆腐用光了,她还可以吃本王的豆腐”冷兮寒微微一笑,并无其他表情。“王爷不好惹,王妃她,他用面条上吊了!”管家再次匆忙跑来。“面条太细了,去取根麻绳给她。”冷兮寒笑着说。“王爷不好了!王妃在院子里吃臭豆腐!邀您一起去吃!不然她要拿薯片割腕自杀!”老管家焦急的说。“……”怪不得王府里臭气弥漫。“王爷,不好了,王妃又去妓院了!”老管家焦急的说。“不碍事,他就喜欢玩。”冷兮寒笑道。“可是,王妃去的是怡红院旁边的——温柔阁”老管家擦冷汗。“来人啊!随本王去温柔阁,把王妃绑回来!”……
  • 斯人若彩虹

    斯人若彩虹

    京中深巷的裁缝铺里,迷迭幽香,他手法准确、拿捏得体地为她量身;安静宁谧的护士站前,灯光荧白,他左手执笔落字,留下她的三围尺寸;探索宇宙的大学讲堂,如梦方醒,他侃侃而谈,顷刻间带走她全部心跳。叶鲤宁,鱼字鲤,宝盖宁。倪年呼吸困难地想,他像温柔绵长的白昼,也像纵人耽溺的永夜。三年前的短暂奇遇,倪年并不知道,叶鲤宁却对她有了好奇。更令他心有戚戚的,是他曾经好奇星空,就爱上了星空。或许他是座矗立在海岸线附近的白色灯塔,经年累月,只为等候一艘靠岸的船只。
  • 促销管理

    促销管理

    销售过程中,采用适当的促销手段将会有效促进销售额的提高。反之,如果市场定位不明确、促销手段单一,则起不到预期效果。本书适合于教学、基本理论研究和有关人士自学、参考。它将帮助管理者有的放矢地改进当前促销工作中的弊端,针对不同情况选择相应的促销方式,以起到事半功倍的效果。