登陆注册
5541300000064

第64章

Meanwhile Sitalces opened negotiations with Perdiccas on the objects of his expedition; and finding that the Athenians, not believing that he would come, did not appear with their fleet, though they sent presents and envoys, dispatched a large part of his army against the Chalcidians and Bottiaeans, and shutting them up inside their walls laid waste their country. While he remained in these parts, the people farther south, such as the Thessalians, Magnetes, and the other tribes subject to the Thessalians, and the Hellenes as far as Thermopylae, all feared that the army might advance against them, and prepared accordingly. These fears were shared by the Thracians beyond the Strymon to the north, who inhabited the plains, such as the Panaeans, the Odomanti, the Droi, and the Dersaeans, all of whom are independent. It was even matter of conversation among the Hellenes who were enemies of Athens whether he might not be invited by his ally to advance also against them. Meanwhile he held Chalcidice and Bottice and Macedonia, and was ravaging them all; but finding that he was not succeeding in any of the objects of his invasion, and that his army was without provisions and was suffering from the severity of the season, he listened to the advice of Seuthes, son of Spardacus, his nephew and highest officer, and decided to retreat without delay. This Seuthes had been secretly gained by Perdiccas by the promise of his sister in marriage with a rich dowry. In accordance with this advice, and after a stay of thirty days in all, eight of which were spent in Chalcidice, he retired home as quickly as he could; and Perdiccas afterwards gave his sister Stratonice to Seuthes as he had promised. Such was the history of the expedition of Sitalces.

In the course of this winter, after the dispersion of the Peloponnesian fleet, the Athenians in Naupactus, under Phormio, coasted along to Astacus and disembarked, and marched into the interior of Acarnania with four hundred Athenian heavy infantry and four hundred Messenians. After expelling some suspected persons from Stratus, Coronta, and other places, and restoring Cynes, son of Theolytus, to Coronta, they returned to their ships, deciding that it was impossible in the winter season to march against Oeniadae, a place which, unlike the rest of Acarnania, had been always hostile to them; for the river Achelous flowing from Mount Pindus through Dolopia and the country of the Agraeans and Amphilochians and the plain of Acarnania, past the town of Stratus in the upper part of its course, forms lakes where it falls into the sea round Oeniadae, and thus makes it impracticable for an army in winter by reason of the water. Opposite to Oeniadae lie most of the islands called Echinades, so close to the mouths of the Achelous that that powerful stream is constantly forming deposits against them, and has already joined some of the islands to the continent, and seems likely in no long while to do the same with the rest. For the current is strong, deep, and turbid, and the islands are so thick together that they serve to imprison the alluvial deposit and prevent its dispersing, lying, as they do, not in one line, but irregularly, so as to leave no direct passage for the water into the open sea. The islands in question are uninhabited and of no great size. There is also a story that Alcmaeon, son of Amphiraus, during his wanderings after the murder of his mother was bidden by Apollo to inhabit this spot, through an oracle which intimated that he would have no release from his terrors until he should find a country to dwell in which had not been seen by the sun, or existed as land at the time he slew his mother; all else being to him polluted ground. Perplexed at this, the story goes on to say, he at last observed this deposit of the Achelous, and considered that a place sufficient to support life upon, might have been thrown up during the long interval that had elapsed since the death of his mother and the beginning of his wanderings.

Settling, therefore, in the district round Oeniadae, he founded a dominion, and left the country its name from his son Acarnan. Such is the story we have received concerning Alcmaeon.

The Athenians and Phormio putting back from Acarnania and arriving at Naupactus, sailed home to Athens in the spring, taking with them the ships that they had captured, and such of the prisoners made in the late actions as were freemen; who were exchanged, man for man. And so ended this winter, and the third year of this war, of which Thucydides was the historian.

同类推荐
  • The Early Short Fiction Part Two

    The Early Short Fiction Part Two

    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。
  • 南翁梦录

    南翁梦录

    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。
  • 来安县志

    来安县志

    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。
  • 大佛略忏一卷

    大佛略忏一卷

    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。
  • 杌近志

    杌近志

    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
  • 集资阵痛(四卷本)

    集资阵痛(四卷本)

    古今中外第一部集资诈骗调查著作。一个个最具代表性的典型案例,一场场击鼓传花游戏中的个体悲剧,古今中外人性中共通的贪婪一面,金融垄断与钱权法角逐的时代背景,改良变革的制度路径,均在作者笔下生动再现,融会贯通,浑然一体。文文笔流畅,见解独到,观点犀利,思想深邃。
  • The Diary of a Nobody

    The Diary of a Nobody

    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。
  • 敬斋古今黈

    敬斋古今黈

    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。
  • 赢在变通(修订版)

    赢在变通(修订版)

    世界500强企业推崇的优秀员工思维理念,资深职业规划讲师送给职场新人的最佳礼物。学会变通的员工是推动企业发展的核心力量。一个善于变通的员工能够主动将变通思维融入工作,以变制变,成就卓越。让你的头脑来一场思想风暴,闹一场思维革命吧。
  • 明末金手指

    明末金手指

    金手指,在如今的含义其实就是开挂,但对于来到天启六年末的张弘斌来说,却同样具有点石成金的意味。脑袋里面与一款名为‘山寨贸易系统’的链接,可以购买未来的各种山寨商品。品质或许没有保障,但在十六世纪却是绝对领先的优质产品。从常见的粮油到日化,从基础的铁质枪头到云爆弹,只要等级足够,产品随便购买。哦,还有必须要有足够的银子……莫名其妙的来到了天启六年末,眼看崇祯元年就要到来,身为一个地主老财的三少爷,张弘斌凭着家庭条件和系统本来可以有一个不错的仕途。不过文化程度没有那么高,也懒得和士绅友好相处……主要还是不想老是受窝囊气的张弘斌,果断选择了造反这个很有前途的职业。难得开了挂,岂能继续委屈了自己?
  • 别再为小事生气,小事永远只是小事

    别再为小事生气,小事永远只是小事

    学会看开、学会看淡、学会看远、学会看透、学会看准!运用你的智慧,以一种超脱的心境将万事看开。运用本书所提供的50个“智慧锦囊”,你会找到原本属于你的快乐,原本属于你的成功!
  • 魔法般的冒险

    魔法般的冒险

    可可和千韩来到地球找安安和小爱,还有淑欣,她们就一起去找花仙精灵王,一起来期待她们的华丽冒险
  • 武侠世界的穿越者

    武侠世界的穿越者

    长生剑,七杀手,小李飞刀,仙鹤神针,魔剑生死棋,大唐双龙传...仗剑行千里,横笛求悟道,漫步诸天,窃天机求永恒!
  • 纪录片

    纪录片

    你是雷双虎叔叔吗?一个怯怯的声音在我的背后响起。那时候我正准备开门,钥匙还插在锁孔里。我转头一看,是一个陌生的女孩,十八九岁的模样,背着一个式样陈旧的白色双肩包。我就是雷双虎,你是?我有些惊愕地问。女孩理了理被汗水沾住的那一绺头发,突然露出笑脸来,呀,雷叔,你认不出我来了?我是陆小萍啊,就是你拍的片子里的那个陆小萍。
  • 太虚天骄传

    太虚天骄传

    九酿春酒,天华碧柳,洛神天骄成不朽。心神丢,翠芝悠,黑魔白邪天道久,英雄隽败残杯有。风,高处苦;沙,低处苦。江山替代,你兴他败,争权夺利由他爱。流云在,碧海待,千古武事无话概,分鼎逐鹿望天开。功,不长久;名,不长久。PS:架空的历史,杜撰的朝代。各位看官如果有发现和历史某些节点冲突的,还请勿怪