ARGILUS AND AMPHIPOLIS. 407 by the Athenian Agnon, at the head of a numerous body of colo- nists, on a spot belonging to the Edonian Thracians, called Ennea Hodoi, or Nine "Ways, about five years prior to the commence- ment of the war (B.C. 437), after two previous attempts to colo- nize it, one by Histiseus and Aristagoras, at the period of the Ionic revolt, and a second by the Athenians about 4G5 B.C., both of which lamentably failed. So valuable, however, was the site, from its vicinity to the gold and silver mines near Mount Pangasus and to large forests of ship-timber, as well as for com- mand of the Strymon, and for commerce with the interior of Thrace and Macedonia, that the Athenians had sent a second expedition under Agnon, who founded the city and gave it the name of Amphipolis. The resident settlers there, however, were only in small proportion Athenian citizens ; the rest of mixed origin, some of them Argilian, a considerable number Chalki- dians. The Athenian general Eukles was governor in the town, though seemingly with no paid force under his command. Among these mixed inhabitants a conspiracy was organized to betray the town to Brasidas, the inhabitants of Argilus as well as the Chalkidians each of them tampering with those of the same race who resided in Amphipolis ; and the influence of Per- dikkas, not inconsiderable, in consequence of the commerce of the place with Macedonia, was employed to increase the numbei of partisans. Of all the instigators, however, the most strenuous as well as the most useful were the inhabitants of Argilus. Am- phipolis, together with the Athenians as its founders, had been odious to them from its commencement ; and its foundation had doubtless abridged their commerce and importance as masters of the lower course of the Strymon. They had been long laying snares against the city, and the arrival of Brasidas now presented to them an unexpected chance of success. It was they who ena- bled him to accomplish the surprise, deferring proclamation of their own defection from Athens until they could make it sub- servient to his conquest of Amphipolis. Starting with his army from Arne in the Chalkidic peninsula, Brasidas arrived in the afternoon at Aulon and Bromiskus, near the channel whereby the lake Bolbe is connected with the sea : irom hence, after his men had supped, he began his night-
march to Amphipolis, on a cold and snowy night of November, or
