Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 1.djvu/155

55-58] DEFECTION OF PERDICCAS 39 and might induce the rest of Chalcidice to follow their example. These measures of precaution were taken b}' the 57 Athenians immediately after the sea- Perdiccas tdio had fight off Corcyra. The hostility of the q"»>->Med with the _, . , . , 7 1^1 , Atheniayis tries to stir Corinthians was no longer doubtful, and ^^^ ^„^ i.^^,,,,, p^i^_ Perdiccas, king of Macedon, the son of potnusus ami Athens. Alexander, hitherto the friend and ally of Athens, had now become an enemy. He had quarrelled with the Athenians because they had made an alliance with his brother Philip and with Derdas, who were leagued against him. Alarmed by their attitude, he sent envoys to Sparta and did all he could to stir up a war between Athens and the Pelopon- nese. He also sought the alliance of Corinth, for he had an eye to the revolt of Potidaea ; and he proposed to the Chalcidians and to the Bottiaeans that they should join in the revolt, thinking, that if he had the assistance of the neighbouring peoples, the difficulties of the war would be diminished. The Athenians became aware of his designs and resolved to forestall the revolt of the cities. They were already intending to send against Perdiccas thirty ships and a thousand hoplites under the command of Archestratus the son of Lycomedes, and ^ten others, and they told their admirals to take hostages from the Potidaeans and to demolish their wall. They were also to keep a watch over the towns in the neighbourhood and prevent any attempt at rebellion. Meanwhile the Potidaeans sent envoys to the Athenians 58 in the hope of persuading them to take The Potidaeans send no strong measures ; but at the same envoys to Athens ami time other envoys of theirs accompanied ^P'*"- a Corinthian embassy to Lacedaemon and exerted them- selves to procure assistance in case of need. A long negotiation was carried on at Athens which came to no satisfactory result ; the ships destined for Macedonia were " Or f conj. ' four.'