Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 1.djvu/232

Il6 INVASION OF ATTICA ' [ll the turrets of the walls, or in any other place which they could find ; for the city could not contain them when they first came in. But afterwards they divided among them the Long Walls and the greater part of the Piraeus. At the same time the Athenians applied themselves vigorously to the war, summoning their allies, and preparing an expedition of a hundred ships against the Peloponnese. 18 While they were thus engaged, the Peloponnesian army ^j r, , ^ . was advancing: it arrived first of all at advance to Oe>toe, which Oenoe, a fortress on the confines of they attempt in vain to Atticaand Bocotia, whichwasgarrisoned '^'^^ "'^^' by the Athenians whenever war broke out, and was the point at which the Peloponnesians in- tended to enter the enemy's country. There they encamped and prepared to assault the walls by means of engines and siege works. But these and other measures took up time and detained them in the neighbourhood. Archidamus was severely blamed for the delay ; he was also thought not to have been energetic enough in levying war, and to have done the Athenians good service by discouraging * vigorous action. After the muster of the forces he had been accused of delay at the isthmus, and of loitering on the march. But his reputation was most affected by his halt at Oenoe. For the Athenians employed the interval in getting away their property ; and the Peloponnesians fancied that, if they had advanced quickly and he had not lingered, they could have seized ever3'thing before it was conveyed within the walls. Such were the feelings enter- tained towards Archidamus by his troops during the halt. He is said to have held back in the belief that the Athenians, while their lands were still unravaged *, would yield, and that the thought of allowing them to be devastated would be too much for them. 19 But when they had assaulted Oenoe, and after leaving no means untried were unable to take it, and no herald ■ Cp. i. 8a med.