Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/114

Io6 CLEON LOOKING DOWN UPON AMPHIPOLIS [v numbers of his opponents, he should go up against Amphipolis without waiting for his reinforcements. At the same time he prepared for a battle, summoning to his side fifteen hundred Thracian mercenaries and the entire forces of the Edonians, who were targeteers and horse- men ; he had already one thousand Myrcinian and Chal- cidian targeteers, in addition to the troops in Amphipolis. His heavy-armed, when all mustered, amounted to nearly two thousand, and he had three hundred Hellenic cavalry. Of these forces about fifteen hundred were stationed with Brasidas on Cerdylium, and the remainder were drawn up in order of battle under Clearidas in Amphipolis. Cleon did nothing for a time, but he was soon compelled Feelings of the sol- ^^ make the movement which Brasidas diets towards CleoH con- expected. For the soldiers were dis- trast greatly with Ins ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ inaction, and drew oii'it confidence m limi- " self. At length he is Comparisons between the generals ; compelled by their nniy- what skiU and enterprise might be innrs to move foiivard ; . j .1 • 1 j u i , , -^ .,, ' expected on the one side, and what he ascends a hill cotn- ^ manding a view of the ignorance and cowardice on the other. country. ^n^i they remembered how unwilling they had been to follow Cleon when they left Athens. He, observing their murmurs, and not wanting them to be depressed by too long a stay in one place, led his army for- ward. He went to work in the same confident spirit which had already been successful at Pylos, and of which the success had given him a high opinion of his own wisdom. That any one would come out to fight with him he never even imagined; he said that he was only going to look at the place. If he waited for a larger force, this was not because he thought that there was any risk of his being defeated should he be compelled to fight, but that he might com- pletely surround and storm the city. So he stationed his army upon a steep hill above Amphipolis, whence he surveyed with his own eyes the lake formed by the river Strymon, and the lie of the country on the side towards