Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/192

184 THE ATHENIANS DECIDE FOR WAR [vi encamped at some distance. On the following da}' the Argives, perceiving what had happened, razed Orncae to the ground and returned. Soon afterwards the Athenian fleet returned likewise. The Athenians also conveyed by sea cavalry of their The Athenians ravage own, and some Macedonian exiles who Maccdoitta. had taken refuge with them, to Methone on the borders of Macedonia, and ravaged the territory of Perdiccas. Whereupon the Lacedaemonians sent to the Thracian Chalcidians, who were maintaining an armistice terminable at ten days' notice with the Athenians, and commanded them to assist Perdiccas, but they refused. So the winter ended, and with it the sixteenth 3'ear in the Peloponnesian War of which Thucydides wrote the history. 8 Early in the next spring the Athenian envoys returned oi.^gr!^^' The Athenians after from Sicily. They were accompanied the rctunt of their en- by Egcstacans who brought sixty voys convoke an as- talents ^^ of uncoined silver, being a semblv, ivhtch decides in , , _ . i i • i favour of ivar. At a ^onth s pay for Sixty vessels which second assembly, called they hopcd to obtain from Athens. for the purpose of vot- ^^^ Athenians called an assembl}-, tne supplies, Nictas still . . . . 1 1 1 r 1 • aideavoinstodeterihem ^^^ when they heard both from their from going to war at owii and from the Egestaean envo3's, "• amongst other inviting but untrue statements, that there was abundance of money lying ready in the temples and in the treasury of Egesta^ they passed a vote that sixty ships should be sent to Sicily; Alcibiades the son of Cleinias, Nicias the son of Niceratus, and Lamachus the son of Xenophanes were appointed commanders with full powers. They were to assist Egesta against Selinus ; if this did not demand all their military strength they were empowered to restore the Leontines, and generally to further in such manner as they deemed best the Athenian interests in Sicily. Five days afterwards ' ;^ 1 2,000. *" Cp. vi. 46.