Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/153

 BEGINNING OF THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR. 131 pursue the straight road which from Thria conducted directly to Athens across the ridge of Mount JEgaleos, but turned off to the westward, leaving that mountain on his right hand until he came to Kropeia, where he crossed a portion of the line of JEgaleos over to Acharnae. He was here about seven miles from Athens, on a declivity sloping down into the plain which stretches west- erly and northwesterly from Athens, and visible from the city walls : and he here encamped, keeping his army in perfect order for battle, but at the same time intending to damage and ruin the place and its neighborhood. Acharnoe was the largest and most populous of all the denies in Attica, furnishing no less than three thousand hoplites to the national line, and flourish- ing as well by its corn, vines, and olives, as by its peculiar abundance of charcoal-burning from the forests of ilex on the neighboring hills : moreover, if we are to believe Aris- tophanes, the Acharnian proprietors were not merely sturdy " hearts of oak," but peculiarly vehement and irritable. 1 It illustrates the condition of a Grecian territory under invasion, when we find this great deme, which could not have contained less than twelve thousand free inhabitants of both sexes and all ages, with at least an equal number of slaves, completely deserted. Archidamus calculated that when the Athenians actually saw his troops so close to their city, carrying fire and sword over their wealthiest canton, their indignation would become uncontrollable, and they would march out forthwith to battle. The Achamian proprietors especially, he thought, would be foremost in inflam- ing this temper, and insisting upon protection to their own prop- erties, or, if the remaining citizens refused to march out along with them, they would, after having been thus left undefended to ruin, become discontented and indifferent to the general weal. 2 Though his calculation was not realized, it was, nevertheless, founded upon most rational grounds. What Archidamus antic- 1 See the Acharneis of Aristophanes, represented in the sixth year of the Peloponnesian war, v, 34, 180, 254, etc. ifpeaflvTai Tivef 'AxapvtKol, (TTtTCTol -yepovref, irpivivot, uTEpa.fj.ovef, W[apa$uvo/j.uxai, avdapvivoi, etc. 1 Thucyd. ii, 20.