Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/460

 438 HISTORY OF GREECE. one of the three Spartans who had sworn to the treaty : Ariston- ymus, from Athens. The face of affairs was materially altered by this communication; much to the satisfaction of the newlj- acquired allies of Sparta in Thrace, who accepted the truce forth- with, but to the great chagrin of Brasidas, whose career was thus suddenly arrested. But he could not openly refuse obedience, and his army was accordingly transferred from the peninsula of Pallene to Torone. The case of Skione, however, immediately raised an obstruc- tion, doubtless very agreeable to him. The commissioners who had come in an Athenian trireme, had heard nothing of the revolt of that place, and Aristonymus was astonished to find the enemy in Pallene". But on inquiring into the case, he discovered that the Skionseans had not revolted until two days after the day fixed for the commencement of the truce : accordingly, while sanctioning the truce for all the other cities in Thrace, he refused to comprehend Skione in it, sending immediate news home to Athens. Brasidas, protesting loudly against this proceeding, refused on his part to abandon Skione, which was peculiarly endeared to him by the recent scenes ; and even obtained the countenance of the Lacedaemonian commissioners, by falsely asseverating that the city had revolted before the day named in the truce. Violent was the burst of indignation when the news sent home by Aristonymus reached Athens : nor was it softened, when the Lacedaemonians, acting upon the version of the case sent to them by Brasidas and Athengeus, despatched an embassy '.hither to claim protection for Skione, or at any rate to procure the adjustment of the dispute by arbitration or pacific decision. Having the terms of the treaty on their side, the Athenians were least of all disposed to relax from their rights in favor of the first revolting islanders. They resolved at once to undertake an ex- pedition for the reconquest of Skione ; and farther, on the propo- sition of Kleon, to put to death all the adult male inhabitants of that place as soon as it should have been reconquered. At the same time, they showed no disposition to throw up the truce gen- erally ; and the state of feeling on both sides tended to this result, that, while the war continued in Thrace, it was suspended every- where else. 1 1 Thucyd. iv, 122, 123.