Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/486

 4G4 HISTORY OF GEEECE. dislike which they had brought out from Athens against theif general, " whoss ignorance and cowardice (says the historian) they contrasted with the skill and bravery of his opponent." ' Athenian hoplites, if they felt such a sentiment, were not likely to refrain from manifesting it ; and Kleon was presently made aware of the fact in a manner sufficiently painful to force him against his will into some movement ; which, however, he did not intend to be anything else than a march for the purpose of survey- ing the ground all round the city, and a demonstration to escape the appearance of doing nothing, being aware that it was impos- sible to attack the place with any effect before his reinforcements arrived. To comprehend the important incidents which followed, it is necessary to say a few words on the topography of Amphipolis, as far as we can understand it on the imperfect evidence before us. That city was placed on the left bank of the Strymon, on a conspicuous hill around which the river makes a bend, first in a southwesterly direction, then, after a short course to the south- ward, back in a southeasterly direction. Amphipolis had for its only artificial fortification one long wall, which began near the point northeast of the town, where the river narrows again into a channel, after passing through the lake Kerkinitis, ascended along the eastern side of the hill, crossing the ridge which con- nects it with Mount Pangaeus, and then descended so as to touch the river again at another point south of the town ; thus being, as il were, a string to the highly-bent bow formed by the river. On three sides therefore, north, west, and south, the city was defended only by the Strymon, and was thus visible without any inter- vening wall to spectators from the side of the sea (south), as well as from the side of the continent (or west and north). 2 At some 1 Thucyd. v, 7. 'O 6s KAewv rajf /if v ijauxcgev, eKEira Je ijvay nd iroif/crai oxsp Bpaaldac Kpoaedexero. T Ka-&i}[tcvov<; /3apvv<r&ai, uvakafiuv fyye. 1 Thucyd. iv, 102. 'A.ird r//f viiv rro^euf, fjv 'AjU^iTro/Uv "A.yvuv i, in &r' ufifa-rfpa aec:dAcoiTjf TOV S^ptJ^oi oc, &a -6 -^toiexetv ain' v Telr