Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/91

 ATHENS BEFORE THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR. 69 concert measures for provoking the revolt of Potidaea, but also to Sparta, instigating the Peloponnesian league to a general declaration of war against Athens. 1 And he farther prevailed on many of the Chalkidian inhabitants to abandon their separate small towns on the sea-coast, for the purpose of joint residence at Olynthus, which was several stadia from the sea. Thus that town, as well as the Chalkidian interest, became much strengthened, while Perdikkas farther assigned some territory near Lake Bolbe to contribute to the temporary maintenance of the concentrated population. The Athenians were not ignorant both of his hostile prepara tions and of the dangers which awaited them from Corinth after the Korkyraean sea-fight ; immediately after which they sent to take precautions against the revolt of Potidaea; requiring the inhabitants to take down their wall on the side of Pellene, so as to leave the town open on the side of the peninsula, or on what may be called the seaside, and fortified only towards the mainland, requiring them farther both to deliver hostages and to dismiss the annual magistrates who came to them from Corinth. An Athenian armament of thirty triremes and one thousand hoplites, under Archestratus and ten others, despatched to act against Perdikkas in the Thermaic gulf, was directed at the same time to enforce these requisitions against Potidasa, and to repress any dispositions to revolt among the neighboring Chalkidians. Immediately on receiving these requisitions, the Potidseans sent envoys both to Athens, for the purpose of evading and gaining time, and to Sparta, in conjunction with Corinth, in order to determine a Lacedaemonian invasion of Attica, in the event of Potidaea being attacked by Athens. From the Spartan author- ities they obtained a distinct affirmative promise, in spite of the thirty years' truce still subsisting : at Athens they had no success, and they accordingly openly revolted (seemingly about midsum- mer, 432 B.C), at the same time that the armament under Arches- tratus sailed. The Chalkidians and Bottiaeans revolted at the same time, at the express instigation of Corinth, accompanied by solemn oaths and promises of assistance. 9 Archestratus with his fleet, on reaching the Thermaic gulf, found them all in pro- > Thucyd. :, 50 57. J Thucyd. v, 30