Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 1.djvu/366

 250 FOUNDATION OF HERACLEA [ill hours the Oetaeans, at first thought of attaching themselves to the Athenians, but, fearing that they could not trust them a sent Tisamenus, whom they appointed their envoy, to Lacedaemon. The Dorians, who were the mother state of Lacedaemon, joined in the embassy and also requested help, for they too were suffering from the Oetaeans. The Lacedaemonians heard their appeal, and, being desirous of assisting both the Trachinians and Dorians, made up their minds to send out a colony. They also thought that the situation of the new city would be convenient for carrying on the war against the Athenians. There a navy could be equipped if they wanted to attack Euboea, which was quite near, and the station would be handy for the conveyance of troops to Chalcidice. For every reason they were eager to colonise the place. First they enquired of the God at Delphi ; he bade them go, and they sent out settlers taken from their own citizens and the Perioeci, announcing that any Hellenes who desired, not being of the Ionian, Achaean, or certain other races, might accom pany them. The leaders of the colony were three Lace- daemonians, Leon, Alcidas, and Damagon. They set to work and built afresh the walls of the city, which received the name of Heraclea, and is situated about four miles and a half from Thermopylae and a little more than two from the sea. They also constructed docks ^, beginning the works near Thermopylae, at the pass, that the city might be perfectly defended. 93 While the nev/ colonists were collecting at Heraclea, The new colony is ^^e Athenians grew alarmed; the gradually ivorn out by Scheme appeared to be aimed at Eu- ihe persistent opposition ^^ f^j. q Ccnaeum on the oppo- of the 1 hessahans, and. .... -i V, by the brutality of the ^ite coast IS withm a short sail. But Lacedaemonian govern- their fears were not realised ; no harm °^^' whatever ensued. The reasons were these : — In the first place the Thessalians are strong in " Cp. iii. 113 fin.
 * Or, reading up^av to, ' and blockaded the defile at Thermopylae.'