Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/115

 I 7-9] SPEECH OF BRA SI DAS 107 Thrace. He thought that he could go away without fighting whenever he pleased. For indeed there was no one to be seen on the walls, nor passing through the gates, which were all closed. He even imagined that he had made a mistake in coming up against the city without siege-engines ; had he brought them he would have taken Amphipolis, for there was no one to prevent him. No sooner did Brasidas see the Athenians in motion, 8 than he himself descended from Brasidas descends Cerdylium, and went into Amphipolis. from Cerdylinm. Fear- He did not go out and draw up his n'g the infoiorUy of his - ., r 1 1 1 r 1 """' troops he deter- forces m order of battle ; he feared too „„■ ,^^ ^^ j-^^n „^^„ f,,^ much the inferiority of his own troops, Athenians in iwo se/>ar- not in their numbers (which were about '"''' detachments. equal to those of the enemy) but in quality; for the Athenian forces were the flower of their army, and they were supported by the best of the Lemnians and Imbrians. So he determined to employ a manoeuvre, thinking that, if he showed them the real number and meagre equipment of his soldiers, he would be less likely to succeed than if he came upon them before there had been time to observe him, and when as yet they had no real grounds for their contempt of him. Selecting a hundred and fifty hoplites, and handing over the rest to Clearidas, he resolved to make a sudden attack before the Athenians retired, considering that, if their reinforcements should arrive, he might never again have an opportunity of fighting them by themselves. So he called together all his troops, and wishing to en- courage them, and explain his plan, spoke as follows : — ' Men of Peloponnesus, I need not waste words in telling 9 you that we come from a land which has always been brave, and therefore free ", and that you are Dorians '', and are about to fight with lonians whom you have beaten again and again. But I must explain to you my plan of " Cp. iv. 28 med. ^ Cp. i. 124 init. : vi. 77 med. ; vii. 5 fin. ■ iii. q; mcl. nnd fin.