Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 2.djvu/39

 38-40] FULFILMENT OF CLEON'S PROMISE 3I alive, the remainder had perished. Of the survivors the Spartans numbered about a hundred and twenty. But few Athenians fell, for there was no regular engage- rhent. ^' Reckoned from the sea-fight to the final battle in the island, 39 the time during which the blockade Duration of the bhck- lasted was ten weeks and two days. <^<^«- Sup/'iy of food. For about three weeks the Lacedaemonians were supplied with food while the Spartan ambassadors were gone to solicit peace, but during the rest of this time they lived on what was brought in by stealth. A store of corn and other provisions was found in the island at the time of the capture ; for the commander Epitadas had not served out full rations. The Athenians and Peloponnesians now withdrew their armies from Pylos and returned home. And the mad promise of Cleon was fulfilled ; for he did bring back the prisoners within twenty days, as he had said. Nothing which happened during the war caused greater 40 amazement in Hellas; for it was uni- Astonishment of Hel- versally imagined that the Lacedae- las at the surrender of monians would never give up their ^''e Lacedaonomaus. arms, either under the pressure of famine or in any other extremity, but would fight to the last and die sword in hand. No one would believe that those who surrendered were men of the same quality with those who perished. There is a story of a reply made by a captive taken in the island to one of the Athenian allies who had sneeringly asked 'Where were their brave men — all killed ?' =^ He answered that 'The spindle ' (meaning the arrow) 'would be indeed a valuable weapon if it picked out the brave.' He meant to say that the destruction caused by the arrows and stones was indiscriminate. On the arrival of the captives the Athenians resolved 41 " Literally, 'Were their dead brave?' implying that the living were not.