Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 4.123

[1] In the meantime revolted also Mende in Pallene, a colony of the Eretrians. These also Brasidas received into protection, holding it for no wrong, because they came in openly in time of truce; and somewhat there was also which he charged the Athenians with, about breach of the truce.

[2] For which cause the Mendaeans had also been the bolder, as sure of the intention of Brasidas, which they might guess at by Scione, inasmuch as he could not be gotten to deliver it. Withal, the few were they which had practised the revolt, who, being once about it, would by no means give it over, but, fearing lest they should be discovered, forced the multitude contrary to their own inclination to the same.

[3] The Athenians being hereof presently advertised, and much more angry now than before, made preparation to war upon both;

[4] and Brasidas expecting that they would send a fleet against them, received the women and children of the Scionaeans and Mendaeans into Olynthus in Chalcidea, and sent over thither five hundred Peloponnesian men of arms and three hundred Chalcidean targetiers, and for commander of them all Polydamidas. And those that were left in Scione and Mende joined in the administration of their affairs, as expecting to have the Athenian fleet immediately with them.

[1] Meanwhile Mende revolted, a town in Pallene and a colony of the Eretrians, and was received without scruple by Brasidas, in spite of its having evidently come over during the armistice, on account of certain infringements of the truce alleged by him against the Athenians.

[2] This audacity of Mende was partly caused by seeing Brasidas forward in the matter and by the conclusions drawn from his refusal to betray Scione ; and besides, the conspirators in Mende were few, and, as I have already intimated, had carried on their practices too long not to fear detection for themselves, and not to wish to force the inclination of the multitude.

[3] This news made the Athenians more furious than ever, and they at once prepared against both towns.

[4] Brasidas expecting their arrival conveyed away to Olynthus in Chalcidice the women and children of the Scionaeans and Mendaeans, and sent over to them five hundred Peloponnesian heavy infantry and three hundred Chalcidian targeteers, all under the command of Polydamidas.
  Leaving these two towns to prepare together against the speedy arrival of the Athenians,

Unterdessen fiel aber auch Mende von ihnen ab, eine
Stadt auf Pallene und Pflanzort der Eretrier, und Brasidas nahm
sie an, ohne damit Unrecht zu thun, wie er glaubte, da sie während
deS Waffenstillstandes ganz offen zu ihm übertraten, und dann rückte
er auch selbst den Athenern einige Punkte vor, worin sie den Vertrag
gebrochen hätten. Um so eher wagten eS deßhalb auch die Mendäer,
da sie den Brasidas ganz entschlossen und bereit fanden und sich auch
damit rechtfertigen konnten, daß er ja auch Skione nicht herausgebe,
und dann gab es auch hier Verräther, die nur in geringer Zahl ¹
waren und, was sie einmal gewagt, nicht wollten rückgängig werden
lassen, vielmehr aus Furcht, daß ihre Schuld an'S Licht kommen
werde, die Mehrzahl gegen ihre Ueberzeugung mit ihnen zugehen
zwangen. Die Athener, welche dieS sogleich erfuhren, gerietben nun
noch mehr in Zorn und rüsteten gegen beide Städte. Brasidas aber,
in Erwartung ihreS Ansegelns, brachte Weiber und Kinder der Skionäer
und Mendäer nach dem Ehalkidischen Olymbos und sandte ihnen
selbst fünfhundert xeloponnesische Schwerbewaffnete und dreihundert
ChaZkidische leichte Schildträger zu, Alle unter dem Befehle des
Polydamidas; und diese trafen nun bei sich, in Erwartung daß die
Athener bald erscheinen würden, gemeinsam Anstalten zur
Vertheidigung...

CXXIII. Sur ces entrefaites, Meude, colonie d’Érétrie, dans la presqu’île de Pallène, se détacha des Athéniens. Brasidas la reçut, sans croire manquer à la justice, quoique évidemment elle se fût donnée à lui pendant la trêve ; car, de son côte, il reprochait aux Athéniens certaines infractions au traité. Les bonnes dispositions qu’on voyait chez Brasidas, et l’exemple de Scione qu’il n’avait pas trahie, accrurent l’audace des Mendéens ; d’ailleurs, le petit nombre des meneurs ne voulut pas abandonner un projet qui était alors sur le point de s’exécuter : ils craignirent pour eux-mêmes, s’il venait à s’ébruiter, et entraînèrent le peuple contre son gré. A cette nouvelle, les Athéniens, bien plus irrités encore, firent leurs dispositions contre les deux villes. Brasidas, s’attendant à l’arrivée de leur expédition, transporta à Olynthe, dans la Chalcidique, les enfants et les femmes des Scioniens et des Mendéens ; il leur envoya cinq cents hoplites péloponnésiens et trois cents peltastes chalcidiens, le tout sous le commandement de Polydamidas. Comme les Athéniens ne pouvaient tarder à paraître, les villes, de leur côté, firent en commun leurs dispositions.

Sur ces entrefaites, Mende, colonie des Ërétriens dans la Pallène, se souleva contre les Athéniens. Quoiqu’elle se donnât à lui ouvertement pendant la trêve, Brasidas crut qu’il pouvait la recevoir sans injustice , parce qu’il avait lui-même quelques infractions à reprocher aux Athéniens. La bonne volonté dé Brasidas et l’exemple de Scione qu’il n’abandonnait pas accrurent l’audace des Mendéens. D’ailleurs, lès auteurs du complot, étant peu nombreux, ne voulaient pas renoncer à une entreprise si avancée ; car une fois découverts, ils n’étaient plus en sûreté. Ils poussèrent donc bon gré mal gré le peuple à la révolte. A cette nouvelle, les Athéniens toujours plus exaspérés s’apprêtèrent à châtier ces deux villes. Brasidas. qui s’attendait à leur approche, fit transporter à Olynthe en Chalcidique les femmes et les enfants des Scionéens et des Mendéens; puis il leur envoya cinq cents hoplites du Pélopo-nèse et trois cents peltastes chalcidéens, les uns et les autres sous la conduite de Polydamidas. Les Athéniens ne pouYant tarder à paraître, les villes insurgées concertèrent leurs moyens de défense.

[1] Meanwhile Mende revolted from them, a city in Pallene, and an Eretrian colony. And Brasidas received them, thinking they were not doing wrong in coming over to him, though clearly it was in the time of the armistice; for there were some points in which he himself charged the Athenians with breaking the truce.

[2] Wherefore the Mendaeans also became more bold, for they saw the resolute attitude of Brasidas, and also inferred it from the fact that he did not give up Scione. Moreover, the conspirators among them were few in number, and, once they had formed the design, from that moment showed no slackness, but were in fear of their lives in case of detection and coerced the multitude even against their will.

[3] But the Athenians, when they heard the news, were far more enraged, and straightway made preparations against both cities.

[4] And Brasidas, expecting their coming, conveyed away to Olynthus in Chalcidice the women and children of the Scionaeans and Mendaeans, and sent over to protect them five hundred Peloponnesian hoplites and three hundred Chalcidian targeteers, with Polydamidas as commander of the whole. And the two cities together made preparations for their defence, in the belief that the Athenians would soon be at hand.

[1] In the mean time, Mende revolted from them, a town in Pallene, and a colony of the Eretrians. Brasidas received them, not thinking that he was doing wrong, because they had clearly come over to him during the armistice: for in some points he himself also charged the Athenians with infringing the truce.

[2] And for this reason the Mendaeans were the more emboldened, seeing the feelings of Brasidas warmly disposed towards them, and inferring as much from the case of Scione, since he would not give it up; and at the same time because those of them who contrived the revolt were a small party, and since thinking of it on that occasion, had never let it rest afterwards, but were afraid of conviction for themselves, and forced the majority to it against their inclination.

[3] The Athenians, immediately hearing of it, were still far more enraged, and made their preparations against both the towns.

[4] And Brasidas, expecting their attack, conveyed away to Olynthus in Chalcidice the women and children of the Scionaeans and Mendaeans, and sent over to them five hundred Peloponnesian heavy-armed and three hundred Chalcidian targeteers, with Polydamidas in command of them all. And so they joined in making their preparations, believing that the Athenians would quickly be with them.

[1] Interea vero Mende urbs deficit ab iis, sita in Pallene, Eretriensium colonia. Brasidas autem ipsos in fidem suam recepit, non existimans se injuste facere, quod Mendaei induciarum factarum tempore aperte ad 3e accessissent; habebat enim et ipse, quae vicissim crimini daret Atheniensibus de foederibus violatis.

[2] Quamobrem etiam Mendaei magis rem ausi sunt, tum quia propensum Brasidae animum videbant, ejus conjecturam facientes ex ipsa Scione, quia eam non prodebat, tum etiam, quia, qui proditionem apud ipsos moliebantur, et pauci erant, et quum rem moliri coepissent, non amplius intermiserant, sed sibi ipsis, si patefacti essent, metuebant et vi coegerant multitudinem contra ejus sententiam.

[3] Athenienses autem quum protinus haec accepissent/-multo magis irritati se adversus utramque civitatem instruebant.

[4] Et Brasidas quum infestum ipsorum classis adventum exspectaret, Scionaeorum et Men-daeorum liberos et conjuges in Chalcidicam Olynthum subduxit, et ad ipsos misit quingentos gravis armaturae milites Peloponnesios et trecentos peltatos Chalcidenses, cum Po-lydamida universorum praefecto. Atque hi quidem, ut Atheniensibus propediem adfuturis, res suas communiter adornabant.

Frattanto si ribella dagli Ateniesi Mende y città della Pellene , colonia degli Eretrii, cui Brasida ricevè credendo di non fare ingiustizia ( benché fosse chiaro che si erano resi a tregua fatta), perchè aveva egli pure di che accusare gli Ateniesi , che la trasgredivano. Laonde i Mendei vi si arrischiarono più francamente , vedendo l’animo risoluto di Brasida , e prendendo argomento da Scione che ei non abbandonava. Discorrevano inoltre che sebbene pochi fossero fra loro i complici, nondimeno ef non potrebbero tirarsi indietro nello stato in cui erano, mentre per la paura di essere scoperti avevano contro ogni espettativa forzata la plebe ad unirsi con loro. Gli Ateniesi appena udito ciò, irritati maggiormente si preparavano contro le due città. E Brasida, che si aspettava la flotta nemica, fa passare ad Olinto di Calcide i fanciulli e le donne degli Scionesi e de’Mendei ; e per fare spalla ai restanti vi mandò cinquecento Peloponnesi di grave armatura , e trecento palvesari calcidesi, tutti sotto il comando di Polidamida, i quali persuasi che presto comparirebbero gli Ateniesi, 'tutti insieme si apparecchiavano.