Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 5.6

[1] Cleon, who was now gone from Torone and come about to Amphipolis, making Eion the seat of the war, assaulted the city of Stageirus, a colony of the Andrians, but could not take it; but Galepsus, a colony of the Thasians, he took by assault.

[2] And having sent ambassadors to Perdiccas to will him to come to him with his forces, according to the league, and other ambassadors into Thrace unto Polles, king of the Odomantians, to take up as many mercenary Thracians as he could, he lay still in Eion to expect their coming.

[3] Brasidas upon notice hereof, sat down over against him at Cerdylium. This is a place belonging to the Argilians, standing high and beyond the river, not far from Amphipolis, and from whence he might discern all that was about him. So that Cleon could not but be seen if he should rise with his army to go against Amphipolis, which he expected he would do, and that in contempt of his small number he would go up with the forces he had then present.

[4] Withal he furnished himself with fifteen hundred mercenary Thracians, and took unto him all his Edonians, both horsemen and targetiers. He had also of Myrcinians and Chalcideans a thousand targetiers, besides them in Amphipolis.

[5] But for men of arms, his whole number was at the most two thousand, and of Grecian horsemen three hundred. With fifteen hundred of these came Brasidas and sat down at Cerdylium; the rest stood ready ordered with Clearidas, their captain, within Amphipolis.

[1] Cleon, whom we left on his voyage from Torone to Amphipolis , made Eion his base, and after an unsuccessful assault upon the Andrian colony of Stagirus, took Galepsus, a colony of Thasos , by storm.

[2] He now sent envoys to Perdiccas to command his attendance with an army, as provided by the alliance; and others to Thrace , to Polles, king of the Odomantians, who was to bring as many Thracian mercenaries as possible; and himself remained inactive in Eion , awaiting their arrival.

[3] Informed of this, Brasidas on his part took up a position of observation upon Cerdylium, a place situated in the Argilian country on high ground across the river, not far from Amphipolis , and commanding a view on all sides, and thus made it impossible for Cleon's army to move without his seeing it; for he fully expected that Cleon, despising the scanty numbers of his opponent, would march against Amphipolis with the force that he had got with him.

[4] At the same time Brasidas made his preparations, calling to his standard fifteen hundred Thracian mercenaries, and all the Edonians, horse and targeteers; he also had a thousand Myrcinian and Chalcidian targeteers, besides those in Amphipolis ,

[5] and a force of heavy infantry numbering altogether about two thousand, and three hundred Hellenic horse. Fifteen hundred of these he had with him upon Cerdylium; the rest were stationed with Clearidas in Amphipolis .

Kleon aber, nachdem er damals von Torone gegen
Amphipolis gesegelt war, setzte sich in E'l'on fest und machte von da aus
einen Angriff auf Stageiros, eine Pflanzstadt der Andrier, nahm sie
jedoch nicht; Galepsos aber, die Pflanzstadt der Thasier, nahm er
mit Gewalt. Auch schickte er Gesandte an den Perdikkas, daß er
der Bundespflicht gemäß mit einem Heere ershceine, und andere nach
Thrakien zum Odomanter-König Polles, daß er Thrakische Söldner
in möglichster Zahl zuführe. Er selbst verhielt sich in der Gegend
von E'l'on ruhig. Brasidas aber, als er hievon Kenntniß erhielt,
nahm bei Kerdylion selbst eine Stellung gegen jenen. Dieser
Platz gehört den Argiliern und liegt jenseits des Flusses auf einer
Höhe, nicht sehr weit von Amphipolis entfernt, und von hier aus
konnte die ganze Gegend eingesehen werden, so daß es nicht unbemerkt
hätte bleiben können, wenn Kleon mit dem Heere von dort
aufgebrochen wäre. Brasidas erwartete nämlich, daß Kleon dieß wirklich
thun und aus Geringschätzung ihrer unbedeutenden Zahl mit dem
eben anwesenden Heere gegen Amphipolis ziehen werde. Zugleich ¹
suchte er sich aber auch zu verstärken, indem er fünfzehn Hundert ²
Thrakische Söldlinge und alle streitbaren Edoner zu Hülfe rief,
leichte Schildträger sowohl als Reiter. Auch von den Myrkiniern
und Chalkidiern erhielt er zu den leichten Schildträgern, die er in
Amphipolis hatte, noch Tausend andere. An Schwerbewaffneten
hatte er im Ganzen gegen zwei Tausend zusammengebracht,
Hellenische Reiter drei Hundert. Mit fünfzehn Hundert Mann dieser
Truppen nun hatte Brasidas bei Kerdylion Stellung genommen,
die Uebrigen standen unter dem Befehl des Klearidas in Amphipolis.

VI. Cléon, parti de Toroné, s’était dirigé, en côtoyant, vers Amphipolis. D’Éion il alla attaquer Stagyre, colonie d’Andros, sans pouvoir s’en rendre maître; mais il prit de vive force Galepsos, colonie de Thasos. Il envoya des ambassadeurs mander Perdiccas avec son armée, suivant les stipulations du traité ¹ ; d’autres allèrent en Thrace presser Pollès, roi des Odomantes, d'amener le plus qu’il pourrait de Thraces mercenaires; quant à lui, il se tint en repos à Eion. Brasidas, informé de ces faits, vint de son côté s’établir en face des Athéniens, à Cerdylion, place des Argiliens, sur une hauteur, au delà du fleuve et à peu de distance d’Amphipolis. De là on découvrait tous les environs, de sorte que Cléon ne pouvait lui dérober ses mouvements, s’il quittait sa position et portait son armée en avant; car Brasidas prévoyait que Cléon, plein de mépris pour un ennemi si peu nombreux, marcherait sur Amphipolis avec les seules forces qu’il eût actuellement sous la main. En même temps il réunit quinze cents Thraces mercenaires, et manda tous les Édoniens, tant peltastes que cavaliers; il avait en outre mille peltastes de Myrcinie et de Chalcidique, sans compter ² ceux qui étaient à Amphipolis; ses hoplites étaient au nombre de deux mille en tout, plus trois cents cavaliers grecs : quinze cents seulement étaient avec Brasidas dans son camp de Cerdylion; le reste était à Amphipolis, sous les ordres de Cléaridas.

Cependant Cléon, après avoir quitté Torone, avait cinglé contre Amphipolis. D’Éïon, il était allé attaquer Stagire. colonie des Andriens. Il ne l’avait point prise; mais il avait emporté d’assant Galepsos, colonie des Thasiens. Il avait envoyé une première députation à Perdiccas, lui demander, aux termes du traité, de venir le joindre avec des troupes, et une seconde en Thrace auprès de Pollès, roi des Odornantes, ponr qu’il amenât le plus possible de Thraces mercenaires. En attendant, il restait cantonné à Ëïon.

Instruit de ces détails, Brasidas alla se poster en face des Athéniens, au-dessus de Cerdylion. C’est une place appartenant aux Argiliens et située sur une éminence, de l’autre côté du fleuve ¹ , à peu de distance d’Amphipolis. De ce point ruinai-nant, ses regards plongeaient sur toute la contrée environnant e, en sorte que Cléon ne pouvait lui cacher aucun de ses mouvements. Brasidas avait bien prévu que, dédaignant le petit nombre de ses troupes, il monterait à Amphipolis awc les seules forces qu’il avait sous la main. Lui-même se ménageait un renfoK de quinze cents Thraces mercenaires et appelait la levée en masse des Édoniens, peltastes et cavaliers. Il avait mille peltastes myrciniens ou chalcidéens, sans compter cenx de Fendrait, environ deux mille hoplites, enfin, trois cents cavaliers grées. De ces troupes, Brasidas ne prit avec lui que quinze cents hommes, lorsqu’il vint camper sur les hauteurs de Cerdylion. Le reste était à Amphipolis sous les ordres de Gtëaridas.

[1] Now when Cleon had sailed round from Torone to Amphipolis, as mentioned above, taking Eion as his base he made an unsuccessful attack upon Stagirus, ¹ an Andrian colony, but did take by storm Galepsus, ² a colony of the Thasians.

[2] Then sending envoys to Perdiccas, with a request to join him with an army in accordance with the terms of alliance, ³ and other envoys to Thrace to Polles, king of the Odomantians, to bring as many Thracian mercenaries as possible, he himself kept quiet at Eion.

[3] But Brasidas, on hearing of these things, took post over against him at Cerdylium. This place is in the territory of the Argilians, on high ground across the river not far from Amphipolis, and commands a view in all directions, so that Cleon could not move his army without being observed; for Brasidas expected that Cleon in contempt of the small numbers of the Lacedaemonians would go up against Amphipolis, with his present army. ⁴

[4] At the same time he made further preparations, calling to his aid fifteen hundred Thracian mercenaries and all the Edonians, both targeteers and cavalry. And he had also of the Myrcinians and the Chalcidians one thousand targeteers, in addition to the troops in Amphipolis.

[5] The whole body of hoplites collected by him was about two thousand in number, and he had three hundred Hellenic horsemen. Of these forces Brasidas took about fifteen hundred and stationed himself at Cerdylium; the rest were posted at Amphipolis under the command of Clearidas.

[1] Now when Cleon, at the lime we last mentioned him, sailed round from Torone to go against Amphipolis, making Eion the base of his operations, he assaulted Stagirus, a colony of the Andrians, but without reducing it; but Galepsus, the Thasian colony, he took by storm.

[2] And having sent ambassadors to Perdiccas, that he might join him with an army according to the terms of their alliance, and others into Thrace, to Polles, the king of the Odomantians, who was to bring as many Thracian mercenaries as he could, he himself remained quiet in Eion, awaiting their arrival.

[3] On hearing this, Brasidas, on his side also, took up an opposite position on Cerdylium. This spot is in the Argilian country, being on the high ground on the other side of the river, not far from the city of Amphipolis; and every thing was distinctly seen from it; so that Cleon could not unobserved by him set out with his army; as he expected him to do, and despising the numbers of the Lacedaemonians to march up with the forces he had with him against Amphipolis.

[4] At the same time he was getting ready fifteen hundred Thracian mercenaries, and was calling all the Edonians to his aid, both targeteers and cavalry; and he had a thousand targeteers of the Myrcinians and Chalcidians, in addition to those in Amphipolis.

[5] All his heavy-armed force too was mustered, about two thousand in number, and three hundred Grecian horse. With fifteen hundred of these Brasidas stationed himself on Cerdylium, whilst the rest were posted with Clearidas in Amphipolis.

[1] Cleo vero, ubi a Torone solvens, nt dixi, adversus Amphipolin classe circumvectus est, profectus Eione, quam belli sedem delegerat, Stagirum Andriorum coloniam inva sit, nec cepit, sed Galepsum Thasiorum coloniam vi expugnavit.

[2] Missisque ad Perdiccam legatis, ut ex societatis jure cum copiis ad se veniret, aliis etiam in Thraciaui missis ad Pollen Odomantum regem, qui quam plurimos

Thraces mercede conduceret, ipse ad Eionem per otium exspectabat.

[3] Brasidas autem his auditis ipse quoque ad Cerdylium castra hostibus opposita fecit; est autem hic locus Argiliorum trans flumen editus, ab Amphipoli non procul distans, unde omnia prospici poterant. Quare Cleo cum suis copiis clam illinc discedere non potuisset; quod quidem Brasidas ipsum exspectabat facturum, ut contempta suorum paucitate adversus Amphipolin cum praesentibus copiis adseenderet.

[4] Simul autem etiam se praeparabat, mille et quingentos Thraces mercede conductos, et Edones omnes, peltatos et equites evocans; habebat praeterea Myrciniorum et Chalcidensium, praeter eos, qui apud Amphipolin erant, mille peltatos.

[5] Universorum autem militum gravis armaturae summa erat duo ferme millia et trecenti Graecorum equites. Ex his Brasidas cum mille et quingentis ad Cerdylium castra habebat, ceteri vero intra Amphipolin cum Clearida duce instructi erant.

Ma Cleone, che allora aveva fatto il giro della costa da Torona per Amfipoli, movendo da Eiona assalta Stagiro colonia degli Andrii, e non la espugnò ; nondimeno s' impadronisce a forza di Galepso colonia de’ Tasii. Quindi spedì legati a Perdicca acciò venisse a raggiungerlo con l’esercito secondo il convenuto, ed altri ne mandò in Tracia a Polli re degli Odomanti che doveva condurre quel più che potesse di Traci presi a soldo, mentre ei stava aspettandoli ad Eiona. Informato Brasida di queste pratiche, prese il campo di faccia a lui a Cerdilio castello degli Argilii sopra un’altura di là dal fiume, poco distante da Amfipoli, donde si discopriva ogni cosa all’ intorno. Cosicché Cleone non avrebbe potuto levare furtivamente il campo siccome Brasida si aspettava che egli dovesse fare, stante che dispregiando egli i Peloponnesi che erano in picciol numero vorrebbe salire ad Amfipoli colle genti che seco aveva. Nel tempo istesso Brasida si preparava al combattimento, invitando col soldo millecinquecento Traci, e tutti gli Edoni, palvesari e cavalieri, ed oltre le milizie di Amfipoli aveva mille altri palvesari tra Mirrimi e Calcidesi. Tutte le genti gravi riunite erano circa duemila con più trecento cavalli greci. Preso adunque seco un corpo di mille cinquecento, erasi fermato a Cerdilio ; gli altri stavano schierati in Amfipoli sotto gli ordini di Clearida.