not wish to stay had five
days to depart, taking their property with them.

The bulk of the inhabitants, upon hearing this, began to change their
minds, especially as only a small number of the citizens were Athenians,
the majority having come from different quarters, and many of the
prisoners outside had relations within the walls. They found the
proclamation a fair one in comparison of what their fear had suggested;
the Athenians being glad to go out, as they thought they ran more risk
than the rest, and further, did not expect any speedy relief, and the
multitude generally being content at being left in possession of their
civic rights, and at such an unexpected reprieve from danger. The
partisans of Brasidas now openly advocated this course, seeing that the
feeling of the people had changed, and that they no longer gave ear
to the Athenian general present; and thus the surrender was made and
Brasidas was admitted by them on the terms of his proclamation. In this
way they gave up the city, and late in the same day Thucydides and his
ships entered the harbour of Eion, Brasidas having just got hold of
Amphipolis, and having been within a night of taking Eion: had the ships
been less prompt in relieving it, in the morning it would have been his.

After this Thucydides put all in order at Eion to secure it against any
present or future attack of Brasidas, and received such as had elected
to come there from the interior according to the terms agreed on.
Meanwhile Brasidas suddenly sailed with a number of boats down the river
to Eion to see if he could not seize the point running out from the
wall, and so command the entrance; at the same time he attempted it by
land, but was beaten off on both sides and had to content himself with
arranging matters at Amphipolis and in the neighbourhood. Myrcinus, an
Edonian town, also came over to him; the Edonian king Pittacus having
been killed by the sons of Goaxis and his own wife Brauro; and Galepsus
and Oesime, which are Thasian colonies, not long after followed its
example. Perdiccas too came up immediately after the capture and joined
in these arrangements.

The news that Amphipolis was in the hands of the enemy caused great
alarm at Athens. Not only was the town valuable for the timber it
afforded for shipbuilding, and the money that it brought in; but also,
although the escort of the Thessalians gave the Lacedaemonians a means
of reaching the allies of Athens as far as the St