rymon, yet as long as
they were not masters of the bridge but were watched on the side of Eion
by the Athenian galleys, and on the land side impeded by a large and
extensive lake formed by the waters of the river, it was impossible
for them to go any further. Now, on the contrary, the path seemed open.
There was also the fear of the allies revolting, owing to the moderation
displayed by Brasidas in all his conduct, and to the declarations which
he was everywhere making that he sent out to free Hellas. The towns
subject to the Athenians, hearing of the capture of Amphipolis and of
the terms accorded to it, and of the gentleness of Brasidas, felt most
strongly encouraged to change their condition, and sent secret messages
to him, begging him to come on to them; each wishing to be the first to
revolt. Indeed there seemed to be no danger in so doing; their mistake
in their estimate of the Athenian power was as great as that power
afterwards turned out to be, and their judgment was based more upon
blind wishing than upon any sound prevision; for it is a habit of
mankind to entrust to careless hope what they long for, and to use
sovereign reason to thrust aside what they do not fancy. Besides the
late severe blow which the Athenians had met with in Boeotia, joined
to the seductive, though untrue, statements of Brasidas, about the
Athenians not having ventured to engage his single army at Nisaea, made
the allies confident, and caused them to believe that no Athenian force
would be sent against them. Above all the wish to do what was
agreeable at the moment, and the likelihood that they should find the
Lacedaemonians full of zeal at starting, made them eager to venture.
Observing this, the Athenians sent garrisons to the different towns, as
far as was possible at such short notice and in winter; while Brasidas
sent dispatches to Lacedaemon asking for reinforcements, and
himself made preparations for building galleys in the Strymon. The
Lacedaemonians however did not send him any, partly through envy on
the part of their chief men, partly because they were more bent on
recovering the prisoners of the island and ending the war.

The same winter the Megarians took and razed to the foundations the long
walls which had been occupied by the Athenians; and Brasidas after the
capture of Amphipolis marched with his allies against Acte, a promontory
running out from the King's dike with an inward curve, and ending
in Athos, a lofty mount