to an
agreement with the Syracusans, abandoned and laid waste their city, and
went and lived at Syracuse, where they were made citizens. Afterwards
some of them were dissatisfied, and leaving Syracuse occupied Phocaeae,
a quarter of the town of Leontini, and Bricinniae, a strong place in the
Leontine country, and being there joined by most of the exiled commons
carried on war from the fortifications. The Athenians hearing this, sent
Phaeax to see if they could not by some means so convince their allies
there and the rest of the Sicilians of the ambitious designs of Syracuse
as to induce them to form a general coalition against her, and thus save
the commons of Leontini. Arrived in Sicily, Phaeax succeeded at Camarina
and Agrigentum, but meeting with a repulse at Gela did not go on to
the rest, as he saw that he should not succeed with them, but returned
through the country of the Sicels to Catana, and after visiting
Bricinniae as he passed, and encouraging its inhabitants, sailed back to
Athens.

During his voyage along the coast to and from Sicily, he treated with
some cities in Italy on the subject of friendship with Athens, and also
fell in with some Locrian settlers exiled from Messina, who had been
sent thither when the Locrians were called in by one of the factions
that divided Messina after the pacification of Sicily, and Messina came
for a time into the hands of the Locrians. These being met by Phaeax on
their return home received no injury at his hands, as the Locrians had
agreed with him for a treaty with Athens. They were the only people
of the allies who, when the reconciliation between the Sicilians took
place, had not made peace with her; nor indeed would they have done
so now, if they had not been pressed by a war with the Hipponians and
Medmaeans who lived on their border, and were colonists of theirs.
Phaeax meanwhile proceeded on his voyage, and at length arrived at
Athens.

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. 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. Informed
of this, Brasidas on his part took up a positio