contributed their share to the war.
Corinth was forming schemes for retaliation, and Athens suspected her
hostility. The Potidaeans, who inhabit the isthmus of Pallene, being a
Corinthian colony, but tributary allies of Athens, were ordered to
raze the wall looking towards Pallene, to give hostages, to dismiss the
Corinthian magistrates, and in future not to receive the persons sent
from Corinth annually to succeed them. It was feared that they might be
persuaded by Perdiccas and the Corinthians to revolt, and might draw the
rest of the allies in the direction of Thrace to revolt with them.
These precautions against the Potidaeans were taken by the Athenians
immediately after the battle at Corcyra. Not only was Corinth at
length openly hostile, but Perdiccas, son of Alexander, king of the
Macedonians, had from an old friend and ally been made an enemy. He
had been made an enemy by the Athenians entering into alliance with his
brother Philip and Derdas, who were in league against him. In his alarm
he had sent to Lacedaemon to try and involve the Athenians in a war with
the Peloponnesians, and was endeavouring to win over Corinth in order
to bring about the revolt of Potidaea. He also made overtures to the
Chalcidians in the direction of Thrace, and to the Bottiaeans, to
persuade them to join in the revolt; for he thought that if these places
on the border could be made his allies, it would be easier to carry
on the war with their co-operation. Alive to all this, and wishing to
anticipate the revolt of the cities, the Athenians acted as follows.
They were just then sending off thirty ships and a thousand heavy
infantry for his country under the command of Archestratus, son of
Lycomedes, with four colleagues. They instructed the captains to take
hostages of the Potidaeans, to raze the wall, and to be on their guard
against the revolt of the neighbouring cities.

Meanwhile the Potidaeans sent envoys to Athens on the chance of
persuading them to take no new steps in their matters; they also went
to Lacedaemon with the Corinthians to secure support in case of need.
Failing after prolonged negotiation to obtain anything satisfactory
from the Athenians; being unable, for all they could say, to prevent the
vessels that were destined for Macedonia from also sailing against them;
and receiving from the Lacedaemonian government a promise to invade
Attica, if the Athenians should attack Potidaea, the Potidaeans, thus
favoured by th