This was an open
violation of the truce, and the Athenians, in great fury, immediately
prepared to send a fleet against these audacious rebels, and passed a
savage decree, condemning the whole adult male population of Scione to
death.
III
During the following summer Mende was recovered by Nicias for the
Athenians, Scione was closely invested, and Perdiccas, who had
quarrelled with Brasidas, once more became an ally of Athens, and gave
proof of his sincerity by preventing the passage of Spartan
reinforcements to Thrace. The Athenians were thus left free to turn
their attention to Amphipolis, and at the beginning of the tenth year
of the war, the truce having now expired, Cleon was sent with a fleet
of thirty ships to conduct the siege of this important place. That so
weighty a charge should have been entrusted to hands so incompetent
argues a degree of infatuation in the Athenians which is very hard to
understand. On his voyage Cleon succeeded in retaking Torone by a
sudden assault, and then proceeding northwards dropped anchor at Eion,
where he remained inactive, after despatching messengers to Perdiccas,
and to a friendly Thracian prince, to ask for reinforcements.
Meanwhile Brasidas, who some time before had returned to Amphipolis,
was waiting to strike a blow at his unwarlike enemy.
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