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He collected and arranged for his purpose, answers and oracles from Apollo, not expecting to get any benefit from Cleon's rhetoric, unless he should first alarm and overpower the minds of his fellow-citizens by religious and superstitious terrors, before bringing them to the consideration of his arguments.
Cleon made a sortie from the town and fought heroically until he fell covered with wounds. Cleon's brother Coma was captured during the siege and brought before Rupilius, who questioned him about the strength and the plans of the remaining fugitives.
There was some laughter among the Athenians at Cleon's vain-glorious promise; but the more sober-minded were not displeased at his appointment, expecting that, if he failed, they would be rid of a nuisance; while, if he succeeded, they would gain an immense advantage over their enemies.
I do not swallow all that Thucydides chooses to tell us in his one-sided caricature about Cleon's appointment to the command at Sphacteria, or about the affair of Mitylene; and even if I did, I think it has nothing to do with the question. But on such utterly exploded old-world ideas is the whole modern argument of the Second Chamber founded.
They call loudly for the Knights, who enter as the Chorus to assist them against Cleon, encouraging the sausage-seller to show the brazen effrontery which is the mob-orator's sole protection, and to prove that a decent upbringing is meaningless. Nothing loth, he redoubles Cleon's vulgarity on his head.
But though he made merry with the rest, nor was in anything behind them, Cleon's heart was yet heavy within him.... Aurora, fast flying, turned a rosy cheek, then the night hid her path with his spangled mantle, and all this company of shepherdish folk left the gray lawns for Astrophel's house, that was lit with clear wax and smelled sweet of roses.
But like readily associates with like; therefore Sparta feels attracted to Athens, to Pericles and his followers. Pericles draws Sparta to himself, and we sink...." Anytos, himself an orator, did not like to hear eloquence from others, therefore he cut abruptly through Cleon's speech. "Pericles is ill." "Is he ill?" "Yes, he has fever!" "Really? Perhaps the plague." "Perhaps."
"Certain qualities which give zest to social intercourse thoughtfulness, tact, moderation." "You mean that for me?" "I mean it for Aspasia." "Is she beautiful?" "No." "Anytos declares that she is." "He tells an untruth. Do you see Anytos, Cleon's friend and my enemy?" "He is not my enemy." "But mine. You always love my enemies and hate my friends; that is a bad sign." "Your friends are bad men."
The Athenians and Peloponnesians now each withdrew their forces from Pylos, and went home, and crazy as Cleon's promise was, he fulfilled it, by bringing the men to Athens within the twenty days as he had pledged himself to do. Nothing that happened in the war surprised the Hellenes so much as this.
Informed of this, Brasidas on his part took up a position of observation upon Cerdylium, a place situated in the Argilian country on high ground across the river, not far from Amphipolis, and commanding a view on all sides, and thus made it impossible for Cleon's army to move without his seeing it; for he fully expected that Cleon, despising the scanty numbers of his opponent, would march against Amphipolis with the force that he had got with him.
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