History of the Peloponnesian War

Besides, the envoys from Perdiccas had made at Lacedaemon a declaration to this effect, that he would bring many places around him into alliance with them; so that Brasidas, on the strength of this, thought himself entitled to arrange the affairs of Arrhibaeus in [*]( Or, κοινῇ μᾶλλον may signify on more public grounds, i. e. on the strength of what Perdiccas had held out at Sparta as a national advantage that would result from their sending troops to co-operate with him. Poppo and Bloomfield think it signifies more impartially. ) common with Perdiccas, rather than leave them to him alone.

But Perdiccas said that he had not taken Brasidas as an arbitrator in their disputes, but rather to destroy the enemies he should point out to him; and, that he would act unjustly. if, while he supported half his army, he should hold a conference with Arrhibaeus.

But Brasidas, against the king's will, and after a quarrel with him, had a meeting with Arrhibaeus, and being persuaded by his arguments, drew off the army before they entered his country. And Perdiccas after this supplied but a third, instead of half, towards the support of the army, considering himself to be aggrieved.

The same summer, Brasidas, accompanied by the Chalcidians, immediately made an expedition against Acanthus, the colony of the Andrians, a little before the vintage.

The people there were divided into parties amongst themselves on the subject of receiving him, those who with the Chalcidians joined in inviting him, and the commons [who were opposed to it]. Nevertheless, through fear for their fruit, which was still out, when the commons were urged by Brasidas to admit him alone, and to decide after hearing him, they admitted him. And coming forward to speak to the people, (being, for a Lacedaemonian, not deficient in eloquence,) he addressed them as follows:

"The sending out, Acanthians, of myself and my army by the Lacedaemonians, has been executed to verify the reason we alleged for hostilities at the commencement of them, viz. that to liberate Greece we should go to war with the Athenians.