54-57] CONTINUANCE OF THE INVASION 141 After the Pcloponnesians had wasted the plain they 55 entered what arc called the coast lands The Pdopcmesians {Paralus) and penetrated as far as at Laurium. Pendrs Laurium, where are the silver mines ^^^ ^'^^'"'"^ ""^ People u 1 • i ii A,i • x^. . from POtllir out, but belonging to the Athenians. Fn-st they sauls a /uLlrrd Mp. ravaged that part of the coast which to ravage Pdoponucsus. looks towards Peloponnesus, and afterwards that situated towards Euboea and Andros. But Pericles, who was still general, continued to insist, as in the former invasion, that the Athenians should remain within their walls. Before, however, the Pcloponnesians had left the plain 56 and moved forward into the coast lands he had begun to equip an expedition of a hundred ships against Pelopon- nesus. When all was ready he put to sea, having on board four thousand Athenian hoplitcs and three hundred cavalry conveyed in horse transports which the Athenians then constructed for the first time out of their old ships. The Chians and Lesbians joined them with fifty vessels. The expedition did not actually put to sea until the Pcloponnesians had reached the coast lands. Arriving at Epidaurus in Peloponnesus the Athenians devastated most of the country and attacked the city, which at one time they were in hopes of taking, but did not quite succeed. Setting sail again they ravaged the territory of Troezen, Halieis, and Hermione, which are all places on the coast of Peloponnesus. Again putting off they came to Prasiae, a small town on the coast of Laconia, ravaged the country, and took and plundered the place. They then returned home and found that the Pcloponnesians had also returned and were no longer in Attica. All the time during which the Pcloponnesians remained 57 in the country and the armament of the The Prlopomtc^iaus Athenians continued at sea the plague leave Atika after a stay was raging both among the troops and '^'M'^y ^'^y^- in the city. The fear which it inspired was said to have induced the enemy to leave Attica sooner than they intended ; for they heard from deserters that liic disease
