§12.67.1Βρασίδας δὲ δύναμιν ἱκανὴν ἀναλαβὼν ἔκ τε Λακεδαίμονος καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἄλλων Πελοποννησίων ἀνέζευξεν ἐπὶ Μέγαρα.
Brasidas, having gathered a sufficient force both from Lacedaemon and from the other Peloponnesians, marched against Megara.
καταπληξάμενος δὲ τοὺς Ἀθηναίους, τούτους μὲν ἐξέβαλεν ἐκ τῆς Νισαίας, τὴν δὲ πόλιν τῶν Μεγαρέων ἐλευθερώσας ἀποκατέστησεν εἰς τὴν τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων συμμαχίαν· αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως διὰ Θετταλίας τὴν πορείαν ποιησάμενος ἧκεν εἰς Δῖον τῆς Μακεδονίας.
Having intimidated the Athenians, he expelled them from Nisaea, and after freeing the city of the Megarians, he restored it to the alliance of the Lacedaemonians; he himself, making his march through Thessaly with his force, arrived at Dion in Macedonia.
§12.67.2ἐκεῖθεν δὲ παρελθὼν εἰς Ἄκανθον συνεμάχησε τοῖς Χαλκιδεῦσι.
From there he advanced to Acanthos and fought alongside the Chalcidians.
καὶ πρώτην μὲν τὴν Ἀκανθίων πόλιν τὰ μὲν καταπληξάμενος, τὰ δὲ καὶ λόγοις φιλανθρώποις πείσας ἐποίησεν ἀποστῆναι τῶν Ἀθηναίων· ἔπειτα πολλοὺς καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης κατοικούντων προετρέψατο κοινωνεῖν τῆς τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων συμμαχίας.
And first, as for the city of the Acanthians, partly by intimidating them and partly by persuading them with friendly words, he caused them to revolt from the Athenians; next, he urged many of the others who dwelt in the Thracian region to share in the alliance of the Lacedaemonians.
§12.67.3μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Βρασίδας βουλόμενος ἐνεργότερον ἅψασθαι τοῦ πολέμου, μετεπέμπετο στρατιώτας ἐκ τῆς Λακεδαίμονος, σπεύδων ἀξιόλογον συστήσασθαι δύναμιν· οἱ δὲ Σπαρτιᾶται βουλόμενοι τῶν Εἱλώτων τοὺς κρατίστους ἀπολέσθαι, πέμπουσιν ἐξ αὐτῶν τοὺς μάλιστα πεφρονηματισμένους χιλίους, νομίζοντες ἐν ταῖς μάχαις τοὺς πλείστους αὐτῶν κατακοπήσεσθαι.
After this, Brasidas, wishing to engage in the war more vigorously, sent for soldiers from Lacedaemon, being eager to organize a noteworthy force; but the Spartans, wishing the strongest of the Helots to perish, sent out of them one thousand of those who were most high-spirited, thinking that the majority of them would be cut down in the battles.
§12.67.4ἔπραξαν δέ τι καὶ ἄλλο βίαιον καὶ ὠμόν, διʼ οὗ ταπεινώσειν ὑπελάμβανον τοὺς Εἵλωτας· ἐκήρυξαν γὰρ ἀπογράφεσθαι τῶν Εἱλώτων τοὺς ἀγαθόν τι πεποιηκότας τῇ Σπάρτῃ, καὶ τούτους κρίναντες ἐλευθερώσειν ἐπηγγείλαντο· ἀπογραψαμένων δὲ δισχιλίων, τούτους μὲν προσέταξαν τοῖς κρατίστοις ἀποκτεῖναι κατʼ οἶκον ἑκάστου.
They also performed another violent and cruel deed, by which they supposed they would humble the Helots; for they proclaimed that those of the Helots who had done some good service to Sparta should register themselves, and they promised to free them after evaluating them; but when two thousand had registered, they ordered the most prominent citizens to kill them in each one's house.
§12.67.5σφόδρα γὰρ εὐλαβοῦντο μήποτε καιροῦ δραξάμενοι καὶ μετὰ τῶν πολεμίων ταχθέντες εἰς κίνδυνον ἀγάγωσι τὴν Σπάρτην.
For they were exceedingly afraid lest, having at some time seized an opportunity and sided with the enemy, they should bring Sparta into danger.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ τῷ Βρασίδᾳ παραγενομένων χιλίων Εἱλώτων, ἔκ τε συμμάχων στρατολογηθέντων συνέστη δύναμις ἀξιόχρεως.
Nevertheless, when one thousand Helots had arrived for Brasidas, and others had been recruited from the allies, a substantial force was assembled.