35

Alexander and the Lacedemonians

us [whider-towarde] and been disobeyed to our majesty, we forgive thou all your guilt, and the grievance that thee have done us, so that [ze] be obeisant unto us, from this time forward. Come forth thou therefore & be merry, for of us thee shall have no grievance nor any disease because thee did after the conceit of Demosthenes.

When the Atheneans heard this letter read, they were right glad, and then Alexander & his Oste went from [thethyn] unto Lacedoyne. But the Lacedonians would [one] any ways obey unto Alexander, but said each of them to other, 'let us not be like the Atheneans,' quoth they, 'that dread the [menacing?] and the boast of Alexander but let us show our might and our strength and manly defend our city against him.' When they had said, they [spered] the gates of the city fast, and went manly to the walls. And a great number of them took them ships & went to the sea, a great navy, to fight with Alexander [as?] he come to land. And when Alexander saw this, he sent a letter to them saying on these ways.

Alexander the son of Philippe and of the queen Olympias unto the Lacedonians we send. We counsel thou, that your elders has left thou, thee keep hale & sound & in [sauetee and lyftez] not your [hende over hie] to the things that thee may not reach to. And if thee desire for to have joy of your strength, does [swa] that thee be worthy to have worship of us. Therefore we command thou, that thee turn again with your ships, and leave them, & go to land by your own free will; or [secretly?] I shall set fire in them & burn them. And if thee despise our commandment, blame not but yourself, if we [wreke] us on thou.

The Lacedonians read his letter, and when it was read, they were wonder [heuy]. Not [for-thi] they readied them to fight. But Alexander arrived in another coast, and come to the city [are] they [wiste] and [enveloped?] the city one each aside, and assailled it strangely & [dange] the Lacedonians of the walls & slew many of them & wounded many, and set fire in their ships & burnt them. The remnant of them that were left