History of the Peloponnesian War

Meanwhile the Samians suddenly made a sally and fell upon the Athenian naval station, which was unprotected by a stockade, destroying the guardships and defeating in a sea-fight the ships that put out against them. And for about fourteen days they were masters of the sea off their coast, bringing in and carrying out whatever they wished;

but when Pericles came they were again blockaded by sea. And afterwards a reinforcement came from Athens of forty ships under the command of Thucydides,[*](Possibly the historian, as some have thought; others explain as the son of Melesias and opponent of Pericles; still others as the poet from the deme of Acherdus.) Hagnon and Phormio, twenty under Tlepolemus and Anticles, and thirty from Chios and Lesbos.

Now the Samians did indeed put up a sea-fight for a short time, but they were unable to hold out, and in the ninth month[*](439 B.C.) were reduced by siege and agreed to a capitulation, pulling down their walls, giving hostages, delivering over their ships, and consenting to pay back by instalments the money spent upon the siege. The Byzantines too came to terms, agreeing to be subjects as before.