History of the Peloponnesian War

Now it was in this strait that the Syracusans and their allieswere compelled one day toward evening to fight for a vessel which was making the passage; and with thirty odd ships they put out against sixteen Athenian and eight Rhegian ships.

They were defeated by the Athenians, and hastily sailed back, each contingent as best it could, to their own camps, having lost one ship; and night came on while they were in action. After this the Locrians left the territory of the Rhegians;

and the ships of the Syracusans and their allies assembled at Peloris in Messene, where they anchored and were joined by their land-forces. The Athenians and the Rhegians sailed up, and seeing that the Syracusan ships were unmanned attacked them;

but they themselves lost one ship, which was caught by a grappling-iron cast upon it, the crew having leaped overboard.

After this the Syracusans embarked and their ships were being towed along the shore by ropes toward Messene when the Athenians attacked again, but lost another ship, since the Syracusans made a sudden turn outwards and charged them first.