History of the Peloponnesian War

So then the Athenians, putting in at Cythera with their armament, consisting of ten ships and two thousand Milesian hoplites,[*](An incredibly large number. In 8.25.2, where they are in their own land, the Milesians can oppose to the enemy only 800 hoplites. Nor would ten ships suffice for so many epibatae. Perhaps there is a confusion in the numerical sign, due to a copyist.) took the city by the sea called Scandeia[*](The heaven of Cythera, some ten stadia distant from that city.); then, with the rest of their forces landing on the part of the island which looks toward Malea, they advanced against the city of Cythera which is away from the sea,[*](It seems necessary to adopt Stahl's conjecture ἀπὸ θαλάσσης, or deleted ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ. “One division of the Athenian force landed at Scandeia, another, disembarking on the N.E coast, marched on the capital. The second force found the Cytherians prepared to meet them; in the battle which ensued the Cytherians were routed, and fled to the upper city, ie. the capital. This explanation is borne out by existing remains. See Frazer's Pausanias, iii. 385, 386; also Weil in Mittheil. d. Arch. Inst. in Athen. v. 224-243.” (Spratt.)) where they found that all the inhabitants had immediately established themselves in camp.

A fight ensued, in which the Cytherians stood their ground for some little time, then turned and fled to the upper town, but afterwards capitulated to Nicias and his colleagues, agreeing to leave the question of their own fate, except as to a penalty of death, to the arbitration of the Athenians.

Some negotiations between Nicias and certain of the Cytherians had already taken place, and for this reason the settlement of the terms, both for the present and the future, was arranged more speedily and with better advantage to them;

for otherwise the Athenians would have expelled the inhabitants, since they were Lacedaemonians and the island lay in that position on the coast of Laconia. After the capitulation the Athenians took possession of Scandeia, the town at the harbour, and having taken precautions for guarding Cythera, then sailed to Asine, Helus, and most of the other towns on the seacoast; here they made raids or bivouacked at whatever place they found convenient, and ravaged the land for about seven days.