History of the Peloponnesian War

When those of the Catanaeans who favoured the Syracusans saw the army within the walls, being immediately very much alarmed, they secretly went out of the place, as they formed but a small party; while the rest voted for an alliance with the Athenians, and begged them to fetch the rest of their forces from Rhegium.

After this the Athenians sailed to Rhegium, and having now put out with all their armament for Catana, on their arrival there established themselves in their camp.

Now tidings were brought to them, both from Camarina, that if they went there, the inhabitants would go over to them, and also that the Syracusans were manning a fleet. They coasted along therefore with all their force, in the first instance, to Syracuse; and when they found no fleet manning, they again proceeded along the shore towards Camarina; and having brought to at the beach, sent a herald to the people. They, however, did not admit them, saying that their agreement on oath was to receive the Athenians, when they sailed to them with only a single ship, unless they should themselves send for more.

Being thus unsuccessful, they sailed back again; and after they had landed on a part of the Syracusan territory, and the cavalry from Syracuse had come to the rescue, and killed some stragglers of the light-armed, they went back to Catana.

There they found the ship Salaminia come from Athens for Alcibiades—to order him to sail back and defend himself against the charges which the state brought against him—and for some others of the soldiers, who with him had been informed against, as being guilty of impiety with regard to the mysteries, and some of them with regard to the Mercuries also.

For the Athenians, after the armament had sailed away, made no less investigation into what had been done in the case of the mysteries and in that of the Mercuries; and as they did not test the character of the informers, [*]( Or, according to Poppo s reading, πάντα, taking, or regarding, every thing in a suspicious light. ) but in their suspicious mood admitted all who came forward, on the credit of unprincipled men they arrested and threw into prison very excellent citizens; thinking it more expedient to sift the matter and find it out, than that, in consequence of the bad principle of an informer, an accused person, even though he had a good character, should be unquestioned, and escape.

For the commons, knowing by report that the tyranny of Pisistratus and his sons had proved galling at last, and, moreover, that it had not even been put down by themselves and Harmodius, but by the Lacedaemonians, were always afraid, and took every thing suspiciously.