History of the Peloponnesian War

The same summer, Tissaphernes, at the time that the Peloponnesians were offended with him most, both for the going home of Alcibiades and divers other things, as now manifestly Atticizing, with purpose, as indeed it seemed, to clear himself to them concerning his accusations, made ready for his journey to Aspendus for the Phoenician fleet, and willed Lichas to go along with him, saying that he would substitute Tamos, his deputy lieutenant over the army, to pay the fleet whilst himself was absent.

This matter is diversly reported, and it is hard to know with what purpose he went to Aspendus and yet brought not the fleet away with him. For it is known that one hundred and forty-seven sail of Phoenicians were come forward as far as Aspendus;

but why they came not through, the conjectures are various. Some think it was upon design (as he formerly intended) to wear out the Peloponnesian forces; for which cause also Tamos, who had that charge, made no better but rather worse payment than himself. Others, that having brought the Phoenicians as far as Aspendus, he might dismiss them for money, for he never meant to use their service. Some again said it was because they exclaimed so against it at Lacedaemon, and that it might not be said he abused them, but that he went openly to a fleet really set out. For my own part, I think it most clear that it was to the end to consume and to balance the Grecians that he brought not those galleys in;

consuming them, in that he went thither and delayed the time; and equalizing them, in that bringing them to neither he made neither party the stronger. For if he had had a mind to end the war, it is manifest he might have been sure to have done it. For if he had brought them to the Lacedaemonians, in all reason he had given them the victory, who had a navy already rather equal than inferior to that of their enemies.

But that which hurt them most was the pretence he alleged for not bringing the fleet in. For he said they were not so many sail as the king had ordained to be gotten together. But sure he might have ingratiated himself more in this business by dispatching it with less of the king's money than by spending more.

But whatsoever was his purpose, Tissaphernes went to Aspendus and was with the Phoenicians; and by his own appointment the Peloponnesians sent Philip, a Lacedaemonian, with him with two galleys as to take charge of the fleet.

Alcibiades, when he heard that Tissaphernes was gone to Aspendus, goes after him with thirteen galleys, promising to those at Samos a safe and great benefit, which was that he would either bring those Phoenician galleys to the service of the Athenians, or at least hinder their coming to the Peloponnesians; knowing, as is likely, the mind of Tissaphernes by long acquaintance, that he meant not to bring them on, and desiring, as much as he could, to procure him the ill will of the Peloponnesians for the friendship shown to himself and to the Athenians that he might thereby the better engage him to take their part. So he presently put to sea, holding his course for Phaselis and Caunus upwards.

The ambassadors of The Four Hundred being returned from Samos to Athens and having related what they had in charge from Alcibiades, how that he exhorted them to hold out and not give ground to the enemy, and that he had great hopes to reconcile them to the army and to overcome the Peloponnesians, whereas many of the sharers in the oligarchy were formerly discontented and would gladly, if they could have done it safely, have quitted the business, they were now a great deal more confirmed in that mind.

And already they had their meetings apart and did cast aspersions on the government, and had for their ringleaders some of the heads of the oligarchicals and such as bare office amongst them, as Theramenes, the son of Agnon, and Aristocrates, the son of Scellius, and others, who though they were partakers with the foremost in the affairs of state, yet feared, as they said, Alcibiades and the army at Samos; and joined in the sending of ambassadors to Lacedaemon, because they were loth, by singling themselves from the greater number, to hurt the state, not that they dismissed the state into the hands of a very few, but said that The Five Thousand ought in fact to be assigned, and not in voice only, and the government to be reduced to a greater equality.