History of the Peloponnesian War

and they wished not to give up Corcyra to the Corinthians, with so large a navy as it had, but to wear them out as much as possible against each other, that both the Corinthians and the rest who had navies might be in a weaker condition when they went to war with them, if it should be necessary to do so.

And at the same time the island appeared to them to lie well in the line of voyage along shore to Italy and Sicily.

With such a view of the case the Athenians admitted the Corcyraeans into alliance; and when the Corinthians had departed, they sent ten ships to assist them.

Tile commanders of them were Lacedaemonius, the son of Cimon, Diotimus, the son of Strombichus, and Proteas, the son of Epiclees.

They charged them not to engage with the Corinthians, unless they should sail against Corcyra, and threaten to land, or against any of the places belonging to them; but in that case to prevent them to their utmost: and this charge they gave them with a view to not breaking the treaty. So the ships arrive at Corcyra.