History of the Peloponnesian War

On all sides then there was much confusion, and the battle was a disorderly one; and during it the Athenian vessels coming up to the Corcyraeans, if they were pressed at any point, struck fear into the enemy, but did not begin fighting, as the commanders were afraid of the charge given by the Athenians.

It was the right wing of the Corinthians which was most distressed; for the Corcyraeans with twenty ships having routed and pursued them in a scattered condition to the continent, sailed up to their encampment, and having made a descent upon them, burnt the deserted tents, and plundered their goods.

On that side then the Corinthians and their allies were worsted, and the Corcyraeans were victorious: but where the Corinthians themselves were, on the left, they had a decided victory; as twenty ships of the Corcyraeans, from a number [originally] smaller, had not returned from the pursuit.

But the Athenians, seeing the Corcyraeans hard pressed, assisted them now more unequivocally; though at first they refrained from charging any vessel; but when the rout had clearly taken place, and the Corinthians were lying close on them, then indeed every one at length set to work, and there was no longer any distinction, but it had come to such urgent necessity, that the Corinthians and Athenians attacked each other.

Now when the rout had taken place, the Corinthians did not take in tow and haul off the hulls of the vessels which they might happen to have sunk, [*](καταδύειν ναῦν does not mean to sink a ship to the bottom, but to make her water-logged, so that she was useless, although she did not absolutely go down. The Greek triremes were so light and so shallow that they would float in a manner under water, or rather with parts of the vessel still out of water, on which the crew used to take refuge. —Arnold.) but turned their attention to the men, sailing throughout to butcher, rather than to make prisoners; and some of their own friends, not being aware that those in the right wing had been worsted, they unwittingly killed.