History of the Peloponnesian War

The Corinthians at first remained stationary, but afterwards, having raised their signal for battle, when there appeared to be a favourable opportunity, they advanced upon the Athenians, and engaged them. For a long time they resisted each other;

at length three ships on the side of the Corinthians were destroyed, while on that of the Athenians none was absolutely sunk, but some seven were disabled, being struck prow to prow, and having their foreships stove in by the Corinthian vessels, which were provided with stronger [*](τὰς ἐπωτίδας.] The word is known only in its technical sense, as signifying two beams, projecting from a ship's head, on each side of her beak, from which the anchors were suspended, something like what are called in our ships the ' cat-heads.' —Arnold. I have borrowed from Dobree the word by which I have rendered ἐπωτίδας.) cheeks than usual for this very purpose.

After fighting on equal terms, so that either party might claim the victory, (though the Athenians, nevertheless, had got possession of the wrecks, through the wind driving them out into the open sea, and the Corinthians no longer advancing against them,) they separated from each other, and there was no pursuit made, nor were any prisoners taken on either side: for the Corinthians and Peloponnesians easily effected their escape, as they were fighting near shore, and no ship on the side of the Athenians went down.

When, however, the Athenians had sailed back to Naupactus, the Corinthians immediately erected a trophy, as conquerors; because they had disabled a greater number of their enemy's ships, and considered that they were not beaten, for the very same reason that the other party considered them not to have conquered: for the Corinthians regarded themselves as having the advantage if they were not decidedly beaten, and the Athenians considered them to be worsted, because they were not decidedly conquerors.

But when the Peloponnesians had sailed off, and their troops had dispersed, the Athenians erected a trophy on their side also, as having gained the victory, in Achaea, at about twenty stades distance from Erineus, where the Corinthians were stationed. And so ended the sea-fight.

Now Demosthenes and Eurymedon, when the Thurians were prepared to join them in the expedition with seven hundred heavy-armed and three hundred dart-men, gave orders for the ships to coast along towards the Crotonian territory; while they themselves, having first reviewed all the land forces on the river Sybaris, proceeded to lead them through the Thurian country.

When they were on the banks of the river Hylias, and the Crotonians sent to them, and said that they should not choose the army to pass through their territory, they descended towards the shore, and encamped for the night by the sea, at the mouth of the Hylias, their ships also meeting them at the same point. The following day, having put their men on board, they coasted along, touching at all the cities, excepting Locri, until they came to Petra in the Rhegian territory.

The Syracusans, in the mean time, hearing of their approach, wished to make a second attempt with their fleet and other forces on shore, which they were collecting for this very object, being desirous of striking a blow before they came.

Now they had equipped the rest of their navy according as they saw, from the result of the former sea-fight, that they would obtain any advantage; and having cut down their ships' prows into a less compass, they made them firmer than usual, by fixing stout cheeks to them, and attaching [*]( The epotides were laid on the bow or stem of the vessel, and were partly within and partly without the frame of the hull, just as a ship's bowsprit is at present. For the length of six cubits, whether from the prow, as Dobree understands it, or from the inner extremity of the epotides, 'they supported these cheeks by a set of spars (ἀντηρίδας) that went from the cheeks to the ship's side, both inside and outside the ship.' —Arnold.) stays from these to the ships' sides, for the length of six cubits both inside and outside the vessel; in the very same way as the Corinthians had equipped their ships ahead against the squadron at Naupactus, and then proceeded to engage it.