History of the Peloponnesian War

To me, however, it appears most evident that it was with a view to wear out the Greeks, and to keep them in suspense, that he did not bring the fleet; to weaken them, during all the time that he was going there and delaying; and to keep them balanced, in order that he might make neither party too strong by joining them. For had he wished to bring the war to a conclusion, it is surely evident that he might have done it without any doubt. For by bringing the fleet he would in all probability have given the victory to the Lacedaemonians; since even at present they maintained their opposition with their navy, on terms of equality rather than of inferiority.