Hellenica

But the ship which fled toward the Hellespont escaped, and on its arrival at Athens reported the blockade. Meanwhile Diomedon, seeking to aid Conon, blockaded as he was, anchored with twelve ships in the strait of Mytilene.

Callicratidas, however, sailed down upon him suddenly and captured ten of his ships, Diomedon escaping with his own ship and one other.

When the Athenians heard of what had happened[*](406 B.C.) and of the blockade, they voted to go to the rescue with one hundred and ten ships, putting aboard all who were of military age, whether slave[*](It was only in rare cases that the Athenians employed slaves for military service.) or free; and within thirty days they manned the one hundred and ten ships and set forth. Even the knights[*](Who were ordinarily exempt from service at sea.) went aboard in considerable numbers.

After this they sailed to Samos and from there got ten Samian ships; they collected also more than thirty others from the rest of the allies, forcing everybody to embark, and in like manner whatever Athenian ships happened to be abroad. And the total number of the ships came to more than one hundred and fifty.

Now Callicratidas, when he heard that the relief expedition was already at Samos, left behind him at Mytilene fifty ships with Eteonicus as commander, and setting sail with the remaining one hundred and twenty, took dinner at Cape Malea in Lesbos.

On the same day it chanced that the Athenians took dinner on the Arginusae islands. These lie opposite Mytilene.[*](That is, between Lesbos and the mainland of Asia Minor.)

And when Callicratidas saw their fires during the night and people reported to him that it was the Athenians, he proposed to put to sea at about midnight, in order to attack them unexpectedly; but a heavy rain coming on, with thunder, prevented the setting out. And when it ceased, he sailed at daybreak for the Arginusae.

The Athenians stood out to meet him, extending their left wing out to sea and arranged in the following order: Aristocrates, in command of the[*](406 B.C.) left wing, led the way with fifteen ships, and next in order Diomedon with fifteen more; and Pericles was stationed behind Aristocrates and Erasinides behind Diomedon; and beside Diomedon were the Samians with ten ships, drawn up in single line; and their commander was a Samian named Hippeus; and next to them were the ten ships of the taxiarchs,[*](Ten taxiarchs, one for each Athenian tribe, commanded the contingents (τάξεις) furnished by their several tribes.) also in single line; and behind these the three ships of the nauarchs[*](Manifestly subordinate officers, but the precise meaning of the title in the Athenian navy is unknown.) and also some ships from the allies;

and the right wing was under the command of Protomachus, with fifteen ships; and beside him was Thrasyllus with fifteen more; and Lysias, with the same number of ships, was stationed behind Protomachus, and Aristogenes behind Thrasyllus.

The ships were arranged in this way so as not to give the enemy a chance of breaking through[*](The διέκπλους consisted in driving at full speed between two ships of the enemy’s line,—breaking oars and inflicting any other possible damage on the way,—and then turning to attack the sterns or sides of the hostile ships. In the περίπλους the same object was accomplished by rowing around the end of the enemy’s line.) the line; for the Athenians were inferior in seamanship. But all the vessels of the Lacedaemonians were arranged in single line, with a view to breaking through the enemy and circling round him, inasmuch as they had superior seamen. And Callicratidas was on the right wing.

Now Hermon the Megarian, the pilot of Callicratidas’ ship, said to him that it was well to sail away; for the triremes of the Athenians were far more numerous. Callicratidas, however, said that Sparta would fare none the worse if he were killed, but flight, he said, would be a disgrace.

After this they fell to fighting, and fought for a long time, their ships at first in close order and afterwards[*](406 B.C.) scattered. But when Callicratidas, as his ship rammed an enemy, fell overboard into the sea and disappeared, and Protomachus and those with him on the right wing defeated the opposing Lacedaemonian left, then began a flight of the Peloponnesians to Chios, though very many went to Phocaea; while the Athenians sailed back to the Arginusae.