There he found his fleet with its prestige injured, its numbers lessened, the friend to whom he had entrusted it killed in the miserable engagement at Notion, and all his men disheartened and murmuring. He alone was not disheartened at this second blow. He landed, learnt the whole truth of the bad tidings, and embarked again, confident that, if he could only get the enemy to fight, he would soon wipe off the temporary disgrace which in his absence had come upon his men. With the remainder of the ships he sailed straightway to Ephesos, and dared Lysandros to come out and try which was the better fleet, the abler admiral. Lysandros, notwithstanding the superiority of his forces, thought it wiser not to meet the conqueror of Kyzikos, and remained in port and in safety. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XXVI ‘Ingratitude, more strong than traitors’ arms, Quite vanquished him.’ _Julius Cæsar._ WE must now return to Athens for awhile, and with amazement behold the people there when news of the affair of Notion reached them, and see a piteous spectacle,—one of the most piteous that is recorded in the pages of history,—an exhibition of the inconstancy, the childish instability, of this great people, for the sake of whom their greatest citizen had refused a crown. Amid the shouting crowd that we lately saw welcoming back the man who had rescued and protected them, among the grateful mass who were ready to throw themselves and their cherished freedom at his feet, it must not be supposed he had no enemies. Quiet they were obliged to be while he was present, as the open enemies at Dekeleia had been constrained to be; but they were there, and the more the people shouted and adored, the more their jealousy and anger burned. At the head of them was Theramenes. He was one who had taken a foremost part among the odious four hundred. He was the first to desert them and turn against them when he saw their end approaching. He was the subordinate colleague of Alkibiades in the Hellespont. Under him he had fought, and commanded a division of the fleet with ability, and bravely attacked, and helped to repulse, the Persians on shore at Kyzikos. He returned with Alkibiades to Athens. But so great was the enthusiasm of the people for the greater hero that they had overlooked the smaller one, and he had been allowed to land unnoticed.