Erythrai, the neighbouring town upon the coast, followed the example of the Chians. Alkibiades set off for Klazomenai, and persuaded the people there to join the new confederation against Athens. He was making up, indeed, for his late enforced inaction, everywhere at once, and was everywhere successful, serving his new friends well and faithfully, and bringing all beneath the spell of his potent personality. But neither were his countrymen at Athens quiet. They, as he knew, possessed a treasure of ten thousand talents, laid up by his cousin Perikles, never to be used save at the last peril of the state. By law it was death to anyone who should even propose to touch this fund, unless a hostile fleet was actually approaching Athens. That law was now for the first time abrogated, and part of the money was used to equip a number of triremes. The seven ships of the Chians which had been taking part unwillingly in the blockade of the Spartan fleet were brought to the Peiræus. They were manned by Athenian sailors, and with some twelve or thirteen other ships under Strombichides were sent straightway to Ionia. Strombichides brought his ships to Teos on the mainland, hoping by this show of strength to keep the Teians faithful. Chalkideus and Alkibiades came after him with their fleet, now increased to twenty-five, by an addition of Chian ships and some more from the Peloponnesos. They were supported, too, on land by a body of soldiers from Klazomenai and by some Persian barbarians under the command of Stagès, the lieutenant of Tissaphernes. It was some time since Persian barbarians had been seen fighting in support of a Grecian state. Strombichides, finding himself in this way attacked by sea and land, sailed off, followed by Chalkideus, who chased the Athenian ships as far as Samos. Alkibiades, with some other of the Spartan ships, sailed for Miletos, another town of Ionian origin, on the Asiatic continent, where he had many friends. He easily persuaded the inhabitants to join the league against his country.