Classical literature; Greece -- History -- Peloponnesian War, 431-404 B.C.; Greece -- History -- Spartan and Theban Supremacies, 404-362 B.C.
B.C. 410. And now the Athenians at Sestos, hearing that Mindarus was
meditating an attack upon them with a squadron of sixty sail, gave
him the slip, and under cover of night escaped to Cardia. Hither also
Alcibiades repaired from Clazomenae, having with him five triremes and
a light skiff; but on learning that the Peloponnesian fleet had left
Abydos and was in full sail for Cyzicus, he set off himself by land to
Sestos, giving orders to the fleet to sail round and join him there.
Presently the vessels arrived, and he was on the point of putting out to
sea with everything ready for action, when Theramenes, with a fleet of
twenty ships from Macedonia, entered the port, and at the same instant
Thrasybulus, with a second fleet of twenty sail from Thasos, both
squadrons having been engaged in collecting money. Bidding these
officers also follow him with all speed, as soon as they had taken out
their large sails and cleared for action, Alcibiades set sail himself
for Parium. During the following night the united squadron, consisting
now of eighty-six vessels, stood out to sea from Parium, and reached
Proconnesus next morning, about the hour of breakfast. Here they learnt
that Mindarus was in Cyzicus, and that Pharnabazus, with a body of
infantry, was with him. Accordingly they waited the whole of this day at
Proconnesus. On the following day Alcibiades summoned an assembly,
and addressing the men in terms of encouragement, warned them that a
threefold service was expected of them; that they must be ready for a
sea fight, a land fight, and a wall fight all at once, "for look you,"
said he, "we have no money, but the enemy has unlimited supplies from
the king."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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