The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 04 : $b Greece to the Roman Conquest
History
The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 04 : $b Greece to the Roman Conquest
World history
The Athenians also resolved to fit out sixty additional ships, and
elected Timotheus as commander of them. Timotheus, not being able to
man these vessels at home, sailed about to the different islands, and
endeavoured to complete his crews from thence; thinking it would be no
light matter to sail round without due preparation against ships so well
disciplined as those of the enemy. But the Athenians, imagining that
he was wasting the whole of the season suitable for the expedition,
had no patience with him, and, depriving him of his command, appointed
Iphicrates in his room. Iphicrates, as soon as he was made commander,
manned his vessels with the utmost expedition, and obliged the trierarchs
to exert themselves. He took from the Athenians, also, whatever ships
were on the coast of Attica, as well as the Paralus and Salaminian ships,
observing that “if affairs at Corcyra were successful, he would send them
back plenty of ships.” His fleet amounted in all to about seventy.
During this time the people of Corcyra were so grievously oppressed
with famine, that, in consequence of the number of deserters, Mnasippus
made proclamation that “all deserters for the future should be sold as
slaves.” But when they continued to desert nevertheless, he at last
scourged them, and sent them back. The people in the city, however,
refused to receive any slaves into the town, and many, in consequence,
perished without the walls. Mnasippus, observing this, imagined that he
was all but in possession of the city, and began to make new arrangements
as to his mercenaries, some of whom he dismissed from his service, while
to those who remained he continued in debt two months’ pay, though not,
as it was said, for want of money, for the greater number of the towns,
in consequence of the expedition being over the sea, had sent him money
instead of men. But as the people in the city observed from their towers
that the lines of the enemy were guarded with less strictness than
before, and that the men were straggling over the country, they made a
sally upon them, and took some of them prisoners and killed some.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account