Lysander   

popular government, and expelling their political opponents, had altered
their minds, and were reconciled to their enemies, he pretended openly
as if he was pleased with it, and was desirous to further the reconciliation,
but privately he railed at and abused them, and provoked them to set
upon the multitude. And as soon as ever he perceived a new attempt
to be commencing, he at once came up, and entered into the city, and
the first of the conspirators he lit upon, he pretended to rebuke,
and spoke roughly, as if he would punish them; but the others, meantime,
he bade be courageous, and to fear nothing, now he was with them.
And all this acting and dissembling was with the object that the most
considerable men of the popular party might not fly away, but might
stay in the city and be killed; which so fell out, for all who believed
him were put to death.
There is a saying also, recorded by Androclides, which makes him guilty
of great indifference to the obligations of an oath. His recommendation,
according to this account, was to "cheat boys with dice, and men with
oaths," an imitation of Polycrates of Samos, not very honourable to
a lawful commander, to take example, namely, from a tyrant; nor in
character with Laconian usages, to treat gods as ill as enemies, or,
indeed, even more injuriously since he who overreaches by an oath
admits that he fears his enemy, while he despises his God.
Cyrus now sent for Lysander to Sardis, and gave him some money, and
promised him some more, youthfully protesting in favour to him, that
if his father gave him nothing, he would supply him of his own; and
if he himself should be destitute of all, he would cut up, he said,
to make money, the very throne upon which he sat to do justice, it
being made of gold and silver; and, at last on going up into Media
to his father, he ordered that he should receive the tribute of the
towns, and committed his government to him, and so taking his leave,
and desiring him not to fight by sea before he returned, for he would
come back with a great many ships out of Phoenicia and Cilicia, departed
to visit the king.
Lysander's ships were too few for him to venture to fight, and yet
too many to allow of his remaining idle; he set out, therefore, and
reduced some of the islands, and wasted Aegina and Salamis; and from
thence landing in Attica, and saluting Agis, who came from Decelea
to meet him, he made a display to the land-forces of the strength
of the fleet as though he could sail where he pleased, and were absolute
master by sea. But hearing the Athenians pursued him, he fled another
way through the island into Asia. And finding the Hellespont without
any defence, he attacked Lampsacus with his ships by sea; while Thorax,
acting in concert with him with the land army, made an assault on
the walls; and so having taken the city by storm, he gave it up to
his soldiers to plunder. The fleet of the Athenians, a hundred and
eighty ships, had just arrived at Elaeus in the Chersonese; and hearing
the news, that Lampsacus was destroyed, they presently sailed to Sestos;
where, taking in victuals, they advanced to Aegos Potami, over against
their enemies, who were still stationed about Lampsacus. Amongst other
Athenian captains who were now in command was Philocles, he who persuaded
the people to pass a decree to cut off the right thumb of the captives
in the war, that they should not be able to hold the spear, though
they might the oar.
Then they all rested themselves, hoping they should have battle the
next morning. But Lysander had other things in his head; he commanded
the mariners and pilots to go on board at dawn, as if there should
be a battle as soon as it was day, and to sit there in order, and
without any noise, excepting what should be commanded, and in like
manner that the land army should remain quietly in their ranks by
the sea. But the sun rising, and the Athenians sailing up with their
whole fleet in line, and challenging them to battle, though he had
had his ships all drawn up and manned before daybreak, nevertheless
did not stir. He merely sent some boats to those who lay foremost,
and bade them keep still and stay in their order; not to be disturbed,
and none of them to sail out and offer battle. So about evening, the