History of The Peloponnesian War - Book III   

menaced from Peloponnese, manned a hundred ships by embarking the
citizens of Athens, except the knights and Pentacosiomedimni, and
the resident aliens; and putting out to the Isthmus, displayed their
power, and made descents upon Peloponnese wherever they pleased. A
disappointment so signal made the Lacedaemonians think that the
Lesbians had not spoken the truth; and embarrassed by the
non-appearance of the confederates, coupled with the news that the
thirty ships round Peloponnese were ravaging the lands near Sparta,
they went back home. Afterwards, however, they got ready a fleet to
send to Lesbos, and ordering a total of forty ships from the different
cities in the league, appointed Alcidas to command the expedition in
his capacity of high admiral. Meanwhile the Athenians in the hundred
ships, upon seeing the Lacedaemonians go home, went home likewise.
If, at the time that this fleet was at sea, Athens had almost the
largest number of first-rate ships in commission that she ever
possessed at any one moment, she had as many or even more when the war
began. At that time one hundred guarded Attica, Euboea, and Salamis; a
hundred more were cruising round Peloponnese, besides those employed
at Potidaea and in other places; making a grand total of two hundred
and fifty vessels employed on active service in a single summer. It
was this, with Potidaea, that most exhausted her revenues- Potidaea
being blockaded by a force of heavy infantry (each drawing two
drachmae a day, one for himself and another for his servant), which
amounted to three thousand at first, and was kept at this number
down to the end of the siege; besides sixteen hundred with Phormio who
went away before it was over; and the ships being all paid at the same
rate. In this way her money was wasted at first; and this was the
largest number of ships ever manned by her.
About the same time that the Lacedaemonians were at the Isthmus, the
Mitylenians marched by land with their mercenaries against Methymna,
which they thought to gain by treachery. After assaulting the town,
and not meeting with the success that they anticipated, they
withdrew to Antissa, Pyrrha, and Eresus; and taking measures for the
better security of these towns and strengthening their walls,
hastily returned home. After their departure the Methymnians marched
against Antissa, but were defeated in a sortie by the Antissians and
their mercenaries, and retreated in haste after losing many of their
number. Word of this reaching Athens, and the Athenians learning
that the Mitylenians were masters of the country and their own
soldiers unable to hold them in check, they sent out about the
beginning of autumn Paches, son of Epicurus, to take the command,
and a thousand Athenian heavy infantry; who worked their own passage
and, arriving at Mitylene, built a single wall all round it, forts
being erected at some of the strongest points. Mitylene was thus
blockaded strictly on both sides, by land and by sea; and winter now
drew near.
The Athenians needing money for the siege, although they had for the
first time raised a contribution of two hundred talents from their own
citizens, now sent out twelve ships to levy subsidies from their
allies, with Lysicles and four others in command. After cruising to
different places and laying them under contribution, Lysicles went
up the country from Myus, in Caria, across the plain of the Meander,
as far as the hill of Sandius; and being attacked by the Carians and
the people of Anaia, was slain with many of his soldiers.
The same winter the Plataeans, who were still being besieged by
the Peloponnesians and Boeotians, distressed by the failure of their
provisions, and seeing no hope of relief from Athens, nor any other
means of safety, formed a scheme with the Athenians besieged with them
for escaping, if possible, by forcing their way over the enemy's
walls; the attempt having been suggested by Theaenetus, son of
Tolmides, a soothsayer, and Eupompides, son of Daimachus, one of their
generals. At first all were to join: afterwards, half hung back,
thinking the risk great; about two hundred and twenty, however,
voluntarily persevered in the attempt, which was carried out in the