Book II - Wilbourhall.org

APPENDIX I. 245and ten women. The rest of the inhabitants had been sent toAthens, which had promised to send aid to Plataea and hadencouraged it to hold out.79. An Athenian expeditionary force sent to subdueChalcidice is defeated, and three generals killed, nearSpartolus.80-82. Meanwhile a combined expedition of Lacedaemonians,Ambraciots, and barbarians was planned againstAcamania. The main body of the fleet was still preparing,when Cnemus, the Spartan admiral, started from Leucadiafor Stratus. Near that city the barbarians were completelydefeated, and Cnemus retreated to Oeniadae.83-84. At almost the same time the main body of thefleet, consisting of forty-seven vessels, was intercepted byPhormio while on its way to Acamania. In an engagementfought soon after day-break, the Peloponnesians were utterlydefeated, and pursued to Patrae.85-86. When the news of the defeat reached Sparta, theephors sent out three commissioners, one of whom wasBrasidas, to advise Cnemus ; for they were indignant at theresult of this the first great naval battle of the war. Thecommissioners had orders to bring on a new battle, and a'better' one. On their arrival both sides then sent forreinforcements. Twenty ships were sent from Athens, butwere ordered to go first to Crete, where they were delayed bybad weather. The Peloponnesians, having seventy-sevenships, were anxious to bring on a battle l^efore any reinforcementsreached Phormio.87-88. The commanders of both sides harangued theirtroops before the engagement. The Peloponnesians excusedthe former defeat, and pointed out that their side was superiorboth in courage and in numbers. On the other band, Phormiodeclared that it was fear which made the enemy bring a fleetof seventy-seven to fight a fleet of twenty ships ; and theboldness of the Athenians in accepting battle with so small aforce filled the enemy, they might be sure, with astonishmentand apprehension.90-92. A detailed and admirably perspicuous account ofthe battle in the Gulf. The Peloponnesians were defeated bysuperior seamanship. One of the Spartan commissioners committedsuicide when his ship was disabled at the crisis of thebattle. Phormio returned to Naupactus where he was joinedby the twenty ships from Crete. The main body of thePeloponnesians, under Cnemus and Brasidas, retoraed toCorinth.