The Fall of the Athenian Empire-(A New History of the Peloponnesian War) Donald Kagan - (1987)

174 . THE FALL OF THE ATHENIAN FMPIRE
Samos. 60 The soldiers were outraged at the missed opportunity to force
a batde while the Athenians were torn by internal discord and their
fleet divided between Samos and the Hellespont. They blamed the
navarch Astyochus for his unwillingness to fight and for his credulity
in believing that Tissaphernes was really planning to bring on the
promised Phoenician fleet. They were bitter, too, against the Persian
satrap himself for failing to pay their wages fully and regularly, and
they accused him of deliberately trying to wear down their strength
by delay."
The complaints grew so serious that Astyochus was compelled finally
to call together a council, where the decision was made to force
a major batde. When they received word of the democratic counterattack
on the Samian oligarchs, they launched their fleet in the hope
of catching the Samians and Athenians in the midst of a civil war. 62
About the middle of June, therefore, they put to sea with their whole
fleet of 112 ships, having sent the Milesians over land to meet them
at Mycale, just off the eastern tip of Samos (see Map 3). The Athenians
had been forewarned of the enemy's intentions and had sent word to
Strombichides in the Hellespont to return his fleet to Samos, for they
were badly outnumbered with only 82 ships. They had taken up a
position at Glauce on the Mycale promontory, and when they saw the
Peloponnesian fleet sailing over from Miletus, they withdrew to Samos
to wait for Strombichides. A numerical advantage of over 36 percent
was more than the Athenians cared to challenge, especially when reinforcements
were on the way. The Peloponnesians made camp at
Mycale, where they added the Milesians and local troops to their
hoplite force and prepared to sail against Samos the next day. But
before they could do so they received the news that Strombichides
had arrived at Samos with ships that brought the Athenian total to
108. Faced with so small a numerical advantage, Astyochus lost his
taste for battle and retreated to his base at Miletus. It was now the
Athenians who sought a decisive encounter, but when they sailed to
challenge the enemy at his home base, Astyochus refused to come out
to meet them. The situation was restored to what it had been the
previous winter: the Athenian fleet, although slighdy inferior in numbers,
commanded the sea. ~n
60
8.6I-6J.2.
6
)8.]8.
62 8.79·1. For the timing, see HCT V, 272.
6J8. 79·