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

THE FOUR HUNDRED IN POWER 175
Later naval encounters would show that Astyochus' caution was
wise, and for some time the Peloponnesian fleet stayed at Miletus,
unwilling to risk a battle, but Astyochus could not fail to take some
action. 64 His men, already restless and angry, became even more rebellious
after the most recent failure to engage the enemy. Since Tissaphernes
was not meeting his financial obligations, moreover, the
Spartan navarch would not long be able to maintain his ships and
crews. At the same time, Pharnabazus, the satrap of northern Anatolia,
kept inviting him to bring his forces into the Hellespont and promised
to provide support for them. The attractiveness of his appeal was
strengthened by messages from Byzantium asking the Peloponnesians
to come and support their proposed defection from Athens. For some
time, moreover, Astyochus had been under orders from Sparta to send
a force to assist Pharnabazus, and its designated commander Clearchus
was on the spot, waiting to go." For months Astyochus had failed to
carry out those orders and continued to cooperate with Tissaphernes,
but as the days of summer passed, he could delay no longer. Soon he
would need to return to Sparta, where he was sure to face complaints
against his inaction and lack of accomplishment. 66
Late in July, Clearchus set sail with forty ships. His goal was the
Hellespont, but it was not safe to take the direct route that would
bring him past the Athenian fleet at Samos, so he set out toward the
west and the more open sea. This course avoided the Athenians, but
it took him into one of those sudden Aegean storms so deadly to
triremes. He was forced to take shelter with most of his fleet at Delos,
from which he crept back to Miletus when the seas were calm. But
64 8.8o. 1. For a defense of the imperfect &vraviryovro against the aorist proposed by
Classen and Steup, see HCT V, 274. For an endorsement of Astyochus' caution, see
Busolt, GG Ilb, '495·
65 8.8o.I-J. For Clearchus and the orders, see 8.8.2 and 39.2. Busolt very plausibly
places the date of the Byzantine revolt in early August (GG lll:2, 1496), so the fleet
probably sailed late in the previous month.
66
Mindarus arrived to relieve Astyochus not much after this moment, although Thucydides
is vague about when. Busolt's estimate, some time in August, makes good
sense. Andrewes (HCT IV, 38; and V, 280-281), following Beloch, believes the navarchs
took office "near the autumn equinox," that is, late September. He recognizes,
however, that Astyochus seems to have been relieved somewhat earlier and suggests
the explanation may be irregularities in the Spartan calendar. R. Sealey (Klio LVIII
[1976], 335-358) believes that the navarchy was not yet a regular, annual office. Even
if he is right, Astyochus had no reason to be comfortable. He obviously had satisfied
the board sent to investigate him earlier (8.39·2), but he could not expect to last much
longer without some success.