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

THE WAR IN THE HELLESPONT 225
and the islands, and in the enemy-occupied Hellespontine region. The
victory of Cynossema prevented all that and kept Athens in the war
with a chance to emerge from it intact and with honor. When we
consider the disadvantages under which the Athenians fought, we
cannot fail to award high praise to them and their remarkable
commander.
Thrasybulus and his colleagues wasted little time in exploiting their
victory. At some time before the battle, Cyzicus, in the Propontis (see
Map 5), had revolted from the Athenians and had called in Pharnabazus
and the Spartan commander Clearchus, who had marched to the Hellespont
from Miletus during the summer. 51 Sailing from their base at
Sestos, the Athenians came to Priapus and Harpagium. Anchored
before these towns, they found eight ships from the squadron the
Megarian Helixus had managed to get through to bring about the
rebellion of Byzantium about the same time as Clearchus' march."
They easily defeated and captured this small force and the army defending
it on land. After that they went on to the unwalled city of
Cyzicus, demanded a money payment, and forced it back into the
Ah t em . an E mpue. . "
When the Athenians returned to their base, they found that Mindarus
had made good use of their absence. He had made a raid on
Elaeus, where the Athenians had taken the Spartan ships captured at
Cynossema, and had recaptured those that the Elaeans had not already
burned. He also had sent messengers to the Peloponnesian fleet at
Euboea, asking Agesandridas to send reinforcements for the next battle
in the Hellespont that was sure to come. Fifty ships sailed to join
Mindarus, undoubtedly leaving Euboea almost entirely without a naval
force. 54 Not long after the battle of Cynossema, the Athenians had a
fleet of 74 triremes with which they had to face 97 under Mindarus.
If all of the 50 ships from Euboea had reached him, he would have
commanded a fleet of about 140 ships, an overwhelming force that
would have guaranteed victory, even against the more skillful Athenians.55
On this occasion, however, fortune favored the Athenians.
Sl8.80.J.
52
8.80.4.
n8.IOJ.I.
54 8. IOJ.2. Agesandridas came to Euboea with forty-two ships (8.94· 1) and captured
twenty-two from the Athenians (8.95·7). The number of ships sent to Mindarus is
re~orted by Diodorus (f3.4I.I-2).
5
The number is approximate but fairly accurate. After Cynossema, Mindarus had