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

362 THE FALL OF THE ATHENIAN EMPIRE
It would be easy for some of them to believe that the fault lay with
the captains for not imposing better discipline. Captains such as Theramenes
and Thrasybulus, who had been generals and performed remarkable
deeds and improvised plans in the midst of battles, might
find fault with the eight generals' lengthy pursuit of the enemy and
the failure to rescue the survivors before returning to Arginusae. They
might well resent the assignment that had been given them; it had
turned out to be impossible, as they might have thought could have
been foreseen; yet they might well be blamed for failing to accomplish
it. When the two divisions of the Athenian navy reunited after the
storm, we can imagine that the generals expressed surprise, dismay,
and even anger that the rescue mission had not been carried out. We
should not forget that the officers and men on the ships would have
been no less distressed by the loss of their comrades' lives than were
other Athenians. All would have been angry, convinced of their own
innocence, and ready to lay the blame on others. It is hard to believe
that there were no scenes of angry recrimination between generals and
captains after the reunion of forces.
However that may be, the entire Athenian fleet set out again for
Mytilene after the weather had cleared. Before they had gone far, they
met Conon coming from there to report that Eteonicus had escaped
to the south with his fleet of fifty ships. This was bad news, but the
generals were not yet ready to accept their failure to clear the seas of
the enemy's navy. They continued to Mytilene for a brief stop and
then followed the Spartans' trail to Chios. But the Spartans were safely
in port and wisely refused to come out and fight. The Athenians were
compelled to be satisfied with the victory they had already won and
sailed back to their base on Samos. 22 The generals had reason to be
proud of their work at Arginusae, but their joy should have been
tempered not only by the failure of the mission of rescue and recovery
but also of their inability to deliver a devastating blow like the one
delivered at Cyzicus. They had not cleared the seas of the enemy but
had left it with a powerful nucleus of a fleet that must soon be fought
agam.
From Samos the generals launched a series of pillaging raids on
enemy territory, 23 but their first task was to compose their report to
the Athenian people. The failure of rescue and recovery could not be
22 Xen. I.6.38.
23 Diod. IJ.I00.6.