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

THE WAR IN THE AEGEAN 3 7
commander, Clearchus the son of Ramphias, was to take the force to
the Hellespont. Now the ambassadors from Pharnabazus quickly withdrew
after the decision at Sparta had gone against them, taking their
money with them, and they took no further part in the planned expedition.
50 This provides evidence that the faction favoring a Bellespontine
strategy, though once defeated, had not given up and still
commanded enough influence to gain some recognition, although at a
low priority, for its own program. The assignment of a different commander
for each phase of the projected campaign indicates the degree
of division and distrust among the factions and the absence of commanders
sufficiently distinguished and respected to overcome such
divisions.
The Peloponnesian League voted to move immediately. Thucydides
tells us that they planned to sail to Chi os boldly and openly, "for they
were contemptuous of the impotence of the Athenians, since no large
Athenian fleet was yet in evidence. " 51 But some part of the timidity
and caution that the Peloponnesians had displayed in naval matters
from the first still remained. After all, they had gathered their own
fleet on the western side of the Isthmus from where it must be dragged
across over the causeway to the Saronic Gulf, where they might be
exposed to attack from Athens. Even then, when a force of almost
forty ships had been gathered, they chose to make the trip in two
separate detachments, twenty-one ships crossing the Isthmus first and
sailing toward Chios at once and the remaining ships following later.
According to Thucydides, this was done to prevent the Athenians
from attacking either contingent lest they leave themselves open to
attack by the other. 52 These were strange tactics to produce a greater
degree of safety. The more normal course would have been to seek
safety in numbers and send the entire force together, thus overawing
the depleted Athenian navy, which had not yet dared show itself. Nor
does such cautious and ill-advised behavior accord well with the alleged
contempt of the Athenian navy. For all of their bravado, the Peloponnesians
seem still to have been nervous and poorly led when they
went to sea.
In spite of the eagerness of the allies to set sail, the expedition was
delayed by the arrival of the time for the Isthmian games and the
508.8. I.
"8.8. 3-4·
"This is my understanding of the puzzling passage in 8.8. 3·