Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/355

 PtENEWAL OF WAS AT PYLUS. 333 distinctly giving his opinion, seems rather to imply, that there was no just ground for the refusal : though if any accidental want of vigilance had presented to the Lacedaemonians an opportunity for surprising Pylus, they would be likely enough to avail themselves of it, seeing that they would thereby drive off the Athenian fleet from its only landing-place, and render the continued blockade of Sphakteria impracticable. However the truth may be, Euryme- don persisted in his refusal, in spite of loud protests of the Lace- daemonians against his perfidy. Hostilities were energetically resumed : the Lacedaemonian army on land began again to attack the fortifications of Pylus, while the Athenian fleet became doubly watchful in the blockade of Sphakteria, in which they were re- inforced by twenty fresh ships from Athens, making a fleet of seventy triremes in all. Two ships were perpetually rowing round the island in opposite directions, throughout the whole day ; while at night, the whole fleet were kept on watch, except on the sea-side of the island in stormy weather. 1 The blockade, however, was soon found to be more full of pri- vation in reference to the besiegers themselves, and more difficult of enforcement in respect to the island and its occupants, than had been originally contemplated. The Athenians were much distressed for want of water ; they had only one really good spring in the fortification of Pylus itself, quite insufficient for the supply of a large fleet : many of them were obliged to scrape the shingle and drink such brackish water as they could find ; while ships as well as men were perpetually afloat, since they could take rest and refreshment only by relays successively landing on the rock of Pylus, or even on the edge of Sphakteria itself, with all the chance of being interrupted by the enemy, there being no other landing-place, 2 and the ancient trireme affording no accommodation either for eating or sleeping. At first, all this was patiently borne, in the hopes that Sphakteria would speedily be starved out, and the Spai-tans forced to renew the request for 1 Thucyd. iv, 23. some of the commentators seem to suppose, see Poppo's note) that the Athe- nians had not plenty of sea-room in the harbor : it means, that they had no station ashore, excert the narrow space of Pylus itself.
 * Thucyrl. ir, 25. ruv VEUV O'VK k%ovGuv oppov. This docs not mean (as