Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/363

 KLEON AND DEMOSTHENES LAND THEIR FOHCE-S. 3i) island being thus stripped of its wood, he was enabled to survey the garrison, to count their number, and to lay his plan of attack on certain data. He now, too, for the first time, discovered that he had underrated their real number, having before suspected that the Lacedaemonians had sent in rations for a greater total than was actually there. The island was occupied altogether by four hundred and twenty Lacedaemonian hoplites, out of whom more than one hundred and twenty were native Spartans, belong- ing to the first families in the city. The commander, Epitadas, with the main body, occupied the centre of the island, near the only spring of water which it afforded : l an advanced guard of thirty hoplites was posted not far from the sea-shore, in the end of the island farthest from Pylus ; while the end immediately fronting Pylus, peculiarly steep and rugged, and containing even a rude circuit of stones, of unknown origin, which served as a sort of defence, was held as a post of reserve. 2 Such was the prey which Kleon and Demosthenes were anxious to grasp. On the very day of the arrival of the former, they sent a herald to the Lacedaemonian generals on the mainland, inviting the surrender of the hoplites on the island, on condition of being simply detained under guard without any hardship, until a final pacification should take place. Of course the sum- mons was refused ; after which, leaving only one day for repose, the two generals took advantage of the night to put all their hoplites aboard a few triremes, making show as if they were merely commencing the ordinary nocturnal circumnavigation, so as to excite no suspicion in the occupants of the island. The entire body of Athenian hoplites, eight hundred in number, were thus disembarked in two divisions, one on each side of the island, a little before daybreak : the advanced guard. of thirty Lacedaemonians, completely unprepared, were surprised even in their sleep and all slain. 3 At the point of day, the entire remain- ing force from the seventy-two triremes was also disembarked, leaving on board only the thalamii, or lowest tier of rowers, and 1 Colonel Lcake gives an interesting illustration of these particulars in tl.c topography of the island which may even now be verified (Travels ia Morea, vol. i, p. 408). 1 Thucyd. iv, 31. 3 Thucyd. iv, 32