Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/50

28 Pissuthnes certainly seems to have promised, and the Samians to have expected it: but I incline to believe that, though willing to hold out hopes and encourage revolt among the Athenian allies, the satrap, nevertheless, did not choose openly to violate the convention of Kallias, whereby the Persians were forbidden to send a fleet westward of the Chelidonian promontory. The departure of Perikles, however, so much weakened the Athenian fleet off Samos, that the Samians, suddenly sailing out of their harbor in an opportune moment, at the instigation and under the command of one of their most eminent citizens, the philosopher Melissus, — surprised and ruined the blockading squadron, and gained a victory over the remaining fleet, before the ships could be fairly got out to sea. For fourteen days they remained masters of the sea, carrying in and out all that they thought proper: nor was it until the return of Perikles that they were again blocked up. Reinforcements, however, were now multiplied to the blockading squadron, from Athens, forty ships, under Thucydides, Agnon, and Phormion, and twenty under