Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/84

 62 mSTOEY OF GREECE. a sort of middle course, so as to save Korkyra, and yet, if pos- sible, to escape violation of the existing truce and the consequent Peloponnesian war. To comply with the request of the Korky- rseans, by adopting them unreservedly as allies, would have laid the Athenians under the necessity of accompanying them in an attack of Corinth, if required, which would have been a mani- fest infringement of the truce. Accordingly, nothing more was concluded than an alliance for purposes strictly defensive, to pre- serve Korkyra and her possessions in case they were attacked : nor was any greater force equipped to back this resolve than a squadron of ten triremes, under Lacedogmonius, son of Kimon. The smallness of this force would satisfy the Corinthians that no aggression was contemplated against their city, while it would save Korkyra from ruin, and would in fact feed the war so as to weaken and cripple the naval force of both parties, 1 which was the best result that Athens could hope for. The instructions to Lacedasmonius and his two colleagues were express ; not to engage in fight with the Corinthians unless they were actually approaching Korkyra, or some Korkyrcean possession, with a view to attack : but in that case to do his best on the de- fensive. The great Corinthian armament of one hundred and fifty sail soon took its departure from the gulf, and reached a harbor on the coast of Epirus, at the cape called Cheimerium, nearly op- posite to the southern extremity of Korkyra : they there estab lished a naval station and camp, summoning to their aid a considerable force from the friendly Epirotic tribes in the neigh- borhood. The Korkyrasan fleet of one hundred and ten sail, under Meikiades and two others, together with the ten Athenian ships, took station at one of the adjoining islands called Sybota, while the land force and one thousand Zakynthian hoplites were posted on the Korkyraean Cape Leukimme. Both sides pre- pared for battle : the Corinthians, taking on board three days' provisions, sailed by night from Cheimerium, and encountered in 1 Thucyd. i, 44. Plutarch (Perikles, c. 29) ascribes the smallness of the squadron despatched under Laccdsemonius to a petty spite of Perikles against that commander, as the son of his old political antagonist, Kimoa From whomsoever he copied this statement, the motive assigned secmj quite unworthy of credit.